Llanasa Life Winter 2025 LLANASA CONSERVATION SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Looking Back, Moving Forward, and Celebrating Together We are delighted to bring you the latest edition of Llanasa Life, our community e-newsletter dedicated to keeping our village connected, informed, and inspired. Llanasa may be small, but it is rich in history, character, and a strong sense of community, with people who care deeply about its past, present, and future. In this edition, you’ll find a variety of community news and events. As always, Llanasa Life is shaped by the community it serves, and we encourage everyone to share news, stories, achievements, and concerns. These pages are not just about information; they are about belonging and celebrating what makes Llanasa special. This year has been one of change and achievement for Llanasa Conservation Society. In partnership witht the Church and Village hall we raised over £1,500 for LCS through three well-supported Car Boot sales, which brought together villagers and visitors alike. In addition, we organised three village tidy-ups, where volunteers came together to keep Llanasa looking at its best demonstrating the spirit of local engagement and pride in the village. The Society also continues to sponsor the reception after the Carol Service, to be held this year on 21 December. Supported by the Village Hall team we invite you to this festive gathering with mulled wine, sherry, soft drinks, mince pies, and sausage rolls. Llanasa Conservation Society still has vacancies for Treasurer and Secretary, and anyone interested in supporting its work is warmly encouraged to get involved - llanasaconservation@gmail.com. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributes to, supports, and reads Llanasa Life. We hope this edition provides useful information, a sense of pride in our village, and perhaps a friendly nudge to step out and take part in all that Llanasa has to offer. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! tion Society asa Conserva Llan llanasaconservation@gmail.com Click here or scan the QR Code to
Llanasa Pop Up Cafe Meeting 14th December The team who run the Thursday morning cafe would like to thank everyone for their support over the last few months. It has been lovely to see familiar faces and also meet some new visitors who have popped in to enjoy coffee or tea and cake and lively conversation. They have had recent visits from Flintshire County Council Recycling Team and from the voluntary sector encouraging befriending. Landlord Jimmy has been in touch to share an update on progress at The Red Lion. He has been very active in trying to move the project forward and is now officially the licensee, with a new website and social media channels ready to launch. Contractors have also been identified and are keen to begin work on improvements to the building. However, there is currently a significant sticking point with Flintshire County Council’s Planning Department. Jimmy has recently submitted an application to discharge a restrictive condition relating to the appearance and design of a proposed bi-fold door on the side of the pub. Support from the community is particularly important at this stage because the Planning Department must consider not only technical details, but also the level of local support when deciding whether to relax or remove conditions that affect the building’s appearance. Without approval from the Planning Department the pub will remain closed. Demonstrating that residents support the reopening helps show that bringing The Red Lion back into operation is in the best interest of the village and will contribute positively to the local community. Jimmy will be hosting a meeting in the Village Hall at 5pm on Sunday 14th December. It’s an opportunity to meet him, hear about his plans for the pub and share your thoughts and ideas. He very much hopes to see you there. Along the way they have made a surplus of funds! As you probably know they regularly give donations to charities which are close to all our hearts – the recent ones have been: Holywell Community Hospital Friends Awyr Las Blue Sky, Glan Clwyd Cancer Appeal Stroke Association A village event Macmillan Cancer Appeal The Red Cross. The last café before Christmas is on 18th December 2025 and in the New Year they open again on 8th January 2026. We look forward to seeing you there.
