Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Latest news from Carmarthenshire Council's press office - Young entrepreneurs and micro businesses in rural parts of Carmarthenshire are being offered unique support and guidance to help them develop new business opportunities. Project officers from a new entrepreneurship programme known as Cyf.le are preparing to host a roadshow of advice sessions which will help future tycoons access training and employment information. The Cyf.le team can provide guidance for budding entrepreneurs considering setting up a new business and can offer support to enable existing businesses to develop and grow. Local businesses can also benefit from one to one support and advice from experienced business counsellors who can assist in development and access to grant funds, including the South West Wales Local Investment Fund (LIF). There will also be a chance to discuss business ideas with local entrepreneurs and to learn from their experiences in turning innovative ideas into viable businesses. The

Simon Buckley was joined by Radio Wales personality Roy Noble at the launch of Y Cadno gastro pub in Cardiff. See previous posts. More pictures - http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/robertapvincent/CadnoPubOpening#

Tune in the Wedi 7 on S4C this evening. There will be a live insert from Y Cadno, the new gastro pub being opened in Cathedral Road, Cardiff. For more info, see earlier post - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-pub-for-capital-city-press-release.html

People with a vested interest in creating a safer, tidier and cleaner Carmarthenshire are being invited to join a successful initiative which could help to make the county the pride of Wales. Through the Welsh Assembly Government funded Tidy Towns project, community groups can help improve their local environments with support from Keep Wales Tidy and Carmarthenshire County Council; who are already working in partnership to deliver the project in the county. Project officers employed by Keep Wales Tidy encourage communities to “adopt” local neglected areas and they assist them in undertaking a range of improvement projects such as litter picking, path maintenance, improving access, developing green spaces, wildlife habitat management and many more. Anywhere from beaches and rivers, to towns and villages could fall under the scheme. It is hoped that transforming neglected areas to their former glory will encourage community integration and improve community spirit at the same time. Exis

The accident and emergency department at Llanelli's Prince Philip Hospital get a slap on the back today. My knee 'popped' last night. I managed to get through A&E in under an hour today (X-ray included!). The verdict? Sore knee, nothing damaged, I get marked pretty high on the wimp list. Go home and rest and elevate was the advice. Should get me out of the housework for the rest of the day!

I am thinking of starting a collection of great names for pop/rock bands. The inspiration comes from a poster spotting in Llanidloes. The line-up at The Red Lion included the brilliantly-named ' Too Loud For The Legion '. Anyone else got any great names to add to the list?

Latest news from Carmarthenshire Council’s press office - Itinerant gardener An itinerant gardener who pressurised an elderly Carmarthen couple into paying hundreds of pounds for a few hours shoddy work has been prosecuted by Carmarthenshire County Council. Peter Mark Roberts pleaded guilty at Ammanford Magistrates Court to two offences of failing to provide consumers with their cancellation rights, and of failing to carry out work with professional diligence. Robert Edgecombe, for Carmarthenshire Trading Standards Services, told the court that Roberts, who is from Neath, had called on the couple in November 2008 and pressurised them into agreeing to pay him £300 for some general gardening work, which only took a few hours. An earlier visit some months previously had resulted in a payment of £400 for work that also only lasted a few hours. The standard of workmanship was poor and not to the desired professional standard. The couple had not been told of their right to cancel the contrac

Latest news from Carmarthenshire Council’s press office - Putting a spring back in to your step Older people living in the Llandeilo area of the county have got an extra spring in their step thanks to a new toe nail cutting service which has been set up in the town. Wellbeing Regeneration, a not-for-profit organisation, has been commissioned by the Carmarthenshire Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Partnership to provide a nail cutting service at the Maes Elfryn Sheltered Complex. The organisation works with and receives subsidised funding from the NHS and 50+ Partnership to offer an affordable option for people who require basic foot care. For a small fee of just £6, older people can have their toe nails or finger nails trimmed. The service is provided by experienced staff, and is also available in other community venues across the county, including in Llanelli, Burry Port, Llandybie, Garnant, Brynaman, Pontyberem and Pontyates. The Wellbeing Foot Care Project at Maes Elfryn has recen

Latest news from Carmarthenshire Council’s press office - Garden Tidy Scheme A scheme to give older people’s gardens a one-off tidy up is being spread across Carmarthenshire – thanks to new funding. Age Concern Sir Gar runs the Garden Tidy Scheme which uses young offenders to carry out supervised work on gardens for people aged 70 and over who cannot do it themselves and have no family members able to help. The project has been limited to the Llanelli area in recent years but the service can now be offered to people anywhere in Carmarthenshire following a £7,200 donation from the county council’s 50+ Strategy. The funding authorised by 50-plus Champion Cllr Kevin Madge will be used to buy new equipment such as mowers and strimmers. Age Concern Sir Gar chief officer Ann Dymock said: “The Probation Service provides young offenders for two or three days a week from April to October and they can tidy about 6-8 gardens a week. “They do work such as cutting back hedges and shrubs, and tackli

