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

Carmarthenshire Council’s Youth Service has taken over the Quay Centre (formerly the Carmarthen Heritage Centre) to be the base for youth work delivery in the north and west of the County. As well as being a base for Youth Service staff and the Carmarthenshire Youth Council, the centre will offer targeted support for young people who are not in employment, education and training (NEET) or who have particular needs. The Quay Centre will also be the base for water-based activities including canoeing and kayaking. Securing use of the Quay Centre has meant that the Youth Service has also been able to financially support local charity Dr Mz's in their move from Queen Street to the Clubhouse, the old Carmarthen Athletic Club building. Chris Davis, Senior Youth Officer for the Taf, Teifi and Tywi area said: “The opening of two new facilities for 11-25's in the town is really great news and has been possible thanks to the strong partnership between the County Council and Dr Mz. “The tw

Five people have been fined for dropping litter at the McDonalds car park in Carmarthen. Council environmental enforcement officers issued the fixed penalty notices for £75 over the weekend. It is hoped these fines will act as a warning to would-be litterbugs that this type of anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court where the maximum fine that can be imposed is £2,500. Carmarthenshire County Council is working with McDonalds and other fast food outlets in the county to encourage people to put their litter in the bin. The council’s executive board member for the environment Councillor Haydn Jones said: “There is no excuse for littering our streets, if there are no bins nearby, then take your rubbish home with you to dispose of. Saying it keeps someone in a job is just an excuse for those who are too lazy or just don’t care about where they live. “The council’s environmental enforcement officers regularly patrol the c

Felinfoel Communities First is supporting a range of summer activities for local residents. A Nature Trail and Teddy Bear’s Picnic to Park Howard has been organised next Tuesday (July 27) starting from Felinfoel Education Centre at 10am. The aim is to encourage parents, children and the older generation to go out for a walk and the event is being held in conjunction with the Walking Group, which goes out every Tuesday. Community development worker Gaynor Price of Felinfoel Communities First said: “Children should bring their own teddy bear and picnic and all children should be accompanied by an adult.” Communities First is also supporting the Felinfoel Summer Carnival organised by the Events Committee on Saturday August 7. The Carnival Parade begins at 12:15pm outside the Felinfoel Brewery and then onto the Recreation for the Carnival. On Tuesday August 17 there will be a Litter Pick jointly organised by Keep Wales Tidy and Communities First. The meeting point is Danybanc Community Gar

The Aberystwyth University programme of events at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys 2010 is as follows - Monday 2nd of August 11am Dr Hywel Griffiths: Poetic Geography and Geographical Poetry In this session the bard Dr Hywel Griffiths, who is a lecturer at the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, will be reading and talking about some of his poems which have been inspired by the geography and landscape of Wales. 3.30pm Aberystwyth University Challenge Test your general knowledge! On Monday afternoon the University will hold a University Challenge. Two teams, representing students and staff, will face each other during this quiz under the watchful eye of historian and author Dr Russell Davies. Tuesday 3rd of August 11pm Communication in the age of digital and social media Pop by the stall to listen to a panel of experts discussing the influence of new technology on our everyday lives. On the panel will be Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, Direct

Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)

Swansea Metropolitan University is one of the Welsh academic institutions which will benefit from the launch of the new HPC super computer project for Wales. (See earlier posts starting at http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-40m-super-computer-project-for.html ) Here is one example for how 'The Met' will benefit from the HPC Wales project. Swansea Animation Days (SAND) Swansea Metropolitan University provides a focus for digital visualisation across the creative media sector, including animation, video games and film. Combining the computational skills development and infrastructure capabilities of HPC Wales, together with the creative expertise and industrial engagement of SAND, this will provide a regional infrastructure that will greatly support the growth of a key WAG priority sector across Convergence Wales. SAND is a highly prestigious annual international computer graphic imagery (CGI) event that continues to be a vital landmark on the digital media calendar, attr

