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

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...

Christmas gifts are coming in thick and fast for disadvantaged children across the county. Large containers and bags have been collected from Llanelli Town Hall and Carmarthen Journal offices this week for the council’s Toybox Appeal. The annual appeal provides presents for hundreds of children from families who can’t afford to buy them gifts or toys. The gifts need to be unwrapped and for children of all ages, from birth to teenagers with the last day of collection on Friday, December 9. There are a number of drop off points throughout Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Pam Palmer said: “We’re so grateful for all the presents we have received to date, so please keep them coming and help make a child’s Christmas.” You can drop your gifts off at one of the following collection points: Ammanford • Ammanford Town Hall, Customer Services Centre • Ammanford Guardian • Llandybie Memorial Hall • Nat West Bank • Tesco Carmarthen • Carmarthen Customer Services, 3 Sp...

Contingency plans have been put in place to prevent further damage from rainwater which flooded parts of Llanelli Town Hall last week. Heavy rain in the early hours of Friday morning breached the temporary roof covering being used whilst the building is undergoing renovations, resulting in water leaking in to first floor offices and meeting rooms. Contractors John Weaver Ltd, who are undertaking the renovation works on behalf of the council, are clearing water and working to prevent further damage. Cllr Hazel Evans, Executive Board Member with responsibility for Property Services, said: “Contractors have been on site for some time undertaking essential renovation work to remodel the roof because of ongoing problems with rainwater leaks due to its age and design. “However, the temporary roof covering did not withstand the sheer volume of rain that fell in the early hours of Friday morning, and unfortunately water did leak in to some of the first floor rooms. “We are working with the c...

Llanelli’s future, school security, the media’s glorification of war, giving students a political voice and the dangers of social media destroying privacy . . .  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 St John Lloyd win the senior category and Brynwgyn Comprehensive take the junior intermediate section. Both teams will now progress to the next round of the Rotary competition – zone area and district finals. The competition attracted entries from Ysgol y Strade, St John Lloyd, Coedcae and Brynwgyn schools. Lt Col Mathias said: “The standard in the competition was exceptionally high and the competitors made the judging task a very difficult one.” Llanelli Rotary Club pres...

Chemical warfare, feminism, fast food, school holidays, food wastage, overpaid footballers and the legacy of the 2012 Olympics . . . 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 St John Lloyd scoop the team prizes in both the senior and junior intermediate section to progress to the next round of the Rotary competition – zone area and district finals. Last year, the St John Lloyd senior team made it all the way to the national Rotary finals in Hull. Lt Col Mathias said: “The standard in the competition was exceptionally high and the competitors made the judging task a very difficult one. Llanelli Rotary Club president Ken Abban explained that the Youth Speaks event offered an oppo...

Political correctness, fears of mass corruption in the Establishment, the gap between rich and poor, sports role models, the Olympic legacy and multiculturalism. 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. “All the competitors were a great credit to their families and their schools.” The competition saw the teams from St John Lloyd and Bryngwyn take the senior and intermediate prizes to progress to the next round of the Rotary competition – a zone area final. The Youth Speaks competition is organised on a national basis and it is possible for the teams to win through to a UK final. Lt Col Mathias said: “The standard in the competition was exceptionally high and the competitors made the judging task a ...

A total of eight teams have entered this year's Llanelli Rotary Club Youth Speaks competition. The popular public speaking competition is one of the highlights of the school calendar in Llanelli. Llanelli Rotary Club member and schools coordinator Mark Evans said: "Rotary encourages speaking and presentation skills in young people and we are pleased that schools seem to agree with our philosophy. "The Rotary Youth Speaks competition, as a result, continues to go from strength to strength each year, producing some superb quality speakers in our young people aged from 11 to 18. "The Llanelli event is a local heat and it is possible for the winners to go all the way to a national UK final." The Youth Speaks competition is being held at 5.45pm on Tuesday, January 29, in the prestigious surroundings of the council chamber at Llanelli Town Hall. Parents and members of the public are welcome to attend. The entry list for senior and intermediate age gro...

