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

Students from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) are about to embark on an innovative project looking at how new technology can help the heritage sector in Carmarthenshire. The project will look at the latest digital interpretation technology and will help create a new product aimed at encouraging heritage tourism in Carmarthenshire and increasing the footfall of heritage sites within the county. Led by UWTSD, the project will bring together a number of students from a wide range of courses currently studying at its Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea campuses to work alongside professionals from the digital sector to create a bespoke new product. The type of technology used and the nature of the content will be driven directly by the needs of Carmarthenshire’s heritage organisations. In order to ensure that the digital solution is tailored to answer the demands of the county’s heritage sector, the project team is encouraging as many people from Carmarthenshire’s herit...

The first phase of the £5 million Carmarthen West Link Road has been completed with the opening of the new Jobswell Road junction. The road, which will connect the A40 at Travellers Rest with College Road in Johnstown, is under construction by Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd, on behalf of the council. It will improve access to key employment sites at St David’s Park, the University of Wales Trinity St David and Coleg Sir Gâr, and serve the new S4C headquarters Yr Egin; as well as open up land for new homes and a primary school. A major milestone is the completion of the new junction on Jobswell Road featuring MOVA (Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation) technology traffic signals. This means the signals are more responsive to traffic conditions helping to disperse queues and keep traffic flowing, particularly during peak times. The completion of these works also coincides with planning consent being granted to the University of Wales Trinity St David for the Canolfan S4C Yr Egi...

The Rotary Club of Lampeter is celebrating its 46th Charter Night on Friday May 27th 2016 in the Lloyd Thomas Refectory, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, with a celebratory three course meal in aid of the President's chosen charity, Action Medical Research. The evening will include a presentation from Charlotte Bailey, an Action speaker ambassador, who is an inspirational young student from South Wales about to study medicine. There will also be a raffle with some very generous prizes. The cost will be £27.50 and a bar will also be available. The menu is as follows: Starters Tomatoes and Roasted Pepper Soup or Brie, Walnut and Beetroot Tart Main course Steamed salmon fillet with sauté leeks and hollandaise sauce or Braised Welsh steak in a bourguignon sauce and creamed Dessert Creme Brûlée or Treacle and Ginger pudding with ice cream followed by tea or coffee with mints Please reply to Bill Fillery, President of Lampeter Rotary, at fillerybill@gmail.com ,...

This year’s Beacon Bursary has been launched in the Graig Campus of Coleg Sir Gar. The Beacon Bursary is a business start-up competition run by Carmarthenshire County Council in partnership with Coleg Sir Gar and University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Budding entrepreneurs and newly established businesses can win up to £3,000 financial support, up to a year’s free office space in The Beacon Centre for Enterprise in Dafen, Llanelli and support from business mentors. The Bursary is open to people living or studying in Carmarthenshire. At the launch, Barry Liles, Principal of Coleg Sir Gar addressed the audience, highlighting the importance new businesses and entrepreneurship to the local economy. Expressions of interest for this years’ competition must be submitted by the April 15. More information and expression of interest forms can be had from Barry Hale bhale@carmarthsnhire.gov.uk or Angharad Harding RAHarding@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Llanelli company Rapid IT Group Ltd has gone from strength to strength after winning last years’ Beacon Bursary,. The company is located in The Beacon Centre for Enterprise in Dafen as part of its award of the Bursary. This support has allowed the business to establish itself securely in the marketplace. Rapid IT offers a variety of specialist IT and Telephony services including infrastructure monitoring, network installations, IP telephony installations, licensing and managed IT Services. It has also successfully designed and built an ‘early warning’ system that detects when a system’s performance falls beneath its threshold and in the last seconds before failure its technology can intercept the fault before it occurs and reduce the business impact of a system failure. Commercial Director of Rapid IT John Hennah, who is currently finishing his final year at the University of Wales Trinity St. David, stated: “We are an ambitious and customer focused company and due to the demand for...

The University of Wales Trinity St David will be playing a prominent part in the Carmarthenshire Eisteddfod staged at Festival Fields in Llanelli. The university team will be manning a stall on The Maes in Llanelli. You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the University’s plans for the future and to discover the wealth of courses and provision on offer. Events include - Monday August 4 · From the West to the West End - Deiniol Wyn Rees and Llinos Thomas, former BA Theatr, Music and Media students – 11.00am & 2.00pm · ‘Cofio Roy Davies’ / ‘Remembering Roy Davies’ in the company of Carmarthen Poetry School – 3.00pm · Launch of Professor Densil Morgan’s book on Thomas Charles from Bala - 4.00pm · Course Finder Collector (Treasure hunt) – throughout the day Tuesday August 5 · Sioned Bessent, Cara Betty, Elin Hughes & Llio Wyn Jones, former BA Performance student – 10.00am & 4.00pm · Iwan Bala presents 'Creuriau o Eir...