At the Privy Council meeting held at Buckingham Palace this week, Her Majesty The Queen, on the recommendation of the Privy Council, approved an Order granting a Supplemental Charter to the University of Wales Lampeter, and directed the Lord Chancellor to apply the Great Seal to the Charter. This Charter will lead to the establishment of a new University to serve the needs of Wales and the higher education sector in the UK. The University of Wales Trinity Saint David brings together the strengths of University of Wales Lampeter and Trinity University College Carmarthen. This is an historical event which brings together the two oldest academic institutions in Wales to create a radical new model of post-16 education in the region. Dr Medwin Hughes, Vice-Chancellor, said: “This is history in the making. We bring together the two oldest University institutions in Wales, Lampeter established in 1822 and Trinity in 1848. "Our new University will be entrusted with the oldest Royal Chart

International tenor Dennis O’Neill and rugby legend Gerald Davies were among those conferred honorary fellows at the last congregations for Trinity University College, as it prepares to create the University of Wales Trinity Saint David with the University of Wales Lampeter. During the historic graduation ceremonies the University also honoured Dr Meredydd Evans and Phyllis Kinney, the husband and wife team renowned for their contribution to traditional Welsh song, and local businessman Brian Jones, founder of Castell Howell Foods. The honorary fellowships were made in recognition of the recipients’ contribution to their field of expertise. Gerald Davies, former Welsh rugby and Lions player was presented to the congregation by Ceredig Emanuel, Head of Sport, Health and Outdoor Education, Dr Meredydd Evans and Phyllis Kinney was presented by Dr Mererid Hopwood, Senior Lecturer and Mr Brian Jones founder of Castell Howell Foods was presented by Meri Huws, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Innovati

Trinity University College, soon to merge with the University of Wales Lampeter to create the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, is the first university in Wales to secure funding from the £34 million EU Convergence Fund. Its successful million pound bid was for two projects aimed at assisting work-based learners to gain accreditation of prior learning and credit for mentoring colleagues. The LATERAL project aims to support those in work to identify and gain credit for their own experiential learning through the accreditation of prior learning (APEL). Dr Elsie Reynolds, LATERAL Project Manager and Senior Lecturer, said: “Few employers and employees currently seek accreditation for the learning that they do in their workplace even though they often undertake higher level staff development activities. "We can add value to this learning by relating it to the requirements of traditional courses in subject specific areas which will benefit learners and their employers and will al

New Carmarthen Town AFC manager Tomi Morgan took his squad to Pembrokeshire last night for a pre-season fixture against Hundleton. Despite the comfortable 9-0 scoreline, Town were made to work hard for their win. A brace each for Tim Hicks, Mark Pritchard and Daniel Ramsey, with Andy Evans, Nick Harry and Jody Thomas adding a goal apiece gave Morgan an excellent opportunity to view his squad in a competitive situation. Morgan said: “The players have been very impressive in training sessions but tonight was really useful to see them in a competitive situation. They haven't been playing together long but there were some very positive performances tonight." On an immaculate but undulating surface, Hicks and Evans had given Town a two-goal advantage at the break. A three-goal blitz in a 10 minute period just after the resumption overcame Hundleton's resistance. On Saturday Town travel to Caersws FC and on Tuesday evening Town will entertain Welsh League First Division outfit P

A new acting company, formed by students of Trinity University in Carmarthen, is getting ready to make its debut at the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The TwoBee Theatre Company is the brainchild of Will Bourdillon and Bethan Lewis. The Edinburgh date is a massive coup for TwoBee and will see them performing Will Bourdillon’s play The Metronome. “It’s a massive chance for us, as a theatre group, as everyone recognises the quality of the Edinburgh Fringe festival. “Having said that, it is not without its challenges as we have had to raise a substantial amount of cash to support rehearsals and our trip to Edinburgh. “We have already received tremendous support from the people of Carmarthenshire and any arts lovers or businesses who can offer us more support will be more than welcome.” Will said that the chance to perform at Edinburgh (at a venue called ‘theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall’) came because another theatre company went into liquidation. “That’s an illustration of how difficul