Award-winning South Wales architects the Lewis Partnership Ltd are playing a key role in the restoration of one of Llanelli’s most historic landmarks. Llanelli Town Hall is being refurbished and upgraded by Carmarthenshire Council. “As one of Llanelli’s favourite buildings, it is in need of some TLC, some tender, loving care,” said the Lewis Partnership Ltd’s managing director Philip Lewis. “As an older building, care must be taken to ensure it is properly maintained and our plan will tackle the usual routine problems which come with older buildings and prepare the Town Hall for a bright future. “The Town Hall is very much a cherished building in Llanelli and, as a town-based firm of architects, operating from headquarters just around the corner from the building, we are delighted to be helping with this work.” The Town Hall came into being after the old Local Board of Health first suggested the idea back in 1892. William Griffiths, Estate Agent of Thomas Street, Llanelli, provided t...

More people have become British citizens at a ceremony held in Llanelli Town Hall. The citizenship ceremony took place to formally welcome on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government new people to Britain and to Carmarthenshire. The new citizens live in Llanelli, St Clears and Carmarthen. Designed to enhance the significance and importance of becoming a British Citizen, the aim of the ceremony, provided by Carmarthenshire County Council’s registration service, is also to provide each individual with a memorable occasion and help them celebrate with their friends and family a new sense of place and belonging. The ceremony began with a formal welcome and opening address from Superintendent Registrar Andrea Rowlands. Lieutenant Colonel David Mathias presented the new citizens with their certificates, and harpist Teleri Haf Gravell performed before the ceremony and during the break. Statutory Services executive board member Cllr Mair Stephens ...

Off to perform MC duties at the area final of the Rotary Youth Speaks public speaking competition at Llanelli Town Hall.

Ghosts, sport cheats, online piracy and the difference between real and virtuals worlds. 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 the teams from St John Lloyd take the junior and senior prizes to progress to the next round of the Rotary competition – a zone area final to be held at Llanelli Town Hall on February 14. Lt Col Mathias said: “The standard in the competition was exceptionally high and the competitors made the judging task a very difficult one.” Llanelli Rotary Club president Graham Williams explained that the Youth Speaks event offered an opportunity for Llanelli pupils to gain experience of speaking on a public platform. He said: “It allows young people to form ideas on s...

Residents in Llanelli are being urged to report any anti-social behaviour taking place in the Town Hall grounds by calling 101. The Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership, which includes the council and the police, wants to make sure all incidents are reported to the police as soon as possible so that the appropriate action can be taken. Officers say evidence is vital in order to tackle the problem. It follows complaints of noise and criminal damage from nearby householders as well as criminal damage which has led to the council having to cut the electricity supply to the bandstand and nail down benches. The local neighbourhood policing team is always proactive in dealing with any reported incidents and frequently patrols the area and will continue to do so. Community safety manager Kate Thomas said: “We are encouraging residents living near Llanelli Town Hall to report all incidents of anti-social behaviour to the police straight away by calling 101. Early reporting allows offic...

Three School Councils visited last year’s chair of Carmarthenshire County Council towards the end of her term in office. Cllr Tegwen Devichand welcomed members of the School Councils of St Mary’s, Halfway and Dafen Schools to Llanelli Town Hall.

Llanelli’s Welsh Assembly member Helen Mary Jones was given a vision of the future at the annual Llanelli Rotary Club Youth Speaks competition. The AM praised the quality of debates at the event and predicted that some of the students could turn out to be the politicians of the future. “The standard in the competition was exceptionally high and the competitors made the judging task a very difficult one,” added the AM. Llanelli Rotary Club press and marketing officer Robert Lloyd explained that the Youth Speaks event offered an opportunity for Llanelli pupils to gain experience of speaking on a public platform. He added: “It allows young people to form ideas on significant subjects and learn high standards of expression, presentation and appearance. It also gives pupils the experience of accepting impartial assessments and constructive criticism.” In the junior competition, the Bryngwyn team debated ‘Text talk and internet spelling are the future of English’ (the Against lobby won the v...