Self Help


 The Trelawnyd Community Association ( TCA) held its first heating hub afternoon in the village yesterday. 
Designed to be a comfortable place to keep warm , the afternoon proved to be more a social activity than a panacea against fuel bills but everyone that turned up had a free soup, bread roll, hot drink and cake .
Over a dozen people turned up which was an encouraging number for a first go.
I was happy at ladle duty

The TCA is run well. It’s full of good nature which promotes lateral thinking and inclusivity and activities taken on always seem to take place with humour and warmth. 
The youth club is going from strength to strength, as is the toddler group. The casino night was a success as is the pond renovation , coffee mornings and now the warm hub afternoons. 
The community orchard, trees are growing well just outside the village and will be sharing their fruit with anyone who needs it next year.

The TCA is an example of self help and when Old Trevor had another fall in the middle of the night and had effectively locked himself into his bungalow, it would seem that his family were on their own when he eventually managed to use his mobile phone and call for help at 8 am
The police promised to break in and informed the ambulance service but a local locksmith sorted the door out before they could arrive. 
I managed to assess Trev’s condition with a call handler on the other end of the phone who was obviously reading from an algorithm he wasn’t that familiar with 
Ambulance waiting time over 6 hours.
The system is almost broken.

Coffee at the kitchen table now, feeling thoughtful 
Off to college shortly 

54 comments:

  1. Firstly, I hope Trefor is OK. Your community association is working wonderfully. I hope it goes from strength to strength. Just a thought for future heating hub afternoons, how about some board games or a "bring a book, leave a book" shelf. xx

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  2. The TCA sounds exceptional. 6 hours for an ambulance is frightening to contemplate. Fortunate Trevor has family and he was able to reach them. And very fortunate to have a caring and competent nurse living nearby.

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    1. It’s a refreshing change from many community councils who have to deal with dry rules and situations and who are often run by white elderly men ..the community Association has many younger people and a heavy number of forward thinking women

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  3. Traveller12:20 pm

    The TC sounds wonderful.

    You are right about the system being pretty close to broken. With all the problems facing the UK what does the countries highest selling newspaper dedicate its first seven pages to today? Yup Harry and Meghan. You couldn’t make it up.

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    1. Trelawnyd is no different than most rural and indeed some urban communities that has a bit of a heart

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  4. Anonymous1:20 pm

    So Trevor had another fall since the hospitalization? Sounds like the locksmith and you are both important resources for the village to have on speed dial. 6 hours for an ambulance - surely a lot of people would not make it through such a long wait.

    Hope Roger is better!

    Ceci

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  5. Hope Trevor is ok, your community sounds like a proper community used to be. Long may it continue.

    Talking of broken systems, our school's fire alarm went off. Not a practice drill. Staff and kids all followed the protocol and assembled outside to wait. It took 25 mins for a fire engine to arrive, it should have taken 5. Hospitals and schools are supposed to be a priority. The building could have burnt down by then.

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    1. I guess every emergency service is stretched. The locksmith was a godsend , a delightfully helpful and sweet man

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  6. The TCA is a great example of community spirit!

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  7. How scary for Trevor! Hope he wasn't badly hurt.
    Your TCA sounds like a terrific group.

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  8. I actually loved this story of your village, the people, the thoughtfulness and kindness between neighbors so much, that I just read it to Bob. We are in agreement that living in Trelawnyd sounds close to perfect.
    Thanks John for making our somewhat damp and dreary morning here in North Carolina much brighter knowing there are lovely places on the planet. . . . . .and good people such as you who help their neighbors.
    Hope Roger is better now. Sending hugs.
    Mary -

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    1. Like I said before , I think Trelawnyd isn’t unique in any shape or form , it’s just that I big it up here…

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  9. Poor Old Trevor. Perhaps the time is fast approaching when he will need to live in residential care or have someone come to live with him. As Aunt Gladys found - you can't go on indefinitely.

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  10. Six hours for an ambulance. It's scary, it really is.

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    1. That’s average Steve if not under average

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  11. I wondered if Trefor has one of those assistance alarms around his neck x

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  12. The TCA sounds as though it is getting better by the month. Well done to everyone involved. The system truly is at breaking point. My Mum was quoted seven hours for an ambulance when she needed one, she lay on the floor with a neighbour in attendance for five and a half until they came and took her to hospital.

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    1. I’ve touted for more volunteers and got three from the village Facebook page

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    2. Well that's a good response, hopefully they will also spread the word and things will grow from there.

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  13. Barbara Anne2:59 pm

    The TCA is certainly a boon for the village and the new heating hub afternoon is a brilliant addition. It's so you to have had the ladling job as you are always finding ways to give!
    Hope Old Trev is okay. Well done to the locksmith, too, so Trev's door is still intact.

