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

Students from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) are about to embark on an innovative project looking at how new technology can help the heritage sector in Carmarthenshire. The project will look at the latest digital interpretation technology and will help create a new product aimed at encouraging heritage tourism in Carmarthenshire and increasing the footfall of heritage sites within the county. Led by UWTSD, the project will bring together a number of students from a wide range of courses currently studying at its Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea campuses to work alongside professionals from the digital sector to create a bespoke new product. The type of technology used and the nature of the content will be driven directly by the needs of Carmarthenshire’s heritage organisations. In order to ensure that the digital solution is tailored to answer the demands of the county’s heritage sector, the project team is encouraging as many people from Carmarthenshire’s herit...

Hywel Dda University Health Board has achieved both gold and platinum accreditation for the Corporate Health Standard following a recent rigorous assessment process. The Corporate Health Standard is the national mark of quality for health and wellbeing in the workplace, recognising good practice and work places which target key preventable ill health issues. Good practice in health and wellbeing initiatives, employee engagement, plus senior leadership all helped the University Health Board scoop this top accolade. The assessors highlighted the “brilliant and measurable difference in improvement” in areas such as the organisational values work, communication and the general sense of wellbeing among staff, as part of their assessment. For the Platinum re-validation our community engagement, capital build work, facilities, procurement, transport and employment & skills initiatives, were all highlighted as areas of exceptional practice. A ‘Health and Wellbeing at Work’ Steering Group ...

LBS Builders Merchants are helping a local British Trust for Ornithology volunteer to provide vital nesting boxes for one of the county’s rarest breeding birds. The tree sparrow may be mistaken for its more common cousin the house sparrow (tree sparrows have a distinctive brown cap and black spot on their cheeks) but the Tywi Valley now appears to host the largest population in Wales of this ‘red-listed’ species. The tree sparrows do not wander far from the valley floodplain. Here, around the still or slow-flowing water found on the floodplain, they can find the preferred insects that adults feed to the young during the summer. Nest boxes at key sites will benefit the tree sparrows, helping to supplement their preferred nesting sites in tree cavities, and provide a good opportunity to ring and monitor the birds. The project is being run by Charlie Sargent, who is a member of the Teifi Ringing group and a BTO licensed bird ringer. Outside the breeding season, tree sparrows are depende...

Funding of almost half a million pounds has been secured for road safety projects in Llanelli and the Amman / Gwendraeth area. The council has received a total of £445,500 from the Welsh Government’s Road Safety Capital Grant which supports road casualty reduction schemes across Wales. It includes £225,000 for a route treatment scheme in Llanelli on the B4297 between the Halfway lights and Talyclun in Llangennech and a grant of £220,500 for a similar scheme on the B4297 between Tycroes and Gorslas. Both schemes will provide reduced speed limits, enhanced warning signs, driver feedback signs, traffic calming, traffic islands, junction visibility improvements, improved crossing points and upgraded red light cameras. Head of Highways and Transport Steve Pilliner said: “I am delighted that the council has secured this funding so that both these schemes can be carried out this financial year. “These schemes will significantly improve safety for both road users and pedestrians along these ...

Ceredigion Autism Spectrum team and Aberystwyth University Student Support Services are hosting an Autism conference at the Old College in Aberystwyth today, Friday 31 March 2017. Now in its fourth year, the conference brings together people on the autism spectrum, parents, carers, supporters, and professionals from health, social care and education. The one day conference marks World Autism Awareness Week which runs from 27 March to 2 April 2017, and World Autism Day which is on Sunday 2 April 2017. Carys James, Head of Adult Social Care and Commissioning, Ceredigion County Council commented: “We are pleased to be working with Aberystwyth University to arrange the Ceredigion Autism Conference and to build on the success of previous years. With a range of expert speakers, the event promises to bring new insight and understanding of a condition that affects at least one in every hundred people”. The conference will open with a presentation from Dr Jill Bradshaw of the world renowned Tiz...

