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

Carmarthenshire Council press release -  Carmarthenshire residents are being encouraged to sign up to the county council’s social media services for instant updates on any disruptions. More people than ever like or follow Carmarthenshire County Council on Twitter and Facebook, and they are the first to know about weather warnings, gritting programmes, school closures, road hazards and disruptions to opening hours of council buildings or services. Followers also find out about events and have access to a range of handy tips to get them though the festive season. Cllr Pam Palmer, Executive Board Member for Customer Focus and Policy, said: “The instant nature of social media allows us to get information out to the public quicker than ever before. People who like us on Facebook , or follow @CarmsCouncil on Twitter, are the first to know about any disruptions. “The other great thing about social media is that it allows us to have a two-way conversation with residents – we are able to...

Dyfed-Powys Police Force press release -  A total of 18 officers and staff from Ceredigion have recently completed the ‘Intensive Entry and Foundation Level Course’ delivered by the Mid-Wales Centre for Welsh for Adults. The course, aimed at new learners of the language, was held at Cardigan police station for two days each month over six months, and has provided a strong basis of Welsh language ability to build upon in the future. It is a priority for us to be able to provide a service to our customers in their choice of language, therefore this is an important step towards achieving that in Ceredigion. A particular highlight for the students was the opportunity to meet with Welsh speakers from the local community and to practise their conversational skills, which demonstrated how much had been achieved over the past six months. Course tutor, Mr Richard Vale said: “Over the past six months, the team has worked really hard, and they can now all hold a good basic conversati...

Press release from the Hywel Dda Health Board - Hywel Dda Health Board is committed to working together with the third sector and our partner organisations to improve services for our patients. The Health Board has been able to better integrate its approach to the design and improvement of patient services through the collaborative efforts of the following initiatives shortlisted in the Joint Working with the Third Sector and Partner Organisations category of the Best of Health staff awards. These awards recognise and reward staff who go above and beyond their duty in their day-to-day work, as well as demonstrating innovation in improving practice. The finalists for the 2013 award are: Communicare – Improving Communication for People with Sensory Loss This community based group has been set up to implement the All Wales Standards for Accessible Information and Communication for people with sensory loss. Representatives from Hywel Dda Health Board, the third sector, patients and sign la...

Press release from the Hywel Dda Health Board -  Hywel Dda Health Board is committed to improving life expectancy and quality of life for our population. Projects which have helped the Health Board with its pledge to increase life expectancy by three years in the areas with the lowest life expectancy have been short listed for in the Improving Health and Wellbeing in the Best of Health Staff Awards. These awards recognise and reward staff who go above and beyond the call of duty in their day-to-day work, as well as demonstrating a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of others and addressing inequalities. The three finalists are: Hywel Dda Public Health Wales Team and Hywel Dda Health Board Communication Team Both these teams have carried out a number of initiatives to support individuals to promote healthy living. Working together in 2013, they launched a new bilingual online healthy living resource centre ‘Hywel’s House/Ty Hywel ( www.hywelddahb.wales.nhs.uk/hea...

It’s Festival Time for film-makers studying at Trinity University College, Carmarthen. Budding directors, writers, designers and film producers will be staging Myrddin Shorts, a mini film festival in Carmarthen, on the Sunday of the May Bank Holiday weekend. “Screenings will be in three separate venues in Carmarthen town centre,” said one of the film-makers Natalie Williams. “We have split ourselves into three groups of students and each one will be responsible for one venue. The idea is to mimic the London Film Festival. “It promises to be an entertaining day and I am sure people will appreciate the venues we have chosen and the variety of short films on show.” The films will be bold and innovative, tackling a whole range of topics. For example, Release is a psychological thriller, while From Echoes Past charts the story of a young, lost and confused boy who is convinced he was born in the wrong time. In Upgrade, a young man, unhappy with his monotonous life, apparently discovers that...

Carmarthen Town AFC will wrap up their season next Saturday (April 24) with a special offer for fans. The Welsh Premier League season ends with a home match against Cefn Druids (kick-off 2.30pm). As a special thank you to fans, they are inviting people to come along and pay whatever they feel like as an entrance fee. Normal entrance fees are £6 for adults; £4 concessions and £1 for accompanied children under 11. Club chairman Jeff Thomas said: “This is a gesture to the whole of Carmarthen and the surrounding areas. “We want to pack the ground and we are giving something back to the community by letting people come and watch us for the price they decide. “Whether they wish to pay £1 or £10 on the final Saturday, we just want them to come along and get behind the team.” Manager Deryn Brace said: “With a place in the “Super 12” for next season still up for grabs, the game is vital and the players will get a huge lift with a large crowd getting behind them.” The match will also be an oppor...