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

In January, many Carmarthenshire people may find themselves threatened with homelessness, debt or relationship breakdown. At one of its busiest times of year, Carmarthenshire County Council’s housing department is teaming up with Shelter Cymru to provide additional support for people in need. Whilst continuing to provide housing options and advice over the phone, officers will also be available at The Hub in Llanelli Town Centre every Tuesday throughout the month, working together with Shelter Cymru staff to try and resolve any housing issues where people may be homeless or threatened with homelessness. Cllr Linda Evans, Executive Board Member for Housing, said: “Unfortunately, our teams deal with more homelessness cases during January than in any other month of the year, and we want to ensure we have dedicated support in place - ready to help people when they need it most. We’re pleased to be working with our partners Shelter Cymru to put on a weekly session in Llanelli Town ...

A homeless teenager from Llanelli has defeated the odds – and plenty of opponents – to rise up through the ranks of kickboxing. Purple belt Liam Thorley is in training to represent Wales at the British and World Championships later this year. The 17-year-old is being supported by The Wallich, a charity which works with homeless and vulnerable people to find solutions and prevent its occurrence, and Supporting People, a service run by Carmarthenshire County Council which supports vulnerable people to live independently in the community through supported housing projects. Liam is currently staying at The Wallich’s Llanelli base in Clos Sant Paul, and has impressed staff with his willingness to succeed, despite the personal troubles he has had to deal with over recent months. As well as training to represent his country in kickboxing, Liam is also a full-time student studying IT at Gorseinon College, and has plans to go to university in September to study computer games design. “I’ve been...

Bed and breakfast costs for homeless people in Carmarthenshire have been slashed by a huge 98 per cent. A major drive is underway to ensure that people needing emergency accommodation do not have to be placed in B&Bs. Instead housing officers are finding them high quality rental properties in the county. Carmarthenshire County Council is behind the move as part of a drive to improve housing standards. Figures show the council has spent just £2,297 on housing people in B&Bs this year. It is down by 98.9 per cent on 2005-06 when the cost was £397,059 for 187 households, 84 of which had children. This year only four households have been placed into B&Bs and none with children. Head of Housing Services Robin Staines said: “We have carried out a great deal of work to reduce the use of B&B accommodation for homeless households, particularly those with children. “We have worked with private landlords and Housing Associations to provide very good quality self-contained temporar...