Latest news with #Pendine
Leader Live
25-05-2025
- General
- Leader Live
Wrexham: Hillbury House celebrates 60 years of care
Hillbury House, built in 1864 for businessman John Bury, became a care home in 1965 and was taken over by the Catholic Order of the Sisters of Nazareth, who ran it until 2005 as Nazareth House. In 2005, it became part of the Pendine Park care organisation, founded by Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill. Mr Kreft said: 'It was built in 1864 for John Bury who was well known locally and was one of the founders of the Wrexham War Memorial Hospital. "In building the house, they dug into a Bronze Age burial mound and found a number of artefacts which were given to the Wrexham Museum. 'Gill and I were looking for somewhere to open a care home in 1985 because we wanted a place suitable for our elderly grandparents which would provide the level of care we wanted for them. 'A property in Llandudno was set up but it fell through at the last minute and Gwern Alyn became available in Wrexham which was another of the areas we were looking. 'Converting Gwern Alyn into a care home was the start of the Pendine story and choosing Wrexham was the right decision for us.' He added: "We started with 14 residents at Gwern Alyn and now we're up to 440 at our nine care homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon. "Later this year, we will welcome our 6,000th resident and at the same time we employ 864 people and what we do supports the NHS." The Krefts were the first care organisation in Wales to employ an artist in residence. Thirty years later, the person they appointed, Sarah Edwards, is still working with them as a consultant, along with a musician in residence, a creative practitioner, and an army of enrichment co-ordinators. The couple have also launched the Pendine Arts and Communities Trust, which supports a host of community and arts-related activities. This includes the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, where they sponsor the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, and the North Wales International Music Festival, where they sponsor the Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition. Mrs Kreft, a chartered accountant, also set up the influential Wrexham Business Professionals group to promote regional prosperity and shine a light on the enterprise and expertise that exists in the region. Both care homes are run by manager Cindy Clutton, who began her own career in care in 1982 aged just 15, working at weekends and in the school holidays at Nazareth House, as Hillbury was then called. She said: "My mum was there and she had always worked in care and I went there when I was still in school and I enjoyed it so when I finished school I went on to take a YTS - Youth Training Scheme - in care and started with Clwyd County Council in their home at Wren's Nest in Rhosddu. "I joined Pendine in 2000 at Gwern Alyn and they took over Nazareth House and I became acting manager of Gwern Alyn and Hillbury and the rest is history. "Mario had encouraged me to my Level Five management course and gave me the support I needed and I've been at the two homes ever since. "I've really enjoyed it. "It's a challenging job but it's also very rewarding when you see the residents all smiling and happy. "I still love coming to work each day." Mr Kreft said: "Four decades on and Pendine Park has become a very, very important community asset for Wrexham and 10 years ago we opened Bryn Seiont Newydd in Caernarfon. MORE NEWS: "We were the very first in the UK to deliver what in those days were NVQs – National Vocational Qualifications – although the skills you need as a carer are not something everyone can do and you don't really learn them at a college. "It's about empathy and emotional intelligence and you probably either have or don't have that by the time you leave primary school." Mr Kreft has also found time to become a campaigner for the social care sector, founding both Care Forum Wales, which represents around 500 independent providers, and the Wales Care Awards, to recognise frontline care workers.
Leader Live
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Ukrainian soprano competes at Llangollen Eisteddfod
Soprano Khrystyna Makar is among 25 competitors in the Pendine International Voice of the Future contest at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod this July. Her life took a dramatic turn in 2022 when she and her sons, Denys and Lukian, had to leave their home city, Lviv, due to the war. They left behind her husband, Volodimir and her parents. Now settled in Shotton, Flintshire, Khrystyna is competing against singers from countries including the USA, China and South Africa, as well as England and Wales. Before the 2022 invasion, Khrystyna was a successful classical singer, performing across Ukraine and Europe. READ MORE: Mold: 'Cracked Coffee' to open new shop this weekend War-displaced singer hopes Pendine contest reignites classical career (Image: Supplied) Since arriving in the UK, she has lived in Llangrannog and Aberystwyth before finally settling in Shotton. She has found it challenging to maintain her musical career and hopes the Llangollen competition will provide a much-needed boost. Khrystyna continues to make trips home to Lviv to see her husband and family, but her recent visit coincided with a deadly Russian missile strike on a Kyiv apartment block. Twelve people were killed and more than 80 injured in the attack. Khrystyna said: "It's difficult but people still try to keep going. "Being separated from your family is difficult but you have to be strong." The competition is sponsored by the Pendine Arts and Community Trust and the winner will receive a £3,000 cheque and the Pendine Trophy, presented by opera star Sir Bryn Terfel. They will also perform at the Eisteddfod's final concert on Sunday, July 13, alongside Sir Bryn. Pendine Park proprietor, Mario Kreft MBE, said: "The standard of the competitors in years past has been absolutely phenomenal and I have no doubt it will be just as incredibly high again this year." Llangollen Eisteddfod's artistic director, Dave Danford, said: "This is one of the most important competitions of the Eisteddfod and people come here because they could be watching someone who will become a household name." Sir Bryn Terfel added: "The Pendine International Voice of the Future competition is a wonderful opportunity for talented young singers to make a mark."
Powys County Times
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Renowned Powys harpist comes out of retirement for shows
AN INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed harpist from Powys is coming out of self-imposed retirement to give a series of performances featuring two historical harps. The recitals by Elinor Bennett, who hails from Llanidloes, will give music lovers an opportunity to listen to music from the 18th and early 19th centuries played on two wonderful old harps, made in the same period. The first performance will be at Theatr Twm o'r Nant, Denbigh at 7.30pm on Wednesday, June 18. The bilingual concert, Llais Hen Delynau/Voice of Old Harps, will feature music by Handel, blind harpist John Parry, Edward Jones (The King's Bard), Rosetti, Spohr and contemporaries. It's being made possible thanks to the generosity of the main sponsor, the arts-loving Pendine Park care organisation through the Pendine Arts and Community Trust (PACT). The trust was set up to support arts and community events by Pendine Park proprietors, Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill, who live in Denbigh. The performance will be a special occasion for them because Pendine - which has nine award-winning care homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon - is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Mario said: 'Elinor is truly a national treasure, a supremely gifted harpist who has made an unforgettable mark on the world stage. We're incredibly lucky that she is Welsh. 'She has also found time to teach and inspire generations of young harpists following in her illustrious footsteps. 'This year is special for us at Pendine and we were delighted to have the opportunity to support this wonderful concert. 'It chimes perfectly with our ethos because music and the arts in general are the golden thread running through daily life at Pendine, helping to enrich the lives of our residents and staff alike.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app Elinor, who lives near Caernarfon, said: I have owned these harps for many years and have long wanted to do something with them. They were made to be played and not placed in a corner somewhere. "So I've decided to come out of my self-imposed retirement to perform a selection of music from the same period as when these harps were made. "Having played the modern concert harp professionally for many years, I wish to share the joy of playing music on authentic, original instruments and discussing aspects of playing two historic harps from my collection. "I relied on the old harps - and music from their time - to guide me. It has been a revelation - as the sound and playing techniques are very different to the modern harp. I am grateful for the help that I have received from distinguished early music experts and try to follow their advice." Elinor said the story begins with the triple harp, which was developed in Italy during the Baroque period and was played at the Royal Court in London at the time of George Frederic Handel. The recitals are being presented as part of the Noson Allan/Night Out scheme run by the Arts Council of Wales. In addition to the performance in Denbigh Elinor will appear at Eglwys Dewi Sant, Cardiff on June 20 and at a venue in Pembrokeshire in July.
