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

The First Minister, Carwyn Jones, will today see how a partnership between Carmarthenshire Construction Training Association Ltd (CCTAL) and a group of widows in Kachumbala, Uganda, is having a transformative effect on people’s lives both in Wales and in Uganda. As part of his visit to Uganda this week, the First Minister will lay the foundation stone at a new grinding mill and storage unit in Kachumbala which has been made possible thanks to CCTAL and its partners, Coleg Sir Gar, CITB and Carmarthenshire County Council, and Engineers for Overseas Development (EFOD) Carmarthenshire. The mill and storage unit is run by Kachumbala Farmer’s Charity Group (KFCG), a cooperative of 30 widows which formed in 2011. The mill and storage unit will enable the group to process and sell the crops they grow on a commercial basis, allowing them to make a sustainable livelihood. CCTAL held a fundraising dinner last year which raised £30,000 to fund the building of the mill and food storage facility. ...

The Welsh Government's First Minister, Carwyn Jones, has praised the quality of the Welsh food and drink sector and encouraged people to buy local during a visit to an award-winning farm shop in Gorslas, Carmarthenshire. The First Minister took a tour of the family-run Cwmcerrig Farm Shop and Grill and sampled some of the first-rate Welsh produce on offer. The shop sells beef, lamb and poultry which it rears to high animal welfare standards on Cwmcerrig farm, as well as a wide range of other locally sourced products. More than 600 products from the Carmarthenshire area are on offer, with a total of 1000 products for the whole of Wales. The First Minister said: “Cwmcerrig Farm Shop and Grill is an impressive showcase of produce from Carmarthenshire and Wales. The pride it takes in sourcing locally wherever possible means increased financial returns for local food and farming businesses and it raises the profile and reputation of home grown produce. “The business creates a ...

A leading environmental charity has called on First Minister Carwyn Jones to boycott the opening of Pembroke power station this week. Friends of the Earth Cymru told Mr Jones that the power station has caused ‘considerable controversy’. Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: “Many people would disagree with the First Minister attending a fossil fuel celebration of such controversy. “This power station uses outdated technology to pollute Milford Haven in a manner that the Countryside Council for Wales found to be unacceptable. But it was still approved by Westminster. Clearly, the ability for us in Wales to make our own decisions on power stations must be devolved. “At a time when runaway climate change is melting the arctic ice faster than any time in recorded history, now is not the time to be building new fossil fuel power stations. “If we’re going to get a grip on climate change and generate green jobs that will give our children hope for a better futu...

Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities’ Strategic Alliance have launched a joint consultancy company. Aberystwyth and Bangor Consultancy Ltd will be the vehicle for both Universities to further develop the portfolio of commercial consultancy services for the two Universities and forms a key feature of the future of the Strategic Alliance. Professor April McMahon, Vice-Chancellor of Aberystwyth University, said: “Our Universities have worked together for a number of years; we’re good friends and good neighbours and have a strong track record of partnership working. Establishing a new joint consultancy company is amongst a range of exciting initiatives which sees our universities strengthen the ties we have, whilst at the same time allowing us to promote our individual areas of academic and professional strengths. I look forward to learning of the successes of our new company as we continue to provide a range of high level consultancy services to our customers.” The company has be...

Hywel Dda Health Board | First Minister renews commitment to public health The First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones, will be speaking at the Welsh Public Health Conference for the second year running. The second Welsh Public Health Conference is being held on Wednesday 18 July 2012 at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff. The conference, titled ‘Together for Public Health’ is based around Together for Health, the Welsh Government’s five year vision for the NHS in Wales.

Following his High Sheriff’s Award, which recognised his charitable work within the county, Adam Cousins aged 16 of Newcastle Emlyn has received yet another prestigious award. Adam, a pupil from Emlyn Comprehensive School, has won the national  Gwirforce Inspirational Young Person of the Year Award. The award recognised Adam’s extensive voluntary work and commitment to the participation agenda and his dedication to Carmarthenshire Youth Council . Adam was one of three young people across Wales to be shortlisted for the award and he received the honour from First Minister Carwyn Jones at an awards ceremony in Cardiff Bay on Thursday May 3. Adam said:“It was such an honour to receive the award from the first minister, I will never forget it. To be shortlisted was a privilege in itself but to win the award was just amazing. “I would like to thank everyone who’s supported me and I will continue to work hard to help improve provisions for young people in the county.” Sarah Powell,...

Hywel Dda Health Board | Doctors recruitment campaign launched The next phase of a campaign to attract clinicians (from doctors in training to consultants) to work in Wales has been launched by the Welsh Government. First Minister, Carwyn Jones and Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths visited Morriston Hospital in Swansea to promote the campaign. This follows the launch of a website in January which provides would-be doctors with more information on the benefits of working in Wales.

BBC News - Carwyn Jones US mission: 'Wales is open for business' First Minister Carwyn Jones says he will tell the United States' tourism, defence, car and life science industries that Wales is "open for business". Mr Jones has meetings in New York and Washington during a five-day visit starting on Wednesday. He said Wales must "sell" itself to foreign investors.

A conference on sustainable development in Wales has been organised by the Institute of Welsh Affairs in association with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The conference is called 'Wales’ Central Organising Principle Legislating for Sustainable Development' and is being held on Friday 27th January 2012 at 9.00am - 4.00pm at the Halliwell Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen. Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones has set out his Government's commitment not only to have sustainable development as its central organising principal but also to enact this through primary legislation. A Sustainable Development Green Paper will appear next May, followed by a White Paper in the autumn of 2012. This will be the first piece of primary legislation dedicated to sustainable development in the United Kingdom and has the potential to be a world leader. This conference addresses what the proposals should contain, how they should be implemented ...

Three Carmarthenshire County Council officers have been recognised for their innovative approach to partnership working in the health and social care sector. Sheila Porter, Head of Primary, Community and Social Care; Dylan Owen, Locality Manager; and Gwyneth Ayers, Partnership Officer, have each been presented with Recognising Achievement awards by the First Minister, Carwyn Jones. The awards acknowledged their work towards the creation of integrated health and social care services in Carmarthenshire. Sheila Porter holds a post which is funded jointly by Carmarthenshire County Council and Hywel Dda Health Board. Working jointly and equally between both organisations gives her an unrivalled platform from which to develop integrated services. Since her post was established in 2008, there has been a huge shift in the way services are delivered. Most recently, this has involved the creation of Community Resource Teams, which provide a single point of contact for health and social care prof...

The Institute of Welsh Politics is delighted to welcome Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales to deliver its 12th Annual Lecture on Monday 14th November 2011. The lecture is entitled ‘Next Steps for Devolution: Politics Plus Finance’. Carwyn Jones was born in 1967 and educated at Brynteg Comprehensive School, Bridgend, University of Wales, Aberystwyth and Inns of Court School of Law, London. Prior to his election to the National Assembly for Wales in 1999, he was a barrister in chambers in Swansea specialising in Criminal, Family and Personal Injury Law, and a professional tutor at Cardiff University Law School. He has been a Bridgend County Borough Councillor and was Chair of the County Borough Council Labour Group. He is also a member of Amnesty International, Unison, Unite the Union and the Fabian Society. He has been a Labour Party member since 1987 and played an active role in the 1997 ‘Yes for Wales’ referendum campaign. Carwyn Jones was appointed as a Deputy Secretary ...

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