    Hugs!

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    1. No I didn’t do very much at all the longer lasting volunteers did the leg work

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  14. The TCA is tremendous and the working group is proving to be outstanding. Is TCA a property owner initiative? That alone is impressive. In my rural bedroom community of Boston, resident initiated groups are thwarted by town leadership. Volunteers must be vetted, selected and approved by leadership. This system is not so good. That said, our fire, police and ambulance systems are outstanding; small but outstanding. Our hospitals are filled to capacity with the virus and Covid so getting there is okay but being admitted is another story. Things are broken everywhere. We all need more TCA's.

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    1. We’ve had the same problem susan but more recently sound heads from the community council are working more collaboratively together
      Which is great , grown up and laudable

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  15. krayolakris3:39 pm

    More often than not I shed a few tears when I read your blog in the morning John. Happy tears for all the Good works the TCA is doing, sad tears at the thought of a 6-hour ambulance wait. Happy tears that your dear pet was treated so well at the vet; sad because I am also a singleton at this later life stage when everything is new and difficult and unsure. Sending all good thoughts to you. I’m so grateful for your blog.

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    1. Thank you deArheart, I’ve had a hard week all told , nice comments like this make my day too

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  16. Anonymous4:08 pm

    Thanks John. TCA tries hard but could do with less Hassel from a handful of critical friends. No doubt it will keep going from strength to strength with the new volunteers and positive suggestions gratefully received.

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    1. Yes a local comment and a bit of valuable balance….Trelawnyd certainly isn’t AMBRIDGE and it has its fair share of disputes and negativity
      I am often told I show a saccharine view of the village but , it solves nothing showing or naming or talking about the dissenters
      I think most of the village now have a shared and passionate need to save the village hall and develop its use….
      I hope this passion continues

      Ps I like the idea of a board games evening
      I have my giant chess set

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  18. What a nice village you live in. Quite enviable.

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    1. It has its darker corners hart , believe me, see the comment below

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  19. Dear John, I keep reading this and can make no sense? ''it would seem that his family were on their own when he eventually managed to use his mobile phone and call for help''---- T's family were not at home? Or what. Did this just happen? I hope Trevor is okay, you did him a great blessing. 6 HOURS for an ambulance? Cardiac cases must be a real problem. Do you have a fire department locally?

    lizzy

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    1. It’s complicated….but he could only use his mobile to call a relative and no one else . He fell hours before he thought to phone ….he’s safe at the moment

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  20. Damselfly5:37 pm

    The TCA sounds to be a wonderful group of caring, kind, warm, and generous folks. May it continue to grow from strength to strength!
    So sad to hear Old Trevor has had another fall. Bless the locksmith for opening the Trevor's door without damage and bless you for assessing Trevor's condition during his wait for an ambulance.
    Hope the dogs and Albert are well. Stay safe & well, John dear.

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    1. It’s been a funny old day . I learned of another friends death today , he lived on the eastern borders of tge village

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  21. How nice to have so many people participating in the community association. The heating hub sounds like a very good idea. I hope Trevor is ok, glad his door wasn't broken down.

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    1. I’m not sure of the usefulness of the hub , fuel wise ..but it worked socially

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  22. Yep, life imitating art here. Jolene has opened The Bull and Fallon has done the same at The Tea Rooms, just for folk to have a warm up, no charge. Now here we have The TCA, with the same idea. Any local turkeys going cheap? And watch out for Grudys up to no good. Hope Roger is doing okay and the rest of the gang, kiss for best boy Albert please x Tess

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  23. It's nice to hear that you have a caring community. I work at the local GP surgery and frequently have to call ambulances out for patients to their home- 10 hours this week for a patient who had fallen out of bed (93) and 17 hours for another lady with suspected heart attack - it is indeed broken!

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    1. The poor ambulance personnel have so much stress dealing with work guilt

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    2. That is so true yet when they arrive they are always so calm and professional - they must be physically and mentally exhausted by the end of a shift.

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    3. I’ve met many in my work ….all impressive practitioners

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  24. Hope Trefor is ok and that someone handy now has his key.🙂 How is Roger?

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    1. Trefor is ok , safe and looked after.. Roger is on my knee snoring gently

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  25. Sounds like a good community. Village life at its best.

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  26. Am glad you have a few more volunteers and agree that the heating hubs will provide much needed social support and warmth at such difficult times.

    It's really quite frightening how much nowadays it feels as if we are truly alone and needing to get on with things ourselves. Things are very broken.

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  27. A gathering of people is always warming, of hearts, and souls.

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  28. I see that we are being softened up to accept meekly that ambulances may not be despatched to people suspected of having a heart attack this winter

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