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

Hywel Dda University Health Board has announced the three finalists in the ‘Unsung Hero’ category at this year’s Best of Health awards. The Best of Health awards are an annual event organised by the University Health Board to recognise and reward the extraordinary achievements of its staff and volunteers, many of whom often go beyond the call of duty in their work for the benefit of patients and service users. This year, 110 entries were received from across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. The winners will be announced at an official ceremony in January 2016 when the Chief Executive will also announce the winner for overall best entry. Lisa Gostling, Director of Workforce & Organisational Development said: “We are delighted with the number of entries received this year. Once again, people have found time to send in their nominations so that just some of the many achievements and inspiring work that is taking place across Hywel Dda University Health Board can be reco

Latest news from Ffos Las racecourse near Llanelli - Welsh Champion Hurdle - 6th February 2016 Great Sporting Day out & Live entertainment Tickets from £10.00 The Dribuild Welsh Champion Hurdle, Saturday February the 6th at Ffos Las racecourse. It’s the ultimate combination of Welsh Sport and live entertainment from the Monophonics. Experience a day out like no other. See a champion crowned at one of the pinnacles of the Welsh racing calendar with over £100,000 prize money to be won at this great racing event. Playing before and after racing a Stereophonic's tribute band "The Monophonics" Admission Tickets priced from only £10.00 and Hospitality Tickets priced at £75 can be purchased online or by calling 01554 811092 A fabulous day out featuring Jason Donovan in concert and seven exciting races. Click here for more information and to buy tickets

Latest news from the Diplomat Hotel in Llanelli -  VALENTINE'S WEEKEND BONANZA! Two Fantastic Evenings to choose from: Friday 12th February~Candle~Lit Dinner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saturday 13th ~"Michael Buble" Tribute Cabaret~Dinner~Dance FEW TICKETS LEFT! BOOK NOW TEL: 01554 756156 BEST WESTERN Diplomat Hotel & Spa Felinfoel Road Carmarthenshire

Figures published by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings reveal that Aberystwyth University is among the top 200 most international universities in the world. Aberystwyth University is ranked 162nd for ‘international outlook’ according to the THE World University Rankings which considered the performance of 800 of the world’s top institutions. Aberystwyth University saw an improvement in its performance against the ‘international outlook’ indicator, scoring 72.2 compared with 66.5 in 2014/15. Professor John Grattan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience and International commented: “Aberystwyth University has a long and distinguished record for welcoming international students, which is reflected in the excellent result of this latest information published by the Times Higher Education. More than 90 nationalities are represented on campus at any one time, offering our international students and those from Wales and the other countries of the United Kingdom a rema

A Llanelli man has been ordered to pay more than £500 in fines and court costs for offences in relation to his business waste. Ishtiaq Ahmed Sheikh, aged 67, Dillwyn Street, pleaded guilty to two offences contrary to Section 47 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Carmarthen Magistrates Court. The court heard that council environmental enforcement officers were inspecting the rear lanes of Station Road on June 2 last year when they saw an overflowing trade waste bin belonging to Supersave. Sheikh, who runs the business, had already been issued with a section 47 notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to make sure that the waste is stored correctly and that the lid of the bin is closed at all times. On June 24, the officers called at the shop and then at Sheikh’s home address. He told them that he had arranged for the trade bin to be removed from his premises as he was no longer generating any waste. However, the officers explained that this was not the case as there

An Amman Valley woman has been ordered to pay more than £600 by magistrates after rubbish was found dumped on the picturesque Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Pamela Ann Jones, aged 52, of Cowell Road in Garnant, pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Carmarthen Magistrates Court. The court heard that Jones had paid two unknown males to clear waste from her brother’s property, which was then found dumped on the Black Mountain. She was interviewed by council environmental enforcement officers and conceded that she did not carry out any checks on the two unknown males to establish if they were licensed waste carriers, as required by law. Jones was fined £100 by magistrates and ordered to pay £500 towards prosecution costs and a £20 victim surcharge. Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “We all have a responsibility to make sure that waste from our homes is disposed