Beyond Impressionism: The Legacy of Gwendoline and Margaret Davies is the title of a talk to be given in Carmarthen next week. The talks is by Professor Robert Meyrick of Aberystwyth University. Details - Friday 7 April 2017, 2pm Admission Free Talk in Carmarthen Library followed by tea and cake at the Oriel Myrddin Gallery. Discover how the philanthropic Davies sisters from mid Wales gave back to the Welsh communities who helped make their fortune and amassed one of the great 20th Century art collections, bequeathed to the National Museum of Wales, providing a valuable cultural resource for the nation. If you’re not a member of U3A come along to find out more about it. The event is part of Oriel Myrddin Gallery's 50+ programme.

Funding has been awarded to create a safer walking and cycling environment for schoolchildren and the wider communities in Carmarthen and Pontyberem. The council has received funding of £542,759 from Welsh Government to carry out walking, cycling and road safety improvements as part of the Safe Routes in Communities programme. A grant of £292,759 was awarded to fund a scheme in Carmarthen town and £250,000 towards a range of measures which includes improving access to Pontyberem Primary School. The scheme in Carmarthen will improve access to Ysgol y Dderwen via Llys Fynnon and improve walking links to Richmond Park School. It includes safer crossing points and traffic calming measures along Lime Grove Avenue and a raised plateau and improved lighting around Pondside, Johnstown. The grant will also go towards a proposed zebra crossing and parent waiting shelter at Model School. In Pontyberem, the proposals include a new path linking Brandyway with the school; a potential new footpath ...

The Royal British Legion is holding outreach sessions in Llanelli for service personnel and families every other Monday for the next two months. The sessions are to offer help to serving members of the armed forces, veterans, and family members. They will be held in the Hub in Stepney Street from 10am-1pm. Sessions will be held on April 10, April 24, May 8 and May 22. Website - http://www.britishlegion.org.uk

The latest On Song column (about the choral and music scene in West Wales) from the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star - There’s a special concert coming up in Burry Port next weekend as the town’s brass band and male voice choir join forces. The occasion will be a concert called ‘You Must Remember This’, an evening which will follow a World War Two theme. Supported by Pembrey and Burry Port Town council, you are guaranteed to hear ‘music to raise the morale’. Funds raised from the concert (7pm on Saturday, April 8) will go to the Pembrey Gunnery Dome Project. Tickets are £10 and are available from Pembrey Post Office, The Ticket Hut at Burry Port station and from Patricia Neil, 01554 835575, email secretary@pembreymountaintrust.org . The compere for the evening will be the ever-popular Gwendraeth actor and personality Ioan Hefin. The Pembrey Gunnery Dome project is run by the Pembrey Mountain Trust. It is known that there were some 44 dome trainers of the same design built durin...

Paul Summers, vocalist, will be at Llanelli Conservative Club on Saturday, April 15.

The store that specialises in gear for runners and triathlon competitors is coming to Llanelli. And they are looking for weekend staff – who have a passion and enthusiasm for running! See their poster above. The new store will be in Vaughan Street, roughly opposite Home Bargains. Weblink – http://www.mymoti.com

The Curtain Up Theatre Company are doing their annual show at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, on the June 10th this year. It is a 'SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES'. It is in aid of the MIND charity. The inimitable Denys Jenkins (Denny Twp) will be compère.

The team at Clay Shaw Butler, chartered accountants and business consultants in Carmarthen, are recruiting – Payroll Senior / Manager We are looking for a Payroll Senior / Manager to join our dynamic team. We have a client base spread throughout South West Wales and have a wide range of clients ranging from personal clients to large companies and offer a variety of services. The successful candidate will have recent experience working in a practice environment. The role will include the preparation and control of the day to day payroll reporting to senior management. Experience and skills The ability to communicate at all levels Experience of working in a Payroll team in a practice environment To take day to day responsibility in PAYE Department. Auto Enrolment Pension system to be administered with the successful candidate taking on the day to day control of the system. To assist in keeping all payroll filing and correspondence up to date. To ensure all PAYE deadlines set by clie...

