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

  LLANELLI Rotary Club members are embarking on their annual search for candidates for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA). The Llanelli club has a long history of selecting candidates for the residential leadership course, usually selecting one student, sometimes two, to take a place on what is regarded as a prestigious programme. Candidates should be aged 16 or 17 at the time of the course in July. Youngsters can register their interest by emailing Llanelli Rotary’s RYLA coordinator, Dr Kevin Jones, on  k305jones@gmail.com Dr Jones said: “RYLA is a residential leadership course designed to meet the needs of 16 and17-year-olds. “The course is basically an outdoor pursuit course which incorporates team building and problem-solving exercises. Our nearest RYLA centre is at Storey Arms in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. “The course begins on Sunday afternoon and finishes after lunch on the following Friday. The course is run by Cardiff City Council emp...

  THE annual Llanelli Rotary Club Young Musician of the Year competition saw singers and instrumentalists battle it out at Greenfield Chapel in the town centre. The competition was the first stage in a national competition to find the Young Musician of the Year in both vocal and instrumental categories. Llanelli Rotary Club President Cerith Owens said: “Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland believes it is highly important to encourage and develop creativity in young people and the young musician competition is one of a number of ways in which we can nurture talent. “The young musician competition in Llanelli has been running for nearly 10 years, with a short break for the coronavirus pandemic. During that time, we have been hugely entertained and impressed by the young talent on display in the two categories of the competition. “This year’s competition was of a very high standard and we would urge schools and music teachers across the area to pencil next autumn into the...

  THERE’S a big date in the musical calendar coming up for youngsters in Carmarthenshire. The annual Llanelli Rotary Club Young Musician Competition is on Saturday, November 16. The competition is open to all young people up to the age of 17 on August 31, 2024. There are two categories in the competition: solo instrumental and solo vocal. Llanelli Rotary Club president Cerith Owens said the competition provided an annual platform for budding young musicians and singers. He said: “Music is the international language and Great Britain and Ireland is home to some of the most talented young instrumentalists and vocalists in the world. “We celebrate this talent with a sequence of competitions that offer many young people the chance to demonstrate their musical skills, whether classical or modern. “Participants will get the chance to experience performing on a public stage and receive feedback from experienced adjudicators. “The Rotary Young Musician competition is organised over differe...

IT’S your chance to feel a warm glow – by donating a winter coat to Llanelli Rotary Club’s Wrap Up campaign. This is the third year that Llanelli Rotary has joined in the national Wrap Up campaign to collect warm winter coats. In the first year of the campaign, the club collected more than 700 coats and distributed them to local food banks, refuge centres, churches, Threshold, CYCA and family support groups. Llanelli Rotary Club President Cerith Owens said: “We felt that we made a difference in the community and are excited to do it again. “The response by the local community to our Wrap Up campaign has been wonderful over the last two years. We are hoping for another magnificent response from the people of Llanelli again this year. Everyone we talk to says that they get a nice warm feeling of making a positive contribution to society when they donate a coat to the campaign.” The Wrap Up campaign runs until December 15. The following drop off points have been set up in Llanelli: · ...

As part of the global End Polio Now campaign, Llanelli Rotary Club members are staging a fundraising Curry and Quiz Night next month. The event is at 7pm on Thursday, May 4 at The Stag public house in Five Roads. The evening is being organised by Rotarian Joanna Isaac. Tickets are £10 and are available from any member of Llanelli Rotary Club. Joanna said: "It promises to be a fun evening and we will be raising cash on the night to help boost the End Polio Now campaign. "Everything we raise locally in Llanelli gets 'cash-matched' higher up the ladder. "We have already held a number of very successful events in aid of the charity and this Curry and Quiz Night should enable us to submit a significant total towards what is a very worthy international campaign to rid the world of polio."

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 ...

The team at Llanelli Rotary Club presented two cheques, worth a total of £2600, to the prostate cancer team at the urology department at Llanelli's Prince Philip Hospital. In the top photo, Llanelli Rotary President Mark Evans (right) presented a cheque for £2200, the proceeds of his annual Carten 100 charity bike ride between Cardiff and Tenby. In the second photo, Llanelli Rotary Club associate member Maxine Walters presented a cheque for £400 in memory of her late husband, Llanelli Rotarian Monro Walters. The money was raised at a charity art show featuring Maxine's paintings. Included in both photos are members of the urology department at Prince Philip Hospital, including consultants Mr Moosa and Mr Ng. Also pictured, top, are Llanelli Rotarians Hugh Thomas, Susan Roberts and Maxine Walters.