Residents in four Carmarthenshire communities are being asked for their views on proposals to create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists. The council is consulting on Safe Routes in Communities schemes for Whitland, Cwmamman, Pencader and Rhos, Saron and Pentre Cwrt. Display boards showing the details of the scheme will be put up in each of the areas so that people can leave feedback. The comments will form part of a bid to Welsh Government for funding for the schemes to be carried out next year in 2016-17. The council is also consulting directly with local schools, town and community councils and the local members. The Safe Routes in Communities project has been developed to create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists through the implementation of engineering measures such as cycle routes, cycle paths, traffic calming and educational road safety initiatives. The aim is to shift away from car use for certain journeys, which results in reduced levels of conge

An Amman Valley woman has been fined £75 for dropping a cigarette end. Council environmental enforcement officers were on patrol in the Heol Gelynen area of Upper Brynamman at the time of the offence. She told the officers that she knew it was wrong to drop litter . She was issued with a fixed penalty notice. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in court and a fine of up to £2,500. Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said the council had a zero tolerance approach to littering. In particular, smoking-related litter can be found on around 80% of Carmarthenshire streets. Cllr Jones said: “Cigarette ends fall into grates and cracks in the pavement and cannot be removed by normal cleaning methods. “Hopefully this latest fine will help to raise awareness of the problem and deter people from dropping this type of litter.” Enforcement officers carry out regular patrols across the county.

Carmarthenshire County Council has launched its first ever award scheme to celebrate the difference tenants make in their communities. The 2016 Tenant 2 Tenant Awards, in association with Spice , will be an opportunity for tenants to nominate neighbours, friends and community volunteers for an award, a chance for them to say thank you for the efforts they make to go the extra mile to make other people’s lives better. There are 16 categories up for grabs, ranging from Pride In Your Patch project of the year, to volunteer of the year; fuel club of the year to young tenant of the year. There’s also best kept garden, and best room makeover, as well as recycling champion and Welsh language champion awards. An awards ceremony will be held in September, but before then, tenants have until June 30 to nominate worthy winners in each award category. A judging panel, led by Cllr Linda Evans, Executive Board Member for Housing, will choose from the nominations submitted. “This is exciting news -

The award-winning Cwmcerrig Farmshop and Grill has a new offer on at the carvery grill . . . Budget breakfast at Cwmcerrig! Fancy something smaller than our big BIG breakfasts? Small Breakfast 1 Bacon 1 Fried Egg 1 Sausage 1 Toast Beans £2.99 Beans on 2 Toast 2 Poached Eggs on 2 Toast 2 Scrambled Eggs on 2 Toast Mushrooms on 2 Toast Cheese on 2 Toast £2.99 Cwmcerrig Farmshop & Grill Cwmcerrig Farm, Gorslas, Camarthenshire Telephone:01269 844 405 Our opening times Monday - Saturday 8.00am - 5.00pm Sunday and Bank Holidays 10.00am - 4.00pm Grill Cafe Monday - Saturday 8.00am - 5.00pm (last orders 4:30pm) Sundays and Bank Holidays 10.00am - 4.00pm (last orders 3:00pm) Website -  http://www.cwmcerrigfarmshop.co.uk/

New community based eye services being developed in West Wales will reduce the travel burden for hundreds of patients, travelling some of the greatest distances in the UK to access eye care. Patients in the Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) travel to one of two sites to access wet AMD (an age-related macular degeneration, eye condition, which causes people to lose vision) services, either at Amman Valley Hospital, in Ammanford, or Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth. For some patients in Pembrokeshire and south Ceredigion, this has required return journeys in excess of 100 miles for review, and sometimes a second journey for treatment (injection). Thanks to Welsh Government funding for a pilot project, the UHB is in a position to now establish additional services in Pembrokeshire and South Ceredigion. Not only will these services bring care closer to home for these communities, but they will be developed as one-stop-shop services, which can accommodate review and injection in the sam

The latest Clay Shaw Butler Money Matters column from the Carmarthenshire Herald. By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. If you are a boss, then there’s plenty to ponder in the small print of the Government’s Autumn Statement. Over the last few weeks, Money Matters has focussed on some of the main earthquake items in Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement. This week, the focus is more on the after-shocks and the small print in some of the employment tax issues. The Chancellor George Osborne combined the Autumn Statement and with what is called a Spending Review when he presented his key points to Parliament. Here is out summary of just some of the key employment tax issues – Employer provided cars: The scale of charges for working out the taxable benefit for an employee who has use of an employer provided car are now announced well in advance. Cars are taxed by reference to bands of CO2 emissions. From 6 Apri