Residents are being reminded that there are changes to bin collections over the Easter holidays. From Friday, April 14 until Friday, April 21, collections will take place one day later than usual. So for example, if your collection is due on Friday it won’t be picked up until Saturday and so on. These changes also affect garden waste and trade waste customers. Please remember to recycle using your blue bags - it is estimated that 90 million chocolate Easter eggs are bought in the UK every year, that’s a lot of cardboard and plastic packaging! And if you are making a big Easter lunch for all the family, make sure you either compost your vegetable peelings or they go into your food bin, which is collected weekly, along with any leftovers. The recycling centres in Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford), Nantycaws (Carmarthen) and Whitland are all open as usual over the Easter period. To find out when your bins are being collected or for more information on recycling please visit www.ca...

Carmarthenshire County Council’s dog wardens are calling for information about a dog left abandoned in Llanelli. The council’s dog warden service was called in to action following reports of a male Rottweiler being left tied to a fence near Andrew Street. It is thought the he may have been there for a few days, and was in need of urgent veterinary care. He is recovering well, and now the wardens want people to help them and RSPCA colleagues find the owner and take appropriate action. Dog warden Brendan Davies said: “We don’t know how long he had been there, but it may have been a few days. He was severely underweight and had lost hair on his back due to flea infestation. “He has responded well to treatment and TLC, his fleas have gone and his coat is starting to re-grow already. “This could have been avoided with such little cost - the PDSA was only a short walk away from where he was left tied up without food, water and shelter. His owner could have taken him there for treatment and...

Funding of almost half a million pounds has been secured for road safety projects in Llanelli and the Amman / Gwendraeth area. The council has received a total of £445,500 from the Welsh Government’s Road Safety Capital Grant which supports road casualty reduction schemes across Wales. It includes £225,000 for a route treatment scheme in Llanelli on the B4297 between the Halfway lights and Talyclun in Llangennech and a grant of £220,500 for a similar scheme on the B4297 between Tycroes and Gorslas. Both schemes will provide reduced speed limits, enhanced warning signs, driver feedback signs, traffic calming, traffic islands, junction visibility improvements, improved crossing points and upgraded red light cameras. Head of Highways and Transport Steve Pilliner said: “I am delighted that the council has secured this funding so that both these schemes can be carried out this financial year. “These schemes will significantly improve safety for both road users and pedestrians along these ...

An International Politics doctoral researcher from Aberystwyth University has played a key role in organising an international touring exhibition that aims to raise awareness of Mexico’s disappeared. Danielle House is part of a collective which has organised the exhibition ‘Footprints of Memory: Searching for Mexico’s Disappeared’, which will be on display in the Art House – Ty Celf, 1 Laura Place, Aberystwyth, from 3-8 April 2017. It will then go on tour to Paris, Nice, Rome, Florence, Turin, Barcelona and Berlin. The project 'Footprints of Memory', begun by Mexican artist Alfredo Lopez Casanova, tells the story of people who have gone missing in Mexico since 1969, 30,942 people since 2006, and the desperate search by their family members to find them. The exhibition has been organised by the Footprints of Memory Collective and the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University, and funded by Aberystwyth University’s interdisciplinary Performance and...

There's good news for young performers in South West Wales with the announcement of new bursaries to help young talented singers and instrumentalists. The Trustees of the Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) have announced that the charity intends to offer a number of bursaries to individual members of the mentoring scheme. Loud Applause Rising Stars chairman Cerith Owens said: "Since LARS was set up as a charity just over a year ago we have been amazed at the goodwill and praise we have received from both the Friends of Loud Applause Rising Stars and the wider community, who have enjoyed the quality performances delivered consistently by our talented young performers. "This success has led to our ability to set aside surplus income generated this past year to enable us to offer financial assistance to singers and instrumentalists. "It is our intention to continue to offer bursaries annually for youngsters who require (and are deserving of) additional support and ar...

A new monthly club for learners and Welsh speakers in Carmarthen to have the chance for a chat and to relax is being launched next week. Clwb Clecs Caerfyrddin is being jointly organised by Menter Iaith Gorllewin Sir Gâr, Dysgu Cymraeg Sir Gâr, and the county council. It will be held in Yr Atom, King Street, Carmarthen, on the last Wednesday of the month from 12.30-1.30pm. The dates for the club are March 29, April 26, May 31 and June 28. All welcome. Contact Gwawr or Siân on 01269 712934 or 01267 246861 for more information.

