By Sarah Atherton

MP for Wrexham

I am really pleased to be involved with the Everyone Deserves A Christmas (EDAC) appeal once again this year to enable households in need, including many with young children, to enjoy Christmas in a way that they perhaps otherwise would not be able to.

Last Christmas, I worked with Mecca Bingo Wrexham, Wrexham Rotary Club and Caia Park Partnership to support vulnerable members of our community by providing over 100 hampers and 100 gift bags for them to enjoy during the festive period. I am grateful that the same group of organisers have come together again over the past few months, and we are very much looking to build on last year’s success.

If you are able to contribute to the appeal, you can do so by donating to the JustGiving page, which can be accessed by visiting: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/everyonedeservesachristmaswxm. The closing date for donations is 12th December 2023.

It is also possible to supporting EDAC by donating any of the following items: bubble bath, toy sets, craft sets, science kits, pens/colouring pencils and sports equipment (e.g., balls and racquets). Items are being collected at Mecca Bingo, Smithfield Road, Wrexham, LL13 8EN.

I am extremely grateful to everybody who has donated so far, and I would encourage anybody who can spare any amount of money to consider contributing to this valuable appeal. Your donations will make a real difference to so many people and families’ lives in our community during the festive period.

If you require any further information regarding the EDAC appeal, please call Mecca Bingo on 01978 312717.

Meanwhile, a few months ago, I was pleased to write a letter of support for Maggie’s planning application for a Cancer Support Centre at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, which would serve patients from across the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board service area. Back in August 2021, I launched a campaign to bring a Maggie’s Cancer Centre to North Wales and since then, I have been working closely with Maggie’s to ensure this comes to fruition. Last week, we received the excellent news that Maggie’s planning application has been successful! Our collective efforts and hard work paid off.

Having met with users of Maggie’s centres, staff, and the charity officers, I am very aware of how important these services can be to cancer patients and their families. That's why I'm thrilled that Wrexham residents will have access to these vital resources in the near future. Unfortunately, the demand for these services is on a constant rise in Wales. Recently, it was revealed that cancer waiting times showed slight improvement, with 57.3% starting treatment within 62 days of cancer being suspected - but this is still below target. Nobody should have to endure such distressing and potentially life-threatening delays.

Cancer patients are continually being let down by the Welsh Government which chooses to prioritise spending £32 million of taxpayers’ money to continue waging its relentless war on motorists by introducing 20mph speed limits across Wales and expanding the Senedd to the eye-watering cost of over £100m.

What Wales really needs is more doctors, dentists, and nurses, not more politicians. To make matters worse, the Welsh Government failed to spend £155m that was made available to it at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the UK Government. It begs the question, why did Labour Ministers in Cardiff sit on, and throw away, this huge amount of money when it could have been spent on addressing the chronic issues facing Wales’ NHS?

There has never been a better time for me to highlight my health campaign which is continuing to gather momentum. If you would like to share your views on the current state of healthcare services in Wrexham, please follow this link: https://www.sarahatherton.org.uk/healthcare-wrexham.

Lastly, if you are a resident in the current Wrexham constituency, and need my help with any issue, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email at sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.