Carmarthenshire is celebrating the good news that the University of Wales Trinity Saint David has been successful in its bid to bring S4C to Carmarthen. County Council Leader Cllr Kevin Madge said it was great news for the town, and for the area as a whole. The bid, led by UWTSD, was for a purpose built complex opposite the campus in College Road in Carmarthen called Yr Egin , which is expected to be up and running by 2018. Cllr Madge said: “Trinity put forward a very strong case for S4C to make its new home in Carmarthen and we are delighted that they have been successful. “I would like to pay tribute to Dr Medwin Hughes who has done outstanding work on this, he deserves special praise for securing this investment.” “The move will mean the creation of around 150 jobs and is a real boost to the local economy. “It is also a major boost for the Welsh language , providing good quality job opportunities for Welsh speakers. “We are delighted with this outcome which will provide a cataly...

Young would-be entrepreneurs in Carmarthenshire will be put through their paces at a bootcamp to prepare them for the challenges of the Beacon Bursary competition. The demand for the Beacon Bursary Bootcamp, organised by Carmarthenshire County Council and Coleg Sir Gar, has been so great that it will have to be held across two venues to accommodate everyone. Bootcamps will be held simultaneously at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, and the new Learning and Teaching Block at Trinity St David’s Carmarthen Campus on Saturday and Sunday February 22 and 23. The aim of the bootcamp is to provide young people a taster on how to set up in business. There will be varied workshops from different key speakers, varying from the bank to local entrepreneurs. Kerry Matthews of Coleg Sir Gar said: “Due to the incredible demand that we have had from students eager to come and find out about what it takes to run your own business, there will now be two Bootcamps taking place simultaneously. “The Parc-y-Scarl...

Social entrepreneur Kevin Green was one of the keynote speakers at a major business conference in Carmarthen. The Burry Port businessman said he was delighted to get the opportunity to champion the business opportunities in Wales - and West Wales, in particular. The event was Spotlight West Wales 2013 and it was held at the Halliwell Centre at the University of Wales Trinity St David in Carmarthen. Spotlight West Wales was a one-day event designed to focus on the region’s achievements, identify new opportunities and offer a range of ways to boost business. This year’s theme was Creating Opportunities and the event was based on the highly successful Spotlight North Wales and Spotlight Mid Wales conferences. The aim of the day was to inspire, educate and bring businesses and organisations together to form positive working relationships in order to grow and prosper. The Welsh Government was the main sponsor and the event was made possible as a result of positive collaboration between...

Aberystwyth University, Hywel Dda Health Board and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David are proud to announce the appointment of Mr Manoj Kulshrestha as Wales’ first Reader in Rural Health and Community Wellbeing. The position recognises the unique opportunity available to the NHS and local universities in West Wales to work strategically in partnership and redefine how policies and services can improve the health and wellbeing of those living in rural communities. Mr Kulshrestha, a prominent Consultant Ophthalmologist based at Bronglais Hospital and North Road Surgery in Aberystwyth, will take up the role on 1 May 2013 for an initial 12 month period. Appointed jointly by Aberystwyth University and University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Mr Kulshrestha will also work in close partnership with the Health Board to provide policy and service advice and through securing research grants and funding, to create a self-sustaining, supporting research infrastructure for the post. Mr K...

Work is progressing well on the Lampeter campus of the University of Wales Trinity St David. South Wales architects the Lewis Partnership are helping to bring one of the most historic university sites in Wales bang up-to-date with a major makeover. The £800,000 project is in the hands of WRW Construction, with all the design work carried out by the Llanelli-based Lewis Partnership. See the earlier post for more information - http://www.lewispartnership.co.uk/lewis-partnership-helps-university-makeover/ The photos here illustrate just some of the works going on at the site. Work progressing at the Lampeter campus of the University of Wales Trinity St David Weblinks – http://www.trinitysaintdavid.ac.uk http://www.wrw.co.uk On Facebook, search ‘Lewis Partnership Ltd.’ On Twitter, look for @Lewis_Architect

Petitions Committee open-mic meeting in Carmarthen The National Assembly for Wales’s Petitions Committee will hold a formal meeting at Trinity College, Carmarthen on Tuesday, 28 February. The Committee, chaired by William Powell AM, will consider new petitions and updates on current petitions before holding an open-mic session for people wanting to contribute evidence on the subject of noise nuisance from wind farms in the Carmarthenshire area. The ‘control of noise nuisance from wind farms’ petition states: “We call upon the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to pass a statute controlling the noise nuisance from wind turbines during anti-social hours. We ask for the implementation of respite periods during which time turbines would be switched off.” The National Assembly for Wales bus will also be on hand to gather further evidence from anyone who wishes to express a view on the subject.

South Wales architects the Lewis Partnership are helping to bring one of the most historic university sites in Wales bang up-to-date with a major makeover. The Lampeter campus of the University of Wales Trinity St David contains a mixture of historic buildings and more contemporary structures which need renovation. “Even the biggest fan of the Lampeter university campus would have to admit that some of the more modern buildings on site have been in need of a makeover, “said Philip Lewis, managing director of the Lewis Partnership Ltd, of Llanelli. “There has been an university on the Lampeter site since the early part of the 19th century, so we considered ourselves very privileged to help bring a new, modern and vibrant look to buildings which were looking a little sad.” The £800,000 project is in the hands of WRW Construction, with all the design work carried out by the Llanelli-based Lewis Partnership. “It’s been challenging and interesting project for us as architects and ...

