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

Deadline approaching fact on Big Ideas Wales Challenge launched to identify and support Wales’ young entrepreneurs of the future . . . One of the largest campaigns undertaken to identify and develop Wales’ young entrepreneurs of the future has been launched by the Welsh Government, backed by “Secret Millionaire”, Kevin Green and SuperStars entrepreneur, James Taylor. Hundreds of young people throughout Wales are being invited to apply for 50 places on the Big Ideas Wales Challenge, launched by Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Ken Skates AM. The Challenge will scour Wales, interviewing hundreds of young people aged between 16 and 24 years of age, seeking their “big ideas” and helping to develop and cultivate 50 of these into commercial opportunities. Entrepreneur James Taylor will act as an ambassador for the Challenge. He began his business, Superstars, with a bursary under the Welsh Government Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy (YES) in 2005 and has grown the business that

Millionaire social entrepreneur and wealth coach Kevin Green has gone back to his roots to help repay a personal debt of gratitude to the Nuffield Trust. Mr Green, 50, has been working with the latest group of Nuffield scholars at their UK conference at The Vale Resort near Cardiff. “There were many factors that put me on the road to being a millionaire,” said Mr Green. “But the Nuffield Trust played the key role in helping me work out what I wanted to do in life.” Mr Green won a Nuffield Scholarship in 1999. He used the bursary to travel and study the attitudes and personalities of high achievers. Along the way, he interviewed Bill Gates and Sir Richard Branson. During the Nuffield study, he learned the simple principles for success and determined the common elements that contributed towards that success. He bought his first property soon after, using credit cards to ‘bridge finance’ the deposit of a buy-to-let mortgage. After quickly renovating it and selling it at a profit, he

Local World chairman David Montgomery famously believes that sub-editors should be done away with altogether. Here is his vision of the future of Local World newspapers. The portfolio includes the Llanelli Star, Carmarthen Journal and South Wales EveningPost. Role of the Journalist in the Transformed Local World Apart from the elite and usually elitist newspaper writers the role of the journalist remains entrenched in the industrial age as a medium grade craft. Usually it is a role involving a single skill organised in hierarchies invented to ease production and work flows when typewriters, fixed line phones and pencil wielding sub-editors all inhabited long benches shrouded in cigarette smoke. The school leaver culture of learning a trade dominated or media school graduates poured into newspapers with unquestioning academic thinking that perpetuated this industrial past. The Local World model will migrate journalists a million miles from this tradition and because it has festered for

Specialist nursing staff from Tenby MIU (minor injury unit) will be redeployed to support Withybush Hospital’s Emergency and Urgent Care Centre when the unit closes at 6pm on December 1, 2013. This is in line with the Hywel Dda Health Board’s decision made in January. GP Practices in Tenby and Saundersfoot will continue to provide a treatment room service for minor injuries for their registered patients. Patients will be treated in a timely and appropriate way but the service will not be “walk-in”; appointments will need to be made by contacting the surgeries. Glangwili and Withybush A&E Departments remain available for more serious injuries. A service was successfully trialled during the summer months of 2013 and it is our intention to work with local GPs and others to ensure a similar service is commissioned in future years. The impact of the closure will be closely monitored on a regular basis and reviewed with key stakeholders. Hywel Dda Health Board would like to remind

The UK’s biggest private sector landlord, Burry Port-based Kevin Green, has welcomed the Welsh Government’s proposed new legislation covering housing in Wales. The Welsh Government has just published its first Housing Bill since it gained full law-making powers in 2011. At the heart of the Bill is the twin aim of tackling the alleged “questionable practices” of some landlords and the blight of empty homes. Mr Green, 50, said the broad thrust of the Bill would be welcomed by the vast majority of landlords who operated with a social conscience. “It’s the old adage which says that if you are doing your job properly in the first place, you have nothing to fear,” he said. Mr Green has properties throughout the UK. Most are in South Wales, but he also has properties as far afield as Scotland and Northern Ireland. “I know many other major landlords and they work every hard to make sure the accommodation they provide is up to the correct standard. They also apply fair and reasonable rents an

The latest 'On Song' column about the choral scene in and around Llanelli from the Llanelli Star -  Fresh from their success at the ‘Night With The Stars’ concert at Ffwrnes theatre, Llanelli, on Saturday, Côr Meibion Llanelli are busy making plans for their 50th anniversary. “Saturday was an exceptional evening and a real treat for the people of Llanelli,” said Côr Meibion Llanelli musical director Eifion Thomas. “We still have events on our calendar for 2013, but we are beginning to turn our thoughts to our 50th anniversary year. “We are hoping to make the 50th anniversary of the choir a special year.” Scheduled events so far include – Saturday, March 15, concert with Bristol Male Choir in Bristol. Saturday, June 7, Annual Concert at Ffwrnes Theatre with ‘Singverein 1870’, the choir’s ‘twin’ from Laudenbach in Germany. Saturday, October 18, anniversary dinner with special guests at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli. Saturday, December 13, Christmas Concert at Ffwrnes, L