Watch your step James Martin and Jamie Oliver; there’s some competition for you on the horizon from the talented schoolchildren of Llanelli. Llanelli Rotary Club staged their fifth annual Young Chef competition at Brynwgyn School. “It was a wonderful occasion and a great showpiece for the culinary skills of young Llanelli and Burry Port people,” said Llanelli Rotary President Mark Evans. The title of Llanelli Rotary Club Young Chef 2017 went to Neo Robinson, a Year 9 pupil at St John Lloyd School. The winning three-course meal for two consisted of – Starter: Melon and Parma Ham and Melon Crostini. Main course: Marinated Portk Loin with Horse Radish Mashed Potatoes and Fried Asparagus. Dessert: Tiramisu with Orange Coulis “It was a well planned menu, cooked with a sense of style and well presented,” said the chair of the judging panel Stewart Williams, the development chef at Castell Howell foods. His judging colleague Caryl Davies, of Llanelly House, was equally impressed. She ...

Why we should become vegans, should there be better scrutiny of charities, are we doing enough to help refugees and has the face of global politics changed forever . . .  These were among the topics debated in the annual Llanelli Rotary Club Youth Speaks competition held at Llanelli Town Hall. “The quality of the arguments presented was outstanding and the children taking part reflected great credit on their schools and families,” said the chairman of the judging panel Lt Colonel David Mathias. The competition saw Bryngwyn School win the senior category and St John Lloyd take the junior intermediate section. The winning teams now go forward to the Rotary Area final being staged at St John Lloyd School this Thursday, February 9. The competition attracted entries from St John Lloyd, Coedcae and Brynwgyn schools. Lt Col Mathias said: “The standard in the competition was exceptionally high – as it is every year - and the competitors made the judging task a very difficult one.” Llane...

The third annual Young Musician competition organised by Llanelli Rotary Club saw performances of the highest standard. “The competitors were a credit to their parents and their teachers and helped showcase what a wonderful range of youth talent we have in and around Llanelli,” said the chairman of the judging panel, Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir musical director D Eifion Thomas. The final of the Llanelli Rotary Club competition also doubled up as the Rotary Area Final, with the winners going through to the third round, a District Final in Cardiff on March 4. The Young Musician event is a national competition. The target is to get through to the Rotary International Britain and Ireland final, which is being held in Wales this year – at the Welsh College of Music, Castle Grounds, Cathays Park, Cardiff, on Saturday May 6. The winner of the Llanelli Rotary Club Final and Area Final was 12-year-old Thomas Park, of Coedcae School, Llanelli, who performed Variations Brillantes by...

Controversial author and columnist Julian Ruck will be the guest speaker at a meeting of Llanelli Rotary Club at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, tomorrow evening (7.30pm Wednesday, November 23). Ruck is a novelist, broadcaster, columnist and political journalist/commentator. He is presently a columnist for two of Wales' biggest selling newspapers. Having studied and trained as a lawyer in London, he dedicated a portion of his life to dealing with Legal Aid contracts in the not-for-profit sector. He now lives in West Wales, where he is a regular contributor to Labour Uncut and The Daily Express. He has published six books, all with Dinefwr Press, and is currently writing another. In October 2015, Julian was involved in a hit-and-run accident that left him seriously injured, but as of 2016, he is on the road to recovery and writing again. Link - http://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=936

Father Christmas is making a welcome return to Llanelli Rotary Club's Grotto this weekend. The grotto will be based at Llanelli Indoor Market for the next two Saturdays. It will then move to the Tesco superstore in Llanelli for the countdown to Christmas (times and details in the poster above). Last year, the Rotary Club Grotto raised more than £3000 for local charities when it was based at the old BHS store in Trostre. 'Santa' is flying down from the North Pole to sit in the special Rotary Grotto which has been provided by Llanelli firm Sheds and Chalets. Father Christmas is being accompanied by some specially-dressed Rotary Club 'elves'. Rotarian Alison Evans said that last year's Grotto was such a hit with children that opening hours have been extended this year. Alison said: "Santa is full of the joy of Christmas and most of the young visitors who call in to see him at the Grotto are delighted with the experience. "This will be the t...