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in and around Llanelli) from the Llanelli Star - You’ve got to take your hat off to the ladies of Côr Curiad. They believe in going for gold with their charity concerts. Côr Curiad’s choristers will be welcoming Britain’s Got Talent winners Collabro to Llanelli’s Ffwrnes Theatre on Saturday, May 14. Tickets are selling fast with proceeds from the event going towards one of Llanelli’s most popular charitable causes, the Ty Bryngwyn Hospice adjacent to Prince Philip Hospital. Côr Curiad, formed in 1995, is led Alex Esney-Davies, supported by accompanist Jane Jewell. The aim of the choir is to enjoy singing together, give pleasure to audiences and raise money for charity. The choir’s biggest achievement to date was in 2012, when, with the support of Rhydian Roberts (TV’s X Factor), a sell-out concert raised £16,500 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Last year, the choir celebrated their 20th anniversary. The year saw a memorable gala

The latest Phil Evans column from the South Wales Evening Post. Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. www.philevans.co.uk ------------------------------------------ Out in the cold: I read this recently in a newspaper... Rough sleepers on London’s streets have more than doubled in five years because of a lack of support for people arriving from EU countries; cuts to benefits; a chronic housing shortage; and the “longstanding legal injustice” where many homeless people are not considered a priority for help. How is this happening in the 21st Century which, in the 1980s, held the promise of a bright, shiny future full of exciting innovations? While I didn’t really expect we’d be hovering 20 feet above the traffic wearing jet-packs, it seemed possible we might be pedalling Sinclair C5s (£399 in 1985*) to our hi-tech offices to work on state-of-the-art Amstrad computers. The reality is much grimmer. Every Welsh town and city has

It promises to be a great year for 16 projects across Wales, as the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced awards worth over £3.5million. From Anglesey to Aberystwyth, Pembrokeshire to Pontypridd, groups are celebrating their funding success. Capturing the stories of South Wales miners, regenerating an important maritime town, unlocking the secrets of a treasured community collection and extending a local museum to attract more visitors are just some of the activities that will benefit from this latest round of National Lottery money. The legacy of the mines Mining has played a vital role in Welsh heritage and volunteers at the South Wales Miners’ Museum are leading a project that will look at the social history and legacy of the coal industry in the Afan and Llynfi valleys. Local young people will become actively involved through placements and training while students are also set to benefit from the museum’s active involvement in the Welsh Baccalaureate. Mair Boast from the m

Communities First has held a healthy cooking course in Llanelli at the request of clients. People taking part in a Mental Wellbeing programme at the Antioch Centre in Llanelli, funded by Communities First, asked if they could have a healthy cooking programme that would support their improvements to a healthier lifestyle. Communities First then provided four sessions of healthy cooking, where the individuals were able to prepare and cook the food in the Antioch Centre. The sessions were very well received and those taking part felt they had learned a lot and would now be able to add healthier options to their diet and improve their lifestyle and health. One course member said: “I have really enjoyed these cooking sessions as it has shown me that even with my disability I can still make nice recipes that are healthy. The health officers have been really patient and understanding and it has been a pleasure to be part of these sessions.” Another taking part added: “I’ve enjoyed the inform

There's a special group ticket offer for the St David's Day concert with Aled Jones on Tuesday 1st March, 7:30pm, The Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. Aled Jones has been a household name since the 1980s and will forever be remembered as one of the world's most successful boy sopranos. Aled continues to combine a successful broadcasting, acting and singing career. He has taken part in sell-out shows, written three books and continues to combine a successful broadcasting, acting and singing career. The theatre has a special group ticket offer. For every 10 tickets bought, you get the 11th ticket free on all group sales. Tickets: £26.88 For further information or to book your tickets contact our Box Office on 01639 763214

