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

Llandovery YMCA will soon have its new-look completed thanks to funding from Carmarthenshire Council’s Rural Development Plan (RDP) and the National Lottery. Funds from the RDP enabled initial capital building work to be carried out as well as being able to employ a project manager. This investment enabled the project to make a successful funding application to the National Lottery, and received £195,302 in 2011. Building and refurbishment work is now nearing completion and the project was recently visited by the Carmarthenshire County Council’s Leader, Cllr. Meryl Gravell, Business Manager, Cllr. Pam Palmer, and Chair of Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr. Ivor Jackson. Cllr. Meryl Gravell said: “Llandovery YMCA, supported by Carmarthenshire County Council Youth Service, provides an invaluable community resource in the centre of the town, and the new funding has opened up the building up to a far wider customer base, spanning all ages and sections of the community.” Cllr....

Glanymor and Tyisha Communities First are celebrating a Lottery award which will help tackle domestic debt in the area. The Communities First team, one of four run locally by Carmarthenshire County Council, has been awarded £4,868 from the Awards For All Wales funding pool for its work on a Debt and Benefit Volunteering Project. The project, which is run by Communities First staff and local volunteers, has already made huge strides in the area. Since it began in April 2009, volunteers and project staff have supported clients in the Llanelli area to tackle £358,199 of domestic debt, and have increased benefit income by £3,402 per month. Bryony Wiffen, of the Llanelli Communities First Debt and Benefit Volunteering Project, said: “Work with clients is an ongoing process and the project links in with other support services in the area to try and help people get the most appropriate support. “We are delighted that our bid for £4,868 of Lottery funding has been successful. This funding will...