It has been a busy year in the Village Hall with its regular and private renters. The Hall has managed to raise £2,050.32 through fundraising events such as three Car Boot sales, a BYO Night, and, more recently, a Pie Night. Thanks are extended to all those who supported these events. Before the year is out, there will also be Carol Singing around the Village on the 8th of December (cash donations are most welcome), and the Hall will be hosting a New Year’s Eve Party. There is nothing better than a fabulous night of music, dancing, eating, and drinking with friends, followed by only a short walk home at the end of the evening. Further details can be found on the next page in this edition of Llanasa Life and also on the Village Hall Facebook page. Work has also been taking place behind the scenes. Earlier in the year, the Hall was awarded a grant of just under £20,000 from Gwynt y Môr to improve its ‘green’ credentials. With this funding, a brand-new boiler has been installed and is now fully operational. The second part of the grant covers the cost of secondary glazing in the Hall. Trustees are pleased to report that planning permission for this installation has now been granted, and the work is expected to be undertaken in the near future. These upgrades are intended to reduce fossil-fuel consumption, prevent heat loss, and minimise condensation within the building. As many homeowners know, undertaking one job often highlights weaknesses elsewhere, and this has proved true for the Village Hall. When the boiler was replaced, engineers discovered a leak in the solar panel, and the more powerful new boiler exceeded the capacity of the existing manifold. As a result, the Hall faced unforeseen expenses. However, a National Lottery Grant application was submitted, and the Hall has since been awarded £1,920 to cover the cost of the manifold repair. The Trustees extend their thanks to Wayne Taylor, who has led—and continues to lead—the ‘greener credentials’ project. They stress that the progress achieved would not have been possible without his dedicated and steadfast commitment. Earlier this year, the Trustees of the Village Hall adopted a Welsh language policy in a bid to reflect the bilingual nature of the local community. Helen Haley and Ann Johnson, both Trustees of the Village Hall, have worked hard to install signs in both Welsh and English throughout the Hall, and their efforts are greatly appreciated. The Trustees are also delighted to welcome two new members, Heather Brown and Matthew Thompson, who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will undoubtedly benefit the Hall in the coming year. Any residents interested in joining the enthusiastic and positive team are encouraged to contact Daphne Thompson at mattdaff31@sky.com. The Village Hall team looks forward to welcoming the community into the Hall and hopes to see many residents at the New Year’s Eve Party. They extend warm wishes for a peaceful and blessed festive season.
Village Hall Party! The Village Hall is excited to invite everyone to celebrate New Year’s Eve in style at its party. For just £15 per ticket, villagers can enjoy a night packed with music, dancing, and raffle prizes. It’s the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to the year gone by and welcome 2026 surrounded by friends, neighbours, and the vibrant community spirit that makes the village so special. Guests can bring their own drinks and food, creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where everyone can mingle, laugh, and have fun. With the Hall located in the heart of the village, and only a short walk home at the end of the evening, it offers a perfect way to celebrate without the worry of travel. It isn’t just a chance to enjoy a memorable night—it also supports the Village Hall, helping fund future events, improvements, and activities for the whole community. Come and celebrate - your presence helps keep the Hall at the centre of village life. Don’t miss this fantastic start to the New Year message Daphne to book your tickets at mattdaff31@sky.com
Llanasa Walking Group meet, usually at a pub, on the second Saturday of each month for a 5-6 mile walk. There are around 15 very sociable walkers on each walk and recently they have met at Halkyn, Gorsedd, Rhos on sea and Rhewl. All are welcome to join the Group - email me at jeffmorgan898@gmail.com for further info.
Once again, the past few months have been busy for the LLanasa WI. It continues to grow, welcoming more new members, which has been wonderful to see. It provides an opportunity for women of all ages to come together to learn, have fun, and socialise. This was followed the week after with a weekend visit to London. The September meeting focused on the theme of Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose, and members enjoyed taking part in the monthly competition for the best charity shop outfit. Members donned their sparkly outfits and enjoyed the spectacular experience of ABBA Voyage. They also took part in another macramé workshop, this time creating Christmas angel decorations. During December, Christmas celebrations will take place, followed by an outing with Dyserth WI to Chester Cathedral for the Christmas Cracker concert—an event that has become something of an annual pilgrimage. Members enjoyed an outing to Venue Cymru to see the musical Calamity Jane, as well as a coach trip with Voel Coaches to Oswestry and The Ironworks. Their educational visit took them to Bodrhyddan Hall and Gardens, followed by tea and cake. Also in September, a group tried their hands at macramé, making hanging baskets—quite successfully, they noted. In October, members brought in food donations for the local Foodbank, created poppies for Remembrance Day, and finished the evening with a Harvest supper. Looking ahead to 2026, the programme will include stories of adventure, quizzes, educational activities, make-up tutorials, exercise classes, food tasting, fun, and games. Alongside these will run theatre outings, walks, meals out, and visits to various places of interest. Llanasa Women’s Institute meets on the second Tuesday of each month in Llanasa Village Hall at 7.00 pm. They also organise many additional activities outside the official meeting day. New members and guests (with the first three meetings free) are warmly welcomed. For more information please contact llanasawi@outlook.com They can also be found on Facebook Llanasa WI. Thank you for reading! LLANASA CONSERVATION SOCIETY SAM GARDNER - CHAIR VACANCY - TREASURER VACANCY - SECRETARY HELEN GARDNER - MARKETING llanasaconservation@gmail.com
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