Tomi Morgan will take his team to Pembrokeshire tonight (Thursday) for a pre-season fixture against Hundleton. On Saturday, the Richmond Park based outfit travel to Caersws FC. Morgan has been running his experienced eye over a number of trialists recently and is eager to see them in a competitive situation. “The players have been very impressive in our training sessions. They have shown a professional attitude towards all that has been asked of them. Now I need to see how they perform on the playing field." With the season kicking off on August 14, Morgan emphasised the importance of getting the squad to gel for the opening fixture against one of his former clubs, Aberystwyth Town. “With a number of new faces joining the club it is vital that they have as many opportunities as possible to play and establish playing patterns,” added Morgan. Town will entertain Welsh League First Division outfit Pontardawe Town on Tuesday evening 27th July 2010.KO 6.30 pm. Morgan added experience t

Bangor University has a number of projects in mind to tie-in with the launch of the new HPC super computer project for Wales. (See earlier posts starting at http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-40m-super-computer-project-for.html ) Here are a few case studies of the sort of work which will benefit from the HPC Wales project - How the brain works Bangor has a world renowned academic, Professor Fergus Lowe, who studies the way children think about healthy eating, eating fruit and vegetables and so on. He has a 20 year programme where he has proven empirically that the behaviour of children who are exposed to health eating techniques can be changed. Obviously, obesity is a great problem for the Western World. It can cause huge costs in terms of health in later life and the knock-on impact on our health service. Bangor has a team of experts who have been able to measure what happens in the brain. Bangor has the scanners, the people and huge data sets of material. HPC will allow us to

Young people on the Carmarthen SMART Project have been praised for their determination to succeed. A special event to recognise the young people’s efforts was held at the Gwenllian Court Hotel. The group of 14-16 year olds were presented with certificates and commended for their efforts during the past year. Carmarthen SMART is run by Carmarthenshire Youth Service, with the aim of offering a wide range of qualifications and lifelong experiences to help re-engage young people 14-16 years who have been excluded from school or society. Emily Evans, Carmarthen SMART Coordinator said:“This has been a really successful year for all involved in Carmarthen SMART. The young people excelled all expectations and will be following various courses at college Sir Gar next term. “When the young people come to us they have many barriers to overcome and when they leave they leave the year long project they are ready to face a new chapter in their lives. “Special thanks must go to the Gwenllian Court Ho

Aa a result of the work carried out by the MOBI Project, a Youth Club has been established at the village of Llanpumsaint. The young people in the area have given up their free time to raise money for the club to purchase new equipment with the aim of encouraging more young people to join the club and benefit from the activities on offer. The young people have raised £700 by doing a day of bag packing at Morrisons supermarket, Carmarthen. Karen Williams, Mobile Youth Worker said:“The young people worked extremely hard and dedicated the whole day to raise money for the club. “The MOBI Project has been beneficial for the village as young people now have a place to socialise and participate in various activities. “It’s great to see them coming up with new ideas on how to raise money and we’re confident that the club will engage many more young people in the future.” The youth club is based at Llanpumsaint Memorial Hall and is open to all young people aged 11 onwards. The club is open eve

Carmarthenshire’s Executive Board will consider proposals this summer for the future of care for elderly people in the county – and there will be consultation on the plans. The county council’s Joint Housing and Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee has approved recommendations from a Task and Finish Group which looked at the future of residential care homes. The recommendations include that the Authority ensures full and comprehensive consultation with all stakeholders affected by any closure of a residential care home, that there is provision of residential care as well as extra care in any new builds/developments. It is recommended that the proposal to build a new extra care facility for the Amman and Gwendraeth area is accelerated; that a decision is taken regarding the proposed site; that the process of finding a partner is initiated; and that the existing homes remain open until the new facility is built. In terms of the Llanelli area, it is recommended that a full range of o