Pupils from Ysgol Pontiets have visited County Hall in Carmarthen as guests of the chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council. They are pictured meeting chairman Cllr Tyssul Evans in the Chairman’s Room. Pic Jeff Connell

Pupils from Ysgol Bancffosfelen have visited County Hall in Carmarthen as guests of the chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council Tyssul Evans. The children and their headteacher Glenn Evans are pictured in the Chairman’s Room with Cllr Evans. Picture Jeff Connell

Pupils of Ysgol Mynyddygarreg have visited County Hall in Carmarthen as guests of the chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council. The children, headteacher Angela Jones and local member Cllr Keith Davies are pictured in the Chairman’s Room with chairman Cllr Tyssul Evans. Pic Jeff Connell

Latest news from Carmarthenshire Council’s press office - Castle House The Visitor Centre at Castle House in Carmarthen has opened for the summer. Castle House, Carmarthen, with many of its original features surviving from the 1880s, is jammed tight between the town’s castle walls and County Hall. The centre houses an exhibition of the history of policing within Carmarthenshire; history of Carmarthen and its castle and also artefacts from various archaeological digs from within Carmarthen town. Hen Dy’r Castell (Castle House) was formerly a police station and was the county lock-up from approximately 1880 until 1947. The exhibition makes use of the two cells within the building with one housing a visual display of the development of Carmarthen Castle from the twelfth to the fifteenth Century. The second cell has been left as near to its original condition, as a reminder of the harsh reality of custody during the Victorian era. The restoration of Ty’r Castell was originally grant funde

THE proud boast of Tredegar’s Kidz R Us project is that it offers something for everyone. And you’d have to be a mug to challenge that statement when you view the diary of events – Concerts, dance lessons, tai chi, slimming classes, sewing classes, karate, gymnastics, technical workshops, training and further education classes . . . you name it and it happens at the former Park Place Presbyterian Chapel. “To say the place is busy is an understatement,” Kidz R Us administrator Trish Dann said. “We are very proud of the fact that this place acts as a hub for the local community and the list of events fails to mention that we also act as a venue for children’s parties, weddings, conferences and seminars. Oh, and we’ve got our own cafe!” The latest expansion at the Kidz R Us centre comes on the back of a grant of £104,644 from CFAP – the Welsh Assembly Government’s Community Facilities and Activities Programme. “The money has been a massive boost to our work here at Kidz R Us and we think

Latest news from Carmarthenshire Council’s press office - Investors in People Success Carmarthenshire has been presented with the Investors in People Standard, becoming the largest local authority in Wales to achieve recognition. IiP is a nationally recognised and prestigious standard which measures how well an organisation performs through its people. The award was presented to council chairman Cllr Tyssul Evans by Dr Pat Evans, who has acted as Carmarthenshire’s IiP Advisor, at this week’s meeting of the full council. Dr Evans praised the progress made by the county council during the two years that she has been involved with a working group of council officers chaired by director of regeneration and leisure Dave Gilbert, and remarked on the corporate approach to people management and development adopted which has resulted in highly motivated staff. She said: “Recognition by Investors in People means that you have achieved a very high standard of good practice in the way that people’

Latest news from Carmarthenshire Council’s press office - Access to services Are you 50-plus and live in the Taf, Tywi and Teifi areas of rural Carmarthenshire? Are you part of a community group, voluntary group, social enterprise or community council? Do you want to help older people have better Access to Services? If so Carmarthenshire County Council’s Rural Development Project officers could help you set up new, non-statutory services for the 50+ rural population. If you are interested, call Rachel 01267 242432 or Tina on 01267 242428 for more information. If you want to join the county’s 50+ Forum, which provides a voice for older people in Carmarthenshire, please contact Ruth Lake on 01267 234567.

Latest news from Carmarthenshire Council’s press office – Muck man fined A Llanelli man has been prosecuted for leaving his garden smelling of dog and chicken muck. Joseph Jones, of Pemberton Road, Llanelli, pleaded guilty at Ammanford Magistrates Court to an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 of causing a statutory nuisance. The court heard that a complaint was made to Carmarthenshire County Council in April 2007 about offensive odours arising from 44-year-old Jones’s property. On numerous occasions very strong odours emanated from the rear garden, a mixture of odours from accumulations of domestic waste, large accumulations of dog faeces, chicken coops which were rarely cleaned or sanitised, and the dogs which were chained in the rear garden. Efforts were made to contact Jones numerous times to request that efforts were made to clean the rear of the property. No such efforts were made, and as a result, a Section 80 Notice was served during November 2007. Further comp