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

Question: How do you turn £1million into £14million? Answer: Invest it in community projects in Carmarthenshire. The council’s community regeneration division has attracted £12.8million in external funding for 371 different projects with council match funding of £1.3million. The division has created or assisted 80 enterprises, created or safeguarded 72 jobs, helped or advised 864 community groups, and improved 107 community facilities. It also helped 299 people with debt and benefit issues and addressed household debt of more than £1million. Projects range from setting up community shops, improving access to IT and broadband, a food co-op delivery service, providing community facilities and helping people back into work. The funding has come from a number of various sources such as the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-13, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development; the Welsh Government’s Communities First programme and Tidy...

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall officially reopened the Llandovery Railway Station building. The Royal Couple unveiled a plaque commemorating the reopening of the Station Waiting Room and spent an hour looking around the newly refurbished facility and meeting guests. Carmarthenshire County Council’s regeneration department has been responsible for attracting more than £40,000 funding for the project to renovate and reopen the building which has been out of use for almost 20 years. This project received funding from the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development under two Axis 3 initiatives, a Developing Identity and Distinctiveness Project grant of £16,500 and an Access to Services grant of £25,000. Llandovery station building was erected in 1858 and the sale of the last ticket took place in its ticket hall in 1992 when it became an unmanned halt. The station buildings clos...

A village action group which launched its own shop and Post Office has been applauded for breathing new life into the community. Two years ago residents in Dryslwyn joined forces to save the closure threatened Post Office. When the service was withdrawn, they refused to give up and decided to take on the premises themselves and run it with volunteers. Now just 12 months later, the Dryslwyn Community Shop has generated a turnover of £99,197 with £1,000 distributed back into the community. Residents have further plans to expand with a delivery service for older people in the surrounding area and a produce market. Regeneration chiefs have hailed the project as a flourishing success, and congratulated the group on its tireless work to build a sustainable enterprise. Officers from Carmarthenshire County Council have visited volunteers to see for themselves the thriving business that has been created. Chief Executive Mark James said: "The council is committed to empowering people in the...

Older Carmarthenshire residents are being introduced to the digital revolution, thanks to a cash windfall. A £20,580 project is underway to bring the latest technology to rural communities in the Teifi Valley. Wireless computers are being connected at village hubs to help people who have never used the internet, web-cam or e-mail. The aim is to ensure residents, particularly older people can access up-to-date communication tools and break down the barriers to modern technology. Menter Gorllewin Sir Gar has just received grant funding through the County Council’s ‘Access to services’ grant which is part funded from the Rural Development Plan for Wales. The bid was supported by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Local Action Group, and is part of a multi-million pound package of schemes in the area to have received cash aid. Under the scheme computers have been installed at Llanllwni Community Church Hall and Newcastle Emlyn Trinity Church Hall, providing an I.T. base for residents in the ...