By Lesley Griffiths

MS for Wrexham

Readers may be aware Wales became the first UK nation to adopt 20mph speed limits after legislation was passed by Senedd Members.

It means Wales is now part of a growing global movement which will help ensure our residential roads are safer for everyone, particularly children, cyclists and pedestrians.

There is overwhelming evidence that shows lower speeds result in fewer collisions, as well as helping save lives.

I also hope this policy will bring about a shift in behaviour, ultimately encouraging more people to walk or cycle to places they would have previously driven to. Introducing 20mph speed limits in residential areas across Wales was a Welsh Labour manifesto commitment at last year’s Senedd Election so I am pleased the legislation has passed and Wales is once again leading the way.

A festival of football culture is being launched in Wrexham later this year coinciding with Wales qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. Wal Goch: Festival for Football Lovers will take place at the spiritual home of Welsh football from 11th – 13th November and will offer a dose of World Cup fever for those not going to Qatar.

Organisers hope the festival, which has the backing of the Football Association of Wales, will become a yearly event.

A range of activities, film screenings, talks and workshops are expected to feature across the city but it is still early days and finer details will be revealed in the coming months.

A series of focus groups took place in recent days, including one at Wrexham Museum, which aimed to engage with a wide range of people and organisations to gather together a variety of ideas.

This will be a significant event for the city and will be something all football fans will enjoy.

I am in regular contact with organisers and will continue to help as best I can.

Summer has well and truly arrived and it has been lovely to get out and about in the constituency spending time at some of the many fairs, fates and community events taking place.

I attended the Erlas Victorian Walled Garden Summer Fair.

As a proud patron of the charity, I was asked to officially open the new Jubilee Garden.

There was also a range of activities taking place at the Caia Park Environmental Group’s Open Day and it was a pleasure to attend and open the event.