Hywel Dda University Health Board has announced the three finalists in the ‘Unsung Hero’ category at this year’s Best of Health awards. The Best of Health awards are an annual event organised by the University Health Board to recognise and reward the extraordinary achievements of its staff and volunteers, many of whom often go beyond the call of duty in their work for the benefit of patients and service users. This year, 110 entries were received from across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. The winners will be announced at an official ceremony in January 2016 when the Chief Executive will also announce the winner for overall best entry. Lisa Gostling, Director of Workforce & Organisational Development said: “We are delighted with the number of entries received this year. Once again, people have found time to send in their nominations so that just some of the many achievements and inspiring work that is taking place across Hywel Dda University Health Board can be recog

Professor John Grattan has been appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor for Aberystwyth University following an internal recruitment process. Currently Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience and International, Professor Grattan will assume the role of Acting Vice-Chancellor from the 1st of February. Professor Grattan’s appointment follows the announcement by Vice-Chancellor Professor April McMahon in December 2015 that she wished to step down as Vice-Chancellor at the end of her five-year term of office on 31 July 2016. Between 1 February and 31 July, Professor McMahon will be focusing on externally-facing aspects of the Vice-Chancellor role. A graduate of the University of Manchester (Geography and Archaeology), Professor Grattan gained a PhD from the University of Sheffield where he studied the impact of Icelandic volcanic eruptions on ancient settlements of northern and western Britain. He joined Aberystwyth University as lecturer in 1995, and has since held a number of key internal

Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) has launched a scheme to thank staff who go above and beyond for their patients. New for 2016, the Employee or Team of the Month scheme is set to replace the previous Chair’s Certificate of Commendation. Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB), Bernardine Rees, wants staff, patients, service users and the public to nominate those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, to shed light on the fantastic work being done around the UHB’s patch. She explained: “Our staff are amazing at what they do and I think it’s important they get the recognition they deserve. If you have received excellent care, had a great experience, or maybe want to highlight something your colleague has done that you think is special – I and the Board want to know about it.” It’s easy to nominate a single staff member or whole team, simply fill in the nomination form explaining why they deserve to be recognised and send it via email: Habiba.Lewis@wales.nhs.uk o

Residents in Newcastle Emlyn are being urged to have a New Year clear out A waste and tyre amnesty is being held in the mart car park on Tuesday, January 19 between 8am and 1pm. Most household waste can be taken along including unwanted furniture, carpets and mattresses, electrical items such as fridge-freezers and televisions, as well as black and blue bags. A maximum of four tyres can also be disposed of; however, tractor or lorry tyres will not be accepted. Hazardous waste such as paint, fluorescent tubes, batteries, chemicals, gas bottles and asbestos will not be accepted along with glass, garden waste, trade waste, construction waste and agricultural waste. Residents can pick up a free bag of Merlin’s Magic Compost (while stocks last) courtesy of CWM Environmental Ltd. Half-price compost bins will also be on sale for just £6 instead of the usual £12. Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Hazel Evans said: “I hope residents take advantage of this opportunity to have a c

Latest special offers from the Jenkins Bakery - WEEK COMMENCING January 11, 2016 3 Medium Corned Beef Pasties, £1.70 2 Large Corned Beef Pasties, £2.00 4 Medium Sausage Rolls, £1.85 2 Fresh Cream Doughnuts, £1.70 Sandwich of the Week, Tuna Crunch, £2.05 Rustic Baguette of the Week, Ham and Cheese, £2.45 Filled Softie of the Week, Chicken Tikka, £2.35 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/

Residents of Pembrokeshire are being urged to find out how to love their liver during the Love Your Liver campaign, this January. To spread awareness and educate people about liver health, professionals will be visiting a series of locations across the Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) area, in the coming weeks. Nicola Reeve, Blood-borne Virus Clinical Nurse Specialist, Hywel Dda University Health Board explained: “You may not hear much about it but your liver is your largest organ and is amazing as it has over 500 different roles in the body! “If you do think about your liver you may think about alcohol – a major risk factor which can affect the health of your liver. Breaking down poisons and toxins such as alcohol is just one of your liver’s jobs. “Two other major risk factors which can affect the health of your liver are hepatitis and obesity. Across Wales the number of people with Hepatitis C has increased; every day people are newly infected with entirely preventable viral h