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

Schoolgirls Lia Davies and Lucy Johnson will see their winning festive designs lighting up Llanelli town centre. Every year – as part of the Christmas celebrations - a competition is held in local primary schools to design Christmas lights. Lucy, aged seven, from Ysgol Y Felin, won the infants category with her Christmas Angel, and Lia, from Ysgol Ffwrnes, wrapped up the junior category with her Christmas present design. The competition was held back in the summer, and the winners chosen, so there was enough time for the lights to be manufactured. The pair were invited along to see the lights going up as part of the festive decorations throughout the town centre. Lucy’s mum Clare said: “She has been super excited about it. Ever since she heard she had won, she hasn’t stopped talking about it.” Both girls will also be invited onto the main stage in Spring Gardens on carnival night - Friday, November, 18 - to help switch on the lights with Heart FM’s Jason Harrold and the town’s civic ...

Llanelli’s Ysgol Ffwrnes  (Furnace School) has won a major construction industry award. Led and developed by Carmarthenshire County Council’s in-house design and projects team, and built by WRW Construction Ltd , the school was named the best sustainable building in Wales and highly commended in the building of the year category at the 2015 Construction Excellence Wales awards. It will now go forward to the UK finals, which will be held in London later this year. The joint submission by WRW and the council highlighted the school’s eco features, as well as the sustainable methods used in its design and construction. Cllr Hazel Evans, Executive Board Member for Environment, said: “Winning this award proves that Ysgol Ffwrnes is one of the best in Wales. We are very pleased that it has been recognised by construction industry leaders, although our most valued feedback is from staff and pupils who use the building daily – and they think it’s fantastic too.” The Welsh medium school,...

Carmarthenshire County Council is celebrating being shortlisted for three categories in the 2015  Construction Excellence Wales awards. Llanelli’s new Ysgol Ffwrnes, built by WRW Ltd on behalf of the council, is up for its first award since opening earlier this year. It has been shortlisted in the Sustainability Award – Our Legacy, and Project of the Year categories with the submission, written by the WRW team, highlighting its environmentally-friendly design features and modern teaching spaces. And Shane Evans, a 27-year-old property design technician, has been shortlisted for the Young Achiever award. Shane joined the authority as a building cadet in 2011 having completed a shared apprenticeship with  Carmarthenshire Construction Training Association Ltd , and has recently gained a permanent position within the Property Services design team. Shane suffers with the debilitating condition cystic fibrosis, but has battled through illness to qualify as a carpenter and quickl...

“It's awesome!”...that’s the view of pupils at Llanelli’s latest new school. Ysgol Ffwrnes threw open its doors to pupils for the first time today, months ahead of schedule. The £14.6million primary school has been built as part of Carmarthenshire County Council’s Modernising Education Programme , and headteacher Catherine Lloyd Jenkins was the first to welcome pupils for their first day at the new school this morning. For many, it was the first time they’d laid eyes on it, whilst several older pupils - who have been involved in the design and build stages – were pleased to see the project complete. “There’s been a lot of excitement, but we’re settling in very well,” said Mrs Lloyd Jenkins. The excitement of the day was summed up by year four pupils Austin Jones, Ifan Wheeler and Rowan Morris. Austin, aged nine, said: “It’s nice – I love the smell of it! And the carpets are really colourful.” Comparing it to his old school, which has now been decommissioned, Ifan, eight, s...

A group of Llanelli school children have been treated to a taste of Africa at their local library. The reception class at Ysgol Ffwrnes enjoyed an interactive Handa’s surprise story session at Llanelli children’s library this week. Upon their arrival pupils were greeted by the sounds of African music. To help them get into character the children wore masks and during the story joined in by acting out parts of the book. From the library the children made a detour via a local supermarket to purchase some of the fruits mentioned in the story to make fruit kebabs back at school. Children’s Librarian, Catrin Simon, said:“As well as being an engaging story with lovely illustrations, Handa’s Surprise - or Syrpreis Handa in Welsh - helps children discover another culture through its setting and the wild animals and food it introduces.” Carmarthenshire Libraries host many events throughout the year, make sure you don’t miss out by following them on Facebook or Twitter alternatively call 01...

Llanelli’sYsgol Ffwrnes (Furnace School) is on track to become the first Welsh primary school to achieve an ‘outstanding’ BREEAM rating – the highest possible environmental rating for a building. Currently under construction, the school has already received an outstanding rating at design stage from the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method, which is recognised as the standard for best practice in sustainable building design. The building will be assessed again one year after completion – due January 2015 - and if it continues to achieve BREEAM outstanding it will be ranked in the top three most environmentally-friendly primary schools in the UK. The 472-pupil nursery and primary school is also set to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A+, which means, when in use, it will have a carbon footprint of zero. The Welsh-medium school is being delivered by Carmarthenshire County Council, in partnership with Llanelli-based contractor WRW L...