Christmas and New Year are times to celebrate. Your Council’s ’12 Days of Christmas’ is a day by day reminder of some of the useful services and helpful information that we provide – and some suggestions of what you can do over the holidays.
Christmas Day – Recycle Christmas food waste and gift wrap
Blaenau Gwent Council’s kerbside recycling team will be picking up your food waste over the Christmas period. It couldn’t be easier – just store in your green kitchen caddy then transfer to the larger green bin when collection day comes around. Christmas wrapping paper? Put it in the clear sacks (delivered to your doorstep) ready for our recycling collection.
2nd Day – Get home safe
Get home safe for Christmas – make sure you’ve booked yourself a licensed and legal taxi to get you home. Blaenau Gwent Council has again signed up to CABSAFE – a scheme that texts you with the numbers of the three nearest taxis. Simply text the word CAB to 83222. Texts cost 50p
3rd Day: Work it off!
Ebbw Vale Sports Centre will open today, 27 December 2009, and for the next few days up to New Year. Hit the treadmill in the gym (9am – 5pm) or go for a swim (10am – 5pm). Ebbw Vale will open every day up to 31 December 2009. Our other sports centres are closed.
4th Day – Know your rights at the Sales
Blaenau Gwent Council’s Trading Standards team are reminding local people of their consumer rights. Remember – Goods must fit the description given; be of satisfactory quality and be fit for purpose or you are entitled to your money back. Want to return something? It is up the retailer if you want to return an item because you have changed your mind.
Shopping online? You have a ‘cooling off’ period of seven days (unless the gift is custom made) when any order can be cancelled or returned. For advice call Trading Standards on 01495 356138, Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or visit http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/
5th Day – Meals on Wheels
Around 250 people are receiving Christmas holiday hot meals – main course and dessert – thanks to the Meals on Wheels team at Blaenau Gwent Council this Christmas. The only day no meals are delivered because our staff take a break are Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. However, we can leave meals in advance for those days too.
6th Day – Tackling snow and ice
Blaenau Gwent Council is ready to go if the weather people forecast snow or ice. Before the freeze, we pre-salt up to 200 kilometres of main roads. We’re stocked up pretty well with salt. All we need is the right forecast. If the snow sticks, we are ready 24/7 to get out with more salt and the snowploughs – doing our best to keep main roads clear and traffic flowing.
New Year’s Day – Greetings from Coun Des Hillman, Leader of Blaenau Gwent Council:
“Let’s make 2010 an exciting year – the year of Blaenau Gwent. So much is happening – a new hospital, new school, two top-notch heritage restoration projects, consultations on exciting new 21st century schools and learning centres and more. Then in the summer, Blaenau Gwent will host the National Eisteddfod and 150,000 visitors – it should be a great Valleys festival.”
8th Day – Get fit in the New Year
It’s New Year’s resolution time! If you are pledged to getting fit and healthy, Blaenau Gwent Council’s Life scheme is available at our sports centres in Ebbw Vale, Nantyglo, Tredegar and Abertillery. Membership of Life is a real bargain – access to fitness facilities and swimming every day.
9th Day – Get on your bike
Another New Year’s resolution could be take up cycling – did you know you can hire bikes to ride around Bryn Bach Park. There are children’s and adults bikes, trikes, tandems and disabled friendly bikes available to hire out from an hour to a full day. All located in the shop at the rear of the Visitor Centre.
10th Day – Blaenau Gwent Council services as usual
All Blaenau Gwent Council services will be back to normal after the holidays starting on Monday, 4 January 2010.
11th Day – Recycle your Christmas tree
Today’s the day for you to take your real Christmas tree down and recycle it. Call Blaenau Gwent Council’s Contact Centre on 01495 355116. We will arrange to collect your real trees for recycling. Artificial trees go back in the loft.
12th Day – Keeping our streets safe
Operation Street Safe is a Safer Blaenau Gwent Community Safety Partnership campaign. Over the holidays, Gwent Police patrols are stepped up, posters remind people to drink responsibly and St. John’s Ambulance are assist on busy nights. Blaenau Gwent Council’s Trading Standards and police officers check on licensed premises, there is extra Council street cleansing and more litter patrols.