Residents in Carmarthenshire are being congratulated for recycling 54% of their rubbish. Official figures have now been released by Welsh Government showing local authorities’ reuse, recycling and composting rates for 2012/13. Carmarthenshire exceeded Wales’ first statutory target of 52% - achieving a five per cent increase on the previous year. Executive Board Member for Technical Services Cllr Colin Evans praised householders for their efforts in recycling their rubbish. “The council could not have achieved this figure without the co-operation of householders in separating their waste to be recycled and composted and I would like to thank them for all their hard work,” he said. “The recycling targets have been introduced to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste (for example paper, cardboard and food waste) going to landfill which produces methane leading to climate change. “The targets continue to increase which means it will get more and more difficult for local authorities

The Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council has had his flu jab – have you had yours? There’s still time to see your GP or pharmacist to protect yourself against the latest strain of winter flu, a virus which can lay the healthiest of people low, but is far more serious for the most vulnerable in our communities. Cllr Kevin Madge visited his surgery – Brynteg in Ammanford – to get his jab for his own protection, and for the hundreds of people he meets in his role as Leader. He is now urging others to act quickly. “I know we are coming towards the end of the vaccination campaign, but there is still time to get your flu jab either from your GP or from your local pharmacy,” he said. Many front-line council staff, mostly care workers, have had the flu vaccination to help stop the spread of the virus to the people we care for. Flu is caused by a virus and spreads quickly in closed environments such as hospitals and care homes. Older people, and those with long-term health conditions

Marble-sized globules of a fatty white substance have been found on Cefn Sidan beach, Pembrey. Carmarthenshire County Council rangers filled half a bucket full of the substance, thought to be rotted vegetable oil, which had washed up over more than a mile of the beach. The substance is now being examined. It is thought that whilst it poses no danger to humans, dogs could be attracted to lick the fat which has a sweet paraffin smell, which may make them sick. The fats are thought to have come from ships that have cleaned out their tanks in the Atlantic, with the recent storms driving it ashore. It has also been spotted on the coasts of Southampton,Cornwall, Weston Super Mare and Pembroke since early October. Council rangers make daily checks Cefn Sidan, which has been dubbed the Dustbin of the Atlantic because of the range of Jetsom and Flotsam left stranded there between low and high tides. The spectacular array of beach finds from around the world range from coconuts to messages in b

For the second consecutive year Carmarthen‘s Magpies Gift Shop is supporting Carmarthenshire County Council’s Toybox appeal. Andy James, of Magpies is offering 10 per cent off gifts which will be donated to the appeal. A letter was sent to all local businesses asking if they were able to help support the appeal, which was founded by Carmarthenshire County Council in 2011, to help families in need. Last year, the Christmas Toybox Appeal collected and distributed over 2,500 gifts, benefitting disadvantaged families across Carmarthenshire. Carmarthenshire’s Deputy Leader and Anti-Poverty Champion, Cllr Pam Palmer, said: “This is exciting news. It is the second year in a row we have received support from Magpies. I really value support from local businesses - the more toys people donate, the more help we can provide for people who need it most.” You can show your support by donating a gift at one of our many collection points set up all around the county. For more information on Car

Proceeds from a fund-raising memorial dinner for Carmarthen sportsman Keith Cobain have been presented to Sports Aid Cymru Wales. Mr Cobain's widow Barbara presented a cheque for more than £11,000, which represented half of the sum raised at the Keith Cobain Dinner held at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli. The other half of the money is going to the Friends of Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen. The cheque was received by Ron Jones, director and secretary of Sports Aid Cymru Wales. Mr Jones, captain of Britain's athletics team at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and a veteran of three Olympics, paid tribute to Mr Cobain as a passionate supporter of sport in Carmarthenshire and Wales. He added that the money would go towards the establishment of a new Sports Aid Cymru Wales award in memory of Keith Cobain.