Students from the Ammanford SMART Project have excelled once again. A celebratory event was held at Streets Youth Project, Ammanford, to recognise the achievements of the young people. Over the past year the young people, who have experienced personal and social difficulties, have overcome their barriers and have achieved success in a new learning environment. The project, run by Carmarthenshire Youth Service, aims to offer a wide range of qualifications and lifelong experiences to help re-engage young people 14-16 years who have been excluded from school. This year, each student achieved OCN qualifications and various XL Princes Trust Awards. Special guest Ken Owens from Llanelli Scarlets was there to present the young people with their awards along as well as Gerry O’Sullivan from Princes Trust. Ammanford SMART Coordinator, Gareth Bennett said:“At the end of each year we see a huge improvement in the young people. The committed team at Ammanford SMART aim to bring out the best in the

A Llanelli mother has been prosecuted for failing to make sure her children went to school. The mum, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty by post to two charges under the Education Act 1996 at Ammanford Magistrates Court. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court heard that her 15-year-old daughter was absent from school for 54 per cent of the time between February 1 and May 14 this year. Her six-year-old son had an absence rate of 44 per cent during the same period. No explanation was given for their failure to go to school. Education welfare officers had visited the home on more than 20 occasions. She was fined a total of £130 by magistrates (£65 for each offence), and ordered to pay a total of £30 victims’ surcharge as well as prosecution costs of £100. The Education Act 1996 states parents are responsible for ensuring children of compulsory school age (five to 16 years old) receive a suitable education, either by regular attendance at

Dr Mz Youth Project will be re-opening for the summer break from Tuesday July 27. Young people can take advantage of the facilities on offer on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 12-7pm and from 12-6pm on Saturdays. Activities throughout the holidays will include arts and crafts, cookery, jewellery making, sports in the park and outdoor activities. Staff at Dr Mz are also looking for young people who want to volunteer at the new café. Young people who wanting to volunteer will participate in a free Food Hygiene Course and Health and Safety Training. Spaces are limited to nineteen young people. Gayle Harris Dr Mz Project Coordinator said:“We hope that young people take advantage of these opportunities and will have a great time with us over the summer holidays. “We want to ensure that young people have a place to go and to have somewhere where they can develop new skills and interests. A warm welcome awaits all young people.” A paid job for a Trainee café Manager and Cook for 26 ho

Businesses in Carmarthenshire are benefiting from a grant scheme which encourages them to open up their toilets to the public. Six businesses throughout the county are taking part in the council’s Community Toilet Scheme. The Welsh Assembly Government-funded scheme aims to improve the provision of safe, hygienic and accessible toilet facilities. It enables local businesses such as pubs, restaurants and shops, to work with the council to make their toilets available to the public. Grants of up to £500 are available for businesses which take part in the scheme to cover additional maintenance costs. Homebase in Parc Pemberton, Llanelli; Tesco, B&Q and BHS in Parc Trostre, Llanelli; the Co-op supermarket Cross Hands and Romino’s café in Llanybydder are participating in the scheme. BHS store manager Alun Alder praised the scheme adding that it had helped to increase footfall at the store. Businesses taking part in the Community Toilet Scheme display window stickers showing male, female

A member of Carmarthenshire County Council’s Trading Standards Team - Vivienne Jones - has been recognised as the top student in the UK in her field. And two students who did work placements with the county council’s Public Protection Division, Rachel Smith and Angharad Evans, have achieved First Class Honours degrees. All three were congratulated by council chair Cllr Tegwen Devichand at a reception in the Chairman’s Room at County Hall, Carmarthen. Vivienne, who is a technical support officer with Carmarthenshire Trading Standards, has been awarded a Foundation Certificate in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards and has won the Trading Standards Institute Foundation Certificate in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards prize for top student in the UK in 2010. She said: “I am absolutely delighted to have won this award.” Angharad, who is from Brechfa, has achieved a BSc First Class Honours in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards at UWIC. She said: “I am absolutely over the moon wi

