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

Two new No Cold Calling Zones have been set up in Carmarthenshire to offer protection to residents from visits by uninvited traders. The new zones are at the Sheltered Complex at Bro Ryan, Glanamman, and the Sheltered Complex in Llys Y Dderwen/Thomas Avenue, Ponthenri. It brings the total number of zones throughout Carmarthenshire to 49. They have been proven to make householders feel safer in their own homes. Also there has been recent evaluation at Zones in Nantlais, Llandybie, and Tan y Bryn, Burry Port, where 100 per cent of residents rated the zone as being very effective and neither zone has had had any cold callers since implementation. More than 10,000 complaints are made nationally about cold calling doorstep traders every year, but this is likely to only be the tip of the iceberg –victims are often embarrassed and frightened so many incidents will go unreported. The No Cold Calling Zones offer protection for residents by making it a criminal offence for uninvited traders to...

Budding weather forecasters have been busy in the Gwendraeth Valley as part of their drive to tackle environmental issues. Measuring temperature, patterns, wind speed and direction, air pressure and rainfall are all in a day’s work for Ponthenri schoolchildren. The weather station, funded Carmarthenshire Environment Partnership, is the latest in a line of ongoing projects the school has carried out as part of their Eco Schools green flag criteria. Other projects include a bug hotel, a path made out of logs, bird feeders, and a vegetable patch. Eight year old Courtney Hopkins is keen to promote the vegetable patch she helped create. She said: “Growing your own food is much healthier and we are also able to eat what we grow in our cookery sessions. I also enjoy recycling at home.” Carmarthenshire has the highest number of Platinum and Green Flag in schools in Wales under the Eco Schools programme, which is supported Carmarthenshire Community Challenge. Executive board member for T...

   A new luncheon club has been launched in the Gwendraeth.  ‘Hwyl, Bwyd a Bingo’ or Fun, Food and Bingo, is held weekly at the Llys Y Dderwen Sheltered Housing Scheme , Ponthenri.  The first lunch was held there last week, and now more local residents are being encouraged to join up. Sheltered Scheme Officer Angela Aubrey, said: “We hope the luncheon club will be a big hit. We have some fantastic volunteers who serve up a hot meal, and then we play bingo and have a chat. “It’s a great way for people to get together, and because we run it ourselves there is no eligibility criteria – you can just join up and come along. The club is for everyone living locally, not just the tenants of Llys Y Dderwen.” Carmarthenshire County Council operates several Sheltered Schemes across the county, which provide a mixture of self-contained bungalows and flats for tenants aged over 60. Each scheme benefits from a communal area where tenants can enjoy shared meals and entertain...