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

Carmarthenshire schoolchildren are playing their part in history by naming the first council-built bungalows since the 1980s. Pupils at Llanelli’s Copperworks School and Ysgol Gwenllian and Ysgol Y Castell in Kidwelly, have been asked to come up with Welsh names for the bungalows which capture the essence of their surroundings. The £1.5million first phase includes five at Llys Newydd, Seaside, and seven at Morfa Maen, Kidwelly. Executive Board Member for Housing, Cllr Tegwen Devichand, said: “We’ve set the children a tough task, but in years to come they will be able to tell their own children that they played their part in the development of the bungalows. “We’re excited to see work progressing well, and look forward to welcoming the first tenants soon.” The bungalows will provide more suitable accommodation for older people and help relieve the demand for disabled home adaptations. They will also allow smaller households to downsize, freeing up larger accommodation for families....

A Gwendraeth Valley school is raising awareness on the amount of good food that is needlessly thrown in the bin. Ysgol Y Castell in Kidwelly has been carrying out a project on food waste as part of its work under the Eco Schools programme. Figures show that in Wales we throw away a staggering 410,000 tonnes of food and drink each year. Not only is it bad for the environment but it is bad for the pocket too. In a normal week, a family of four throws away around £12 worth of perfectly good food that could have been eaten. With support from Carmarthenshire County Council and as part of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, staff and pupils at Ysgol Y Castell have been looking at how they can reduce their food waste both in school and at home. Children school were shocked to hear how much food is bought and then wasted. They decided to write letters to send home to parents with tips on what they could do to reduce their food waste including the importance of carefully planning shopping a...

Children in Kidwelly have been congratulated on their eco success.  The council’s Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Philip Hughes paid a special visit to Ysgol Y Castell because he was so impressed with what had been achieved under the Eco-Schools programme. The school was recently awarded the Platinum award - the equivalent to four Green Flags - the highest accolade possible. Cllr Hughes went along to speak to members of the school’s eco committee to hear first hand what they had done to become more environmentally-friendly. It included projects on waste, energy, water, transport, and healthy living. He said: “I am very impressed with all the hard work being carried out by the pupils and staff at Ysgol Y Castell to reduce their waste and improve their energy efficiency. They really are an example to us all and thoroughly deserve this award.” The children have carried out litter-picks; water hogs have been installed in toilets; they recycle as much of their rubbish a...

Menter Cwm Gwendraeth will be running two summer play clubs in Ysgol Cross Hands and Ysgol y Castell, Kidwelly, starting on July 25. The clubs will offer a safe place for children to have fun during the summer holidays and will be a big help for working parents as well as giving children the chance to make new friends. There will be exciting and fun activities including arts and crafts, cooking, games and dance. The clubs are open to children across the county and are run bilingually. The hours of the Cross Hands Club are 8.30am-5.30pm, five days a week, with the last session on August 19, and Clwb y Castell’s hours are 9am-5pm, four days a week, with the last session on August 18. The fee £12.50 a child a day and they should bring a lunch pack. For more details, contact Meinir or Nerys in the Menter Cwm Gwendraeth office on 01269 871600.