A dog seen fouling on a housing estate in Garnant was followed home by council officers – and its owner fined £75. Environmental enforcement officers were on patrol in the village when they saw the dog roaming unaccompanied. The officers followed the dog home and issued the owner with a fixed penalty notice for failing to clean up after her pet. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum fine of £1,000. The council’s executive board member for the environment Councillor Haydn Jones said: “Dog mess left anywhere is a serious health risk. Hopefully this will act as a warning to others that this type of anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and those caught flouting the law will be prosecuted. “Just because the owner was not with the dog it does not mean she is not accountable and in failing to clean up after it has committed an offence.” Carmarthenshire County Council is working hard to tackle the problem of dog fouling and is appealing to the p

Research into global food security problems has been given a boost thanks to a new partnership between Waitrose and Aberystwyth University. In the first move of its kind in the UK, the supermarket is funding the Waitrose Chair of Sustainable Agriculture at Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS). Professor Gareth Edwards-Jones (pictured above) has been confirmed in the role and will take up the post in September 2010. The appointment is part of an innovative joint arrangement with Bangor University in which Professor Edwards-Jones will combine his work as Waitrose Chair of Sustainable Agriculture, with his position as Professor of Agriculture & Land-Use Studies in Bangor. The senior appointment reflects Waitrose’s commitment to finding long-term solutions to food security and other issues affecting agriculture in the UK. Professor Edwards-Jones comments: “A key area will be looking at how farmers need to adapt and change to meet co

Thanks to you, folks, this blog is continuing to pick up more hits. It's now hit the 11,000 page views mark. That's a 1000 views since June 16. Keep the hits coming, folks! Many thanks. See earlier blog - http://sirgarblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/10000-visits-chalked-up.html Meanwhile, the blog has chalked up its first visitor from Iraq. The full country by country list (figures from January 6) is as follows - United Kingdom (GB) 2,648; United States (US) 394; Europe (EU) 33; India (IN) 32; Qatar (QA) 29; Germany (DE) 27; Australia (AU) 24; Canada (CA) 23; Ireland (IE) 20; France (FR) 12; Malaysia (MY) 12; Belgium (BE) 11; New Zealand (NZ) 10; Netherlands (NL) 10; United Arab Emirates (AE) 9; Italy (IT) 9; Russian Federation (RU) 7; Spain (ES) 6; Philippines (PH) 6; Denmark (DK) 6; Singapore (SG) 6; Sweden (SE) 5; Romania (RO) 4; Bahrain (BH) 4; Greece (GR) 4; Bulgaria (BG) 3; Pakistan (PK) 3; Ukraine (UA) 3; Saudi Arabia (SA) 3; Cote D'Ivoire (CI) 3; South Africa (ZA) 3; Pola

The Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones AM will today, at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, officially launch a major new study led by Aberystwyth University to develop improved varieties of oats. The launch takes place at the Education Pavilion (next to S4C). Quality Oats (QUOATS), a £4.9m five year project funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Defra, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Government, is also expected to enhance health benefits as more and more people turn to oats as part of a healthier diet. Increased demand for safe, healthy and nutritious food or feedstuff, together with increased agricultural energy and fertiliser costs and the need to farm in a more sustainable manner are among the drivers behind the study according to Dr Athole Marshall, head of the Oat Breeding Programme at IBERS. “Oats are a valuable break crop in cereal rotations reducing disease and weed problems, require less fertiliser than wheat, perform

