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

Bwcabus is working in partnership with health organisations in the Teifi Valley to give patients access to the care they need. Living in rural and sometimes remote areas of Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, many patients struggle to attend appointments. But unlike traditional bus services; Bwcabus is flexible, more widely available, and journeys can be pre-booked to meet people’s needs when attending appointments. Philip Bower, from Llandyfriog, regularly uses the service to attend his surgery in Adpar. He said: “Bwcabus helps me enormously as I don’t drive. Without the service I would have to walk along a busy road with no pavement or even ask neighbours. Bwcabus gives me my independence and I can depend on it being there. “I have also used Bwcabus a number of times to visit a relation in Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth and have myself attended hospital appointments in Cardigan and Carmarthen using Bwcabus to connect with the Cardigan to Carmarthen 460 service. I find the service in...

Age Cymru Sir Gâr are hosting 'Scams Awareness' events in the Teifi Valley centre in the grounds of Maes Llewellyn residential home, Church Lane, Newcastle Emlyn, lasting from 10.30am - 12noon on the following dates - Tuesday 25 February 2014 Tuesday 24 June 2014 Tuesday 30 September 2014 This event is open to people from Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire and is supported by the Newcastle Emlyn police force and is funded by the PCC. Our website link http://www.ageuk.org.uk/cymru/sirgar/activities-and-events/ The contact e-mail address for the person organising the event is b.davies@agecymrusirgar.org.uk Our telephone number is 01554 784080 Refreshments are available. We are all susceptible to falling for a scam or from being the victim of a theft. Learn what kinds of scams operate in your area and how to avoid them. The scams awareness session will give good practical advice on how to avoid scams and thefts of oil. Promotion of this event will help u...

The soar away success that is Bwcabus has been extended even further afield assisting jobseekers and those seeking health care. The revolutionary rural transport system has attracted additional European Regional Development Fund and Welsh Government funding enabling the service to run to North West Carmarthenshire and into Ceredigion. Carmarthenshire Council has secured a total of £2.95 million pounds of external funding to help develop the Bwcabus concept and provide a sustainable public transport system in the long term. This flagship integrated transport service, which has received national acclaim, has expanded operations to Lampeter, Llanybydder, Felinfach and Llangeithio. The service has been providing on-demand transport for people living in rural parts of the Teifi Valley since its launch in August 2009. It is run in partnership by Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion County Councils, Traveline Cymru and the University of Glamorgan. Bwcabus aims to improve access to key services fo...

A new day club which launched in the Teifi Valley just a few weeks ago is already thriving. The Newcastle Emlyn club is one of many newly established in Carmarthenshire since the local authority gave independent and voluntary groups the chance to run their own services. Situated near to the Maes Llewellyn Care Home, Church Lane, the club is run by Age Concerns Ceredigion and Sir Gâr, and replaces a club previously run by the council. Members meet every Tuesday and Thursday and have the opportunity to enjoy a hot meal, entertainment and new experiences, including Nordic walking and computer taster sessions. A nail cutting clinic has just been introduced, and volunteers are also applying for funding for three laptops to create a computer café, where one-to-one training will be offered. After just a few sessions, the membership has increased to 21. Gwyneth Jones, of Age Concern Ceredigion, said: “The club operates in partnership with Age Concern Sir Gâr and offers volunteer opportunities,...

Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion councils have teamed up for a ‘Food for Thought’ event in the Teifi Valley. It is being held at the Pwerdy Powerhouse, Community and Arts Centre, Pontweli, on Tuesday, October 19, from 11am to 2pm. Officers will be on hand to give residents information on food recycling collections in their area as well as give advice on how they can reduce their food waste. Local chef Hazel Thomas will also be giving cooking demonstrations with recipes for using up leftovers. Figures show that in the UK we throw away 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink every year. Not only is it harmful to the environment but it is means we are wasting a total of £12 billion on food and drink every year – that’s £480 per household per year or £50 a month. Council waste minimisation/recycling officer Karen McNeil said: “It is important we reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill - even if householders do not have that much food waste - as it generates methane, a powerful greenho...

Older Carmarthenshire residents are being introduced to the digital revolution, thanks to a cash windfall. A £20,580 project is underway to bring the latest technology to rural communities in the Teifi Valley. Wireless computers are being connected at village hubs to help people who have never used the internet, web-cam or e-mail. The aim is to ensure residents, particularly older people can access up-to-date communication tools and break down the barriers to modern technology. Menter Gorllewin Sir Gar has just received grant funding through the County Council’s ‘Access to services’ grant which is part funded from the Rural Development Plan for Wales. The bid was supported by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Local Action Group, and is part of a multi-million pound package of schemes in the area to have received cash aid. Under the scheme computers have been installed at Llanllwni Community Church Hall and Newcastle Emlyn Trinity Church Hall, providing an I.T. base for residents in the ...

Residents of north Carmarthenshire will soon benefit from a new community transport service being launched in the county. Bws Ni will provide pre-planned transport for community groups in the north Teifi Valley area to help them access services and to complement existing public transport links. It will be the first community transport initiative of its kind in rural Carmarthenshire, and will benefit almost 90 community groups by offering reduced transport rates. Funding for the minibus has been approved by Carmarthenshire County Council under the Rural Development Plan (RDP). The service will be run by the Teifi Community Transport Association, and groups will have a central booking number. It will be supported by Carmarthenshire County Council, the Community Transport Association, Pembrokeshire’s Preseli Rural Transport Association and the Carmarthenshire Association for Voluntary Services. Craig Thomas, Carmarthenshire County Council community regeneration officer, said: “This...