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

Young people’s efforts and developments were recognised at the Engage Project celebratory event at Ffos Las, Trimsaran. A total of 150 Engage participants between the ages of 14 and 19 participated in a range of interactive workshops during the day; workshops were delivered by Coleg Sir Gar, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Youth Service, Menter Bro Dinefwr, CAVS, Menter Cwm Gwendraeth, Llanelli Centre Project and the Youth Offending Prevention Service. Young people had taster sessions on multi media, volunteering, the dangers of substance misuse, how to build your own future, team building, a fashion show based on recycled material and bike maintenance. Some 80 members of staff also attended the event and took part in the workshops; staff included youth officers from Carmarthenshire County Council, Coleg Sir Gar, Neath Port Talbot CBC, Pembrokeshire, Neath PortTalbot College, Gower College, Careers Wales West, Adult Community Learning, Llanelli Rural Council, the Basic Skills Ser...

Carmarthenshire's Youth Service has helped the Llanelli Centre project secure almost £35,000 funding. Staff from the council’s Youth Service Engage team have been working with Centre project staff to submit an application for Engage funding from the Welsh European Funding Office. They have now learned they have been successful in securing a grant of £34,632 for the project, which has been running for 12 years. Executive board member for youth services Cllr Gwynne Wooldridge paid tribute to the efforts of staff. He said: “Our youth service fully supports the Centre project which is doing a great job for young people in Llanelli. I would like to thank them for their successful efforts in helping secure this funding which will make a great difference to the project.”

A new project is set to benefit over 12,000 young people across Carmarthenshire. Engage, a Convergence funded South West Wales partnership project, will work with NEET young people (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and with those facing difficulties such as underachievement. Delivery of the project will run until December 2012. In Carmarthenshire, the project (including partner match funding) is worth nearly £6m and will be delivered via a range of County Council departments, the Youth Offending Service and Coleg Sir Gâr, with the opportunity for partner organisations to tender for other parts of the project. Councillor Gwynne Wooldridge, Executive Board Member for Children and Education Services said:“Engage will provide alternative curricula and innovative training approaches to motivate and boost the confidence of students who are disaffected from school. The delivery of the Engage Project will be tailored to the needs of each individual through a range of techniques; inclu...