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

The Big Knit is 10 years young! For a decade, budding milliners up and down the country have been supporting Age Cymru and innocent’s Big Knit by knitting funky little hats as part of the charity’s Spread the Warmth campaign. This year Age Cymru Sir Gâr is calling on nimble-fingered knitters in Carmarthenshire to whip out their wool and needles and help create little woolly hats. Knitters are being asked to flex their creative muscles and knit little woolly hats which will adorn innocent smoothie bottles in stores nationwide from November. For each be-hatted smoothie sold, innocent will give a donation to the Spread the Warmth campaign, helping to fund national and local winter projects. Age Cymru Sir Gâr has been tasked with knitting 400 hats by end September 2013 and needs knitters of all ages to help make this a reality. Ann Dymock Chief Officer at Age Cymru Sir Gâr said: “People in Carmarthenshire have been supporting The Big Knit for a number of years now showing they c...

The Llanelli Constituency Labour Party will be holding a Carvery Dinner at the Ashburnham Hotel, Pembrey, on Thursday, March 21. The guest speaker will be Michael Dugher MP, Shadow Minister without Portfolio, and Vice Chair of the Labour Party. Mr Dugher has been MP for Barnsley East since 2010. He was a Shadow Defence Minister and Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ed Miliband before his appointment to the Shadow Cabinet in 2011. He previously worked for the AEEU (now Unite) and was an adviser to the last Labour Government, including at Downing Street. The dinner, starting at 7pm, will feature a  raffle and auction. Price: £15 per ticket, children/students £8. All proceeds go to Llanelli CLP funds Further details from Fundraising Officer Suzy Curry 0756 1566 456.

There's a Colossal Cake Sale planned for Narberth on Saturday, April 27. Colossal Cake Sales are being held throughout the UK for Help for Heroes charity in April and May. The Narberth one is scheduled for the old school playground and RAOB club in the car park in Narberth from 10 am - 5 pm on April 27.  One of the organisers is Carol Peett and she said: "We want to make lots of money for this brilliant charity helping our wounded soldiers. "We need all of West Wales to get baking so we have loads of cakes to sell and we also need people to come and buy them!" The Help for Heroes charity has produced a guide for those planning cake sales - Check out the Help for Heroes Guide to a Colossal Cake Sale for more information and some fantastic recipe ideas Last year, 700 cake sale enthusiasts nationwide donned their aprons, grabbed their wooden spoons and baked up a storm to support the charity. Help for Heroes website - http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/bake...

The Jenkins Bakery has raised £1600 for Cancer Research UK through as special campaign selling pink cakes at the firm's shops. A cheque for £1,600.09 was handed over by staff at bakery's Trostre, Llanelli, HQ, to Carrie Barlow, Cancer Research UK area volunteer manager. Operations director Russell Jenkins said: "Throughout the year, we try and support as much charitable activity as we can. The ladies in our shops wore pink T-shirts for the duration of the Cancer Research fund-raising and the pink cakes were a big hit with customers. "Our customers are very important to us as it is their support which helps us make significant charitable donations throughout the year." The Jenkins bakery has 25 shops across South Wales and employs 300 people, full and part-time, with headquarters in Trostre, Llanelli. Weblink - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/ Pictured top with Carrie Barlow, centre, Cancer Research UK area volunteer manager, are Jenkins Bakery staff, left to right...

During the last 12 months, the Jenkins Bakery has been happy to support a number of charitable, sporting and community causes with donations, vouchers and buffet items. In total, the Jenkins Bakery has gifted items worth than £2000. Among the recipients have been – Llanelli Squash Club; Felinfoel Cricket Club; SA15 Stage Company; Cor Meibion Llanelli; the Ty Golau Lighthouse project; Doodles Events; Llannon hanging baskets; Music and Jazz at The Diplomat Hotel; Bwlch sports; Latch charity; Llanelli Wanderers RFC and the Llanelli Library Jobs Fair. The bakery has received ‘thank-you’ certificates from National Doughnut Week and Cancer Research UK. The firm raised £1600 for Cancer Research UK through various fund-raising events. The bakery raised £500 for The Children's Trust through National Doughnut Week 2012. Thanks go to all customers who supported the fund-raising.

A fund-raising curry evening is being held at the Sheesh Mahal restaurant in Stepney Street on Tuesday,  January 31, at 7 pm for Radio BGM, Prince Philip Hospital Radio. The cost per head is £11, with a variety of dishes to choose from. David Hurford, chairman of Radio BGM said: "We have been really fortunate to have been so well supported in the past by so many people and we hope that we can repeat that success and swell the funds a little to allow us to continue our service. A warm welcome is extended to all." If you want to attend, then email David Hurford at davehurford@talktalk.net. Weblink - www.radiobgm.org.uk

Oxjam Brecon staged a charity busk on the top of Pen-Y-Fan on with an estimated 50 volunteers and buskers broadcasting their support for Oxfam GB. Pen Y Fan (2,907 ft) is the highest point in the Brecon Beacons. Now known locally as the "Mountain Busk", this Oxjam Brecon "fundraiser with a difference" raised nearly £1000 in sponsorship and donations. Stewart Webb, Takeover Manager, said: "The Mountain Busk seems to have captured the imagination this year. It's a great way of getting everyone together through music in support of Oxfam GB and identifying our 15th October "Takeover" event with its setting within The Brecon Beacons National Park." More than 50 top bands and music acts across all genres will be appearing in six venues in Brecon on Saturday 15th October. The festival kicks off at 1.30 pm. Entry to all events is by a single £7 wristband ticket available from Theatr Brycheiniog Box Office (01874 611622) or online via : http:...

Healing The Wounds, the Welsh charity which helps treat sufferers of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), is raising its profile at Cardiff Airport. If you’re taking a holiday out of Cardiff Airport, then you are likely to be met by volunteers raising funds for the charity. “We’ve already received a great deal of help from the general public in fund-raising and we’re very grateful for businesses and councils who have helped by giving us permission for bucket collections,” said Healing The Wounds fund-raising manager Rachel Phillips. “Now, we’ve been handed a great opportunity by the team at Cardiff Airport to carry out bucket collections from now until October 31. “Holidaymakers and travellers often end up with lots of loose change weighing them down at airports, so it’s a great opportunity for us as a charity. “It will also go a long way to helping to raise the profile of the charity, which is now running regular treatment courses for people with PTSD. “The work we do is hugely valu...