A conference on sustainable development in Wales has been organised by the Institute of Welsh Affairs in association with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The conference is called 'Wales’ Central Organising Principle Legislating for Sustainable Development' and is being held on Friday 27th January 2012 at 9.00am - 4.00pm at the Halliwell Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen. Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones has set out his Government's commitment not only to have sustainable development as its central organising principal but also to enact this through primary legislation. A Sustainable Development Green Paper will appear next May, followed by a White Paper in the autumn of 2012. This will be the first piece of primary legislation dedicated to sustainable development in the United Kingdom and has the potential to be a world leader. This conference addresses what the proposals should contain, how they should be implemented ...

Residents in Carmarthenshire are being asked to take a step for Fairtrade and help get a better deal for farmers and their families in the developing world. The Carmarthenshire Fairtrade Group is next meeting at Trinity St David University in Carmarthen on Thursday, December 8 at 1pm and residents are being invited to go along and get involved. Carmarthenshire was awarded Fairtrade status in June 2009 and the Carmarthenshire Fairtrade Group is working to raise the awareness and availability of Fairtrade across the county. Llanelli, Ammanford, Carmarthen and Newcastle Emlyn now have their own Fairtrade groups and four of the county's schools have achieved Fairtrade status - Ysgol Dyffryn Taf in Whitland, Laugharne VCP School, Ysgol Gynradd Llanddarog and Ysgol Iau Llangennech, with many more working towards it. Carmarthenshire County Council has a corporate sustainable procurement policy which includes a strong commitment to purchasing ethical and Fairtrade goods. Sustainability Cha...

Two teams of enterprising school pupils have won the Dragon's Den Business Competition organised by Carmarthenshire County Council. The competition involved teams of youngsters taking on business projects and presenting the results. The Final was held at Llwyfan, Trinity St David's, with the finalists arriving and presenting their business ideas before final judging and the announcement of the winners. There were two winners, the Photogenic team from Ysgol Bro Myrddin, and Cwpan y Gwyl from Maesyryrfa School. Photogenic were taking photographs at sporting events and selling them while Cwpan y Gwyl produced a cup out of rubber so that it can be recycled and to avoid a plastic texture. It is designed for use at festivals. Carmarthenshire County Council Business Development Officer Angharad Harding said: "The prize for the teams is a £300 investment to develop the business. I will be meeting them to help them develop their business ideas."

University of Wales abolished after visa scandal - Telegraph I'm finding it hard to get my head around what's gone on here with the University of Wales abolished and another 'University of Wales' taking its place. But perhaps ths helps - The University of Wales (UoW) will cease to exist after mounting pressure to draw a line under a series of damaging revelations. Its chairman Hugh Thomas resigned on Friday. The university was a federation of institutions across the Principality, and its constituent parts will now go their separate ways. Two - Newport and Glyndwr, in Wrexham - will become independent universities, while Swansea Metropolitan will merge with Trinity St David, based in Lampeter and Carmarthen.

Off to the University of Wales Trinity St David at Lampeter to give a two-hour lecture/workshop to students. This should be fun!

The spotlight was put on the latest developments in the world of business at a special seminar staged in Carmarthen. The event was organised by Clay Shaw Butler, chartered accountants and business consultants of Carmarthen and Porthcawl. “There was an excellent turnout, with a range of different business represented and the topics covered were very informative,” said Clay Shaw Butler consultant Ann Thomas. One section of the seminar focussed on the latest changes to the Sage accounting software, a package which provides valuable support to many businesses. Ann said: “We talked about the features of the new Sage upgrade released last month. The release makes many of the routine tasks easier and quicker to do while adding useful new features to improve the effectiveness of the software. “Installation of the software has been made a lot easier with hardware checks and registration now being part and parcel of the quick set up. This includes networking your Sage onto more than one PC if yo...

There’s a chance to catch up on the latest developments in the world of business at a special seminar being staged in Carmarthen tomorrow (Wednesday). It’s being organised by Clay Shaw Butler, chartered accountants and business consultants of Carmarthen and Porthcawl. “It’s an afternoon seminar with something of interest for everyone – and you get a great chance to do some useful networking,” said Clay Shaw Butler consultant Ann Thomas. The seminar is on Wednesday, September 28, and runs from 2pm to 4.30pm at the Cothi Suite at the Halliwell Centre at the University of Wales Trinity St David in Carmarthen. There are a limited number of places available at the seminar – but, if you are interested, you can contact Clay Shaw Butler at – email, info@clayshawbutler.com, telephone, 01267 228500; address, 24 Lammas Street, Carmarthen SA31 3AL. Ann Thomas and Clay Shaw Butler relationship accountant Sarah Wynne will be staging a demonstration of the Sage accounting software package and talking...