A new garden waste collection service for householders in Carmarthenshire is being launched this spring. Residents who sign up to the scheme will be provided with a 240 litre wheeled bin which will be emptied fortnightly between April and November. Householders who pay in full when they apply will receive a 15% discount so it will cost £40.80 for the season. They can also choose to pay by direct debit with payments made in instalments, this will cost a total of £48. Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Hazel Evans said: “The collection of garden waste is a chargeable service; the charge covers the hire of the bin and the costs of making the fortnightly collections. It is also fairer for residents who do not have a garden, who choose to compost at home, or who do not want to use the service. “There are also other options available to residents. One of the most environmentally-friendly and cost-effective ways of dealing with garden waste is to home compost; or you can take ...

With under two months to go to the local elections people in Carmarthenshire are being urged to ensure they are registered to vote. On May 4, electors will have the chance to vote for who they want to represent them. Elected councillors will stay in local government for five years. Carmarthenshire County Council’s electoral services division works to support elections and referendums. People who are not registered or have moved recently need to register before Thursday, April 13 in order to vote - it can be done online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote . Alternatively, contact Electoral Services on 01267 228889. Electors can vote in person at a polling station between 7am and 10pm. You will be sent a poll card around the 24 March telling you where your polling station is. If you lose or don’t receive a polling card contact the electoral services office before the 13 April. Those who require a postal vote for this election, must complete and send an application to the Electoral...

The team behind the ambitious Llanelli Railway Goods Shed project is planning a major consultation event. The free event is aimed at stakeholders - people and organisations interested in playing an active role in the next stage of the project. "In recent weeks, we have been successful in gaining planning permission and Listed Building permissions for the iconic Grade II Listed building," said Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust chairman Nia Griffith MP. "We have carried out a huge amount of development work, including architectural proposals, business plans, heritage work and activity plans. "But the project is moving into a new phase as we build alliances and partnerships with the community at large. "Already, we have had interest from people who want to use the site in Marsh Street - interest from businesses, community groups, organisations and individuals. "Now we have to build formal partnership agreements with our key stakeholders...

Members of Llanelli Rotary Club are getting ready for one of the highlights of Llanelli's social calendar - the annual fund-raising charity ball. "The Rotary Ball is always regarded as one of THE big events of the year in Llanelli and we are looking forward to a full house at this year's event," said Rotary Club President Mark Evans. The ball is being staged at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, on Friday, April 7, with entertainment being provided by The Phil Harmonics choir and popular entertainers Dusty Road. President Mr Evans (pictured) said: "This year, we have a specific target to use all of the funds raised from the ball to purchase defibrillators that will be placed in prominent positions around Llanelli. "The first will be at Felinfoel Community Resource Centre and will be available ‘if needed’ by the numerous people that use the facility. "As always, we appreciate the generous support of the business community in Llanelli, who support by ...

Age Cymru Sir Gâr are celebrating reaching their 21st year operating as a charity for people aged 50-plus in Carmarthenshire. The charity has supported people to live longer, live independently, make informed choices and have control over their lives. The charity is extended a warm invitation to all members of the public to come and join in the celebrations on Thursday, March 30, at St Peter’s Civic Hall, Nott Square, Carmarthen, from 12-3.30pm. Like all good parties, there will be music, activities and refreshments throughout the afternoon. There will be taster sessions of all the activities the charity has helped to set up around the county as well as some new activities. You can have a go at Nordic walking, seated exercise or dancing, as well as the more traditional knitting, arts and crafts. The charity was set up in October 1995 with their first office in Cross Hands. The charity moved to Blue Street in Carmarthen and needed to move again in 2001 to more suitable, disabled-frie...

This week's special offers at Jenkins Bakery shops - WEEK COMMENCING March 27, 2017 3 Medium Corned Beef Pasties, £1.85 2 Large Corned Beef Pasties, £2.20 4 Medium Sausage Rolls, £2.00 2 Fresh Cream Eclairs, £2.00 Sandwich of the Week, Chicken and Bacon, £2.60 Rustic Baguette of the Week, Ham and Cheese, £2.60 Filled Softie of the Week, Chicken Tikka, £2.55 Website - http://jenkinsbakery.co.uk/