The 'View from Richmond Park' column from this week's edition of the Carmarthen Journal . . . Carmarthen Town AFC’s Richmond Park ground played host to the club’s 12th Fete and Primary School Football Tournament With matches keenly contested many of the games had to be decided by extra time and penalties. Ysgol Parc Y Tywyn won the boys Under 9 competition beating Ysgol Peniel in a penalty shoot-out after extra time failed to produce a winner. In the Boys Under 11 competition it needed a ‘Golden Goal’ for Ysgol Dewi Sant to beat Swiss Valley School by the narrowest of margins. A unique result in the girl’s competition saw Ysgol Y Tymbl and Ysgol Dewi Sant share the honours after extra time and penalties were unable to separate the two sides. The Small Schools trophy was won by Ysgol Ffairfach and Ysgol Nantgaredig won the Roger Evans Memorial Award as the team that best encompassed the spirit of footballing throughout the tournament. Thanks to Councillor Alan Speake for ope

Carmarthenshire’s Catering Service has picked up a prestigious national award for its outstanding contribution to catering for schools in the county. The Catering Service, part of Carmarthenshire County Council, won the Nan Bergiers Memorial Award at the Local Authority Caterers Association awards, which was held in Birmingham on Thursday. Every year the awards acknowledge individuals and teams of people who make a real difference in education catering. To be shortlisted for the award, the Catering Service had to demonstrate a high level of management skill, initiative and commitment, with a creative and original approach to providing a catering service to schools. The awards encourage organisations to change attitudes, and influence the actions of parents and pupils. Elin Cullen, head of business and specialist services, said: “We are really pleased that our hard work has been recognised on a national level. “We have always strived to be at the forefront of catering provision, and our

Thousands of Carmarthenshire tenants are enjoying warmer homes thanks to a huge insulation programme. Residents across the county are feeling the benefits of a cavity wall and loft insulation scheme. The county council is rolling out the work as part of the £200 million Carmarthenshire Homes Standard scheme. Huge refurbishment schemes are underway across the county in a bid to improve the council’s 9,200 homes. Works including new windows and doors, painting and rendering, garden improvements and upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms are being carried out. Latest figures show that in the past two years the insulation programme has exceeded its targets. Some 6,787 council homes have been provided with cavity wall insulation and 3,433 homes with loft insulation. Housing officers say the works are reducing heating costs for thousands of tenants, improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions in council homes. There are also benefits for tenant’s health because cold conditi

A huge fun day is being staged to bring together council tenants from across Carmarthenshire. Workshops and activities, fair rides and an inflatable obstacle course will be held at the event. Visitors will be treated to a variety of craft stalls and information stands, and there will also be dance displays. Circus skills and interactive drumming will be among the activities on offer. The fire service will stage safety demonstrations and a request has been made for the police helicopter to drop in. The event is aimed at bringing together tenants from across the county and providing them with an opportunity to access information on council services. It is being organised by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Housing Services team, and is the latest in a series of events aimed at engaging with tenants. They are kept informed about new developments through the council’s Housing News publication, Tenant Networks and individual residents’ groups. Tenant Participation Officer Janet Griffiths sa

Professor Gareth Edwards-Jones, whose appointment to the new Waitrose Chair of Sustainable Agriculture at Aberystwyth University was announced yesterday, will be taking part in a discussion on the subject “Will climate change make Welsh farmers rich?” at the Education Pavilion (next door to S4C) at the Royal Welsh Show today at 2.00 p.m. On the panel will be Sir John Houghton, Former Chair of the International Panel on Climate Change, Professor Gareth Edwards-Jones, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at IBERS Aberystwyth University, and Professor Jamie Newbold, IBERS Aberystwyth University. The session will be chaired by Professor Wayne Powell, Director of IBERS.

A man has been fined for failing to clean up after his dog in the Peniel area of Carmarthen. Council environmental enforcement officers were on patrol in the area and issued the fixed penalty notice for £75. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court where the maximum penalty that can be imposed is £1,000. Enforcement officers regularly carry out patrols across the county and irresponsible dog owners are being warned to clean up or pay up. Executive board member for the environment Councillor Haydn Jones said: “Dog mess left anywhere is a serious health risk. The majority of residents take their responsibilities seriously but there is still a small minority who do not listen. “I hope this latest fine will act as a warning that this type of anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and those caught flouting the law will be prosecuted.” The council is working hard to tackle the problem of dog fouling and is appealing to the public to help identify those responsib

Dog owners in Carmarthenshire are being urged to pick up after their pets or face a £75 fine. Carmarthenshire County Council is supporting National Poop Scoop Week which is being held from Monday, July 26 to Sunday, August 1 Although the majority of residents are responsible and clean up after their dog, a careless few are still giving dogs a bad name. Littering our parks, pavements and public spaces, dog fouling is one of the main causes of complaint to the council. The council’s environmental enforcement officers regularly patrol the county and anyone caught failing to clean up after their pet is issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum fine of £1,000. During National Poop Scoop Week, council education and awareness officers will be out and about raising awareness of dog fouling and its consequences. They will also have lots of information and advice for dog owners. They will be at the Millennium Coasta

Councillors in Carmarthenshire have agreed to ask town and community councils if they would like to take over public toilets in their areas. A Task and Finish Group was set up by the committee to carry out a review of public conveniences in Carmarthenshire. A range of options for future provision were looked at as the group concluded that the cost of operating 33 grade 2 public facilities – currently £226,000 a year – was not sustainable. The Environment Scrutiny Committee has agreed to recommend transferring the toilets to town and community councils. Chairman Councillor Jim Jones told members that the Task and Finish Group believed that this would improve the quality of the service and provide it in a more cost-effective way. He said: “Over the last 10 years there has been an increasing trend for local communities to take on a greater responsibility for the delivery of local services, such as the provision of public toilets. This has been based on the principle that the ownership and

A major drive is underway to stamp out fuel poverty in Carmarthenshire. Housing chiefs want to tackle the problem and help residents who are hardest hit by rising energy prices. Thousands of people in the county are suffering health and financial difficulties because of high heating costs. Officers at Carmarthenshire County Council are working to improve the situation and have made significant progress in recent years. A huge £3 million has been has been saved in fuel bills since the authority’s Affordable Warmth Strategy was first launched in 2005. Energy efficiency measures have been introduced in council homes as part of the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard. A Carmarthenshire Home Energy Service has been launched and a dedicated energy efficiency advisor has been appointed to help residents. Advice is also given on efficient heating systems, home insulation and maximising benefit uptake. Now the council wants to build on those successes and reduce fuel poverty even further. Awareness

A major review of how people access council housing has been carried out in Carmarthenshire. An in-depth study has been completed to look at ways of improving the lettings system, addressing local needs and providing a fairer service to people who need a home. Housing chiefs say they want to develop a simpler allocation process, reduce anti-social behaviour and prevent homelessness. They want to ensure that the county’s 9,200 homes and sheltered housing are appropriately let. The aim is to combat problems including those faced by people wanting to move closer to a relative who needs care, and those who need a home adapted for disabilities. The new policy will help to address issues where people need to move to smaller or larger homes. It will also look at the allocation of sheltered housing for older people wanting to stay in their own homes. Under the plans the existing points category will be simplified, and there will be more focus on local priorities. A task and finish group has be

A Swansea-based heart technology business is one of a host of science-based firms which stands to benefit from the launch of the HPC Wales super computer project. Calon Cardio-Technology Ltd is developing the next generation of implantable micro-pumps for the treatment of heart failure. It is cutting edge work aimed at making heart assist pumps the routine method of treating heart failure. “We are developing technology which tackles what is universally recognised as a global health problem of epidemic proportions,” said Calon Cardio-Technology managing director Kevin Fernquest. “We are carrying out very innovative work here in Swansea and make extensive use of computer modelling and simulation in our research and development, which significantly reduces our product development phase and, consequently, the time to market. “Obviously, access to the very best technology that high performance computing can offer is a major boost for a business like ours. “I am sure other SMEs in Wales wil