Olympic sprinter Christian Malcolm was the special guest at the annual presentation dinner for Carmarthen Harriers, held at the Ivy Bush Royal Hotel, Carmarthen. Christian is pictured with Carmarthen Harriers chairman Hedydd Davies. Website - http://www.carmarthenharriers.co.uk

There were plenty of cheers at Llandovery College when Wales thrashed Argentina at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday. The College was immensely proud to have three of its former pupils starting the second autumn international. George North, Alun Wyn Jones and Rhodri Jones all honed their rugby skills at Llandovery College. George and Rhodri were classmates together and left school just three years ago. Since he left Llandovery College, Ospreys lock Alun Wyn Jones has clocked up an amazing record of 72 Wales caps and six Lions Test caps. George North, meanwhile, has grown into one of the most influential Welsh backs of recent times and has already made it into the history books as the youngest try-scorer in the World Cup. Both George and Alun Wyn toured with the British Lions this summer with Alun Wyn captaining Wales in the third test against Australia. Scarlets rookie Rhodri Jones is seen the new kid on the block, by making his third appearance and second start fo

On White Ribbon Day (November 25) there will be a ‘Light a Candle’ service in St David's Cathedral at 12 noon organised by the St Davids Diocese Mothers' Union. White Ribbon Day is the International Day for the Eradication of Violence against Women which is part of a global campaign to raise awareness of the need to combat violence against women and girls. In support of this initiative, the national Mothers' Union is undertaking 16 days of activism to highlight the issue. Brenda Evans, president of the St Davids Mothers' Union, said “Around 30% of women across the world experience violence, regardless of class, race, religion or age and in Wales figures show that some 150,000 women will suffer some form of gender-based violence often in a domestic setting.” The ‘Light a Candle’ service is the action of the St Davids Diocese Mothers’ Union in supporting the campaign. It builds on the diocese’s support for the Not in My Name campaign initiated by Joyce Watson AM a

A total of 500 street lights have been replaced in Carmarthenshire to date, thanks to funding made available through the Local Government Borrowing Initiative. Some £900,000 was earmarked over a three year period to replace lighting columns throughout the county. Using LED light technology, the new street lights not only give high performance but are also better for the environment and cheaper to run with typical savings of up to 50% in both electricity consumption and CO2 production. The new columns are made from aluminium which is corrosion-resistant so they last longer and with minimal maintenance also cost less. Aluminium has a lower carbon footprint to produce and transport (due to its reduced weight) and is safer, reducing the risk of death or serious injury in road traffic collisions. The lighting column replacement programme started last financial year with a total of 400 new lighting columns installed. A further 100 have been installed since April, and another 300 are es

Rugby hero Roy Bergiers was honoured at the West Wales Sports Aid lunch held at the Ivy Bush Hotel, Carmarthen. The former Llanelli Scarlets, Wales and British Lions rugby player was presented with a special award in memory of former West Wales Sports Aid committee chairman Nigel Harrison-Rees.  Mr Harrison-Rees died in office as chairman of the West Wales committee of Sports Aid Wales. Richard Gealy, secretary and vice-president of the West Wales committee of Sports Aid Wales, said: "Nigel worked tirelessly for Sports Aid for more than 25 years and was chairman for the last eight years of his life. "Nigel was a kind and generous gentleman, always concerned with the well-being of others. Sports Aid Wales would not be what it is today without his loyal commitment and enthusiasm." The Nigel Harrison-Rees award is now presented annually to a sportsman or sportswoman who has achieved distinction in their field or in recognition of a lifetime's contribution to spo

The two senior Carmarthenshire councillors responsible for rural affairs and economic regeneration have seen for themselves how a community hall is being helped to bring people together. Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for rural affairs Cllr Jim Jones and executive board member Cllr Meryl Gravell visited Red Roses Community Hall which is at the heart of its rural community providing computer classes and a regular luncheon club for older people The Eglwyscummin Community Association received RDP funding for a Connecting Communities Pilot project. The Hall was the base for an IT service with wireless connected computers targeted at the over 50 members of the community. This service is now available on a regular basis. The Association has now received an RDP Sir Gâr Rural Community Inclusion grant of £5,383 to expand its popular lunch club and other activities at the venue. Tuesday Lunch club provides a hot two course meal and teas and coffees for about 50 peop

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A Night With The Stars, a Loud Applause production at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, featuring Shân Cothi , Mark Llewellyn Evans, Côr Meibion Llanelli (musical director Eifion Thomas), Samuel Morris, Daniella Difede, Sipsi Gallois, and accompanists Rhiannon Williams-Hale, Andrew Pike and Will Havard. There was plenty of the ‘Wow’ Factor at this wonderful showcase for the very best of Carmarthenshire talent. The star appeal of Shân Cothi and Mark Llewellyn Evans is already well known and they more than lived up to top billing. What is more of a secret (but not for much longer) in Carmarthenshire is the development of potential West End stars of the future. A full house at Ffwrnes was the ideal opportunity to bring 16-year-old Coedcae pupil Daniella Difede and 17-year-old Ysgol y Strade head boy Samuel Morris to a wider audience. The way they both shone made you think they’d been treading the boards for years, performing with a mature confidence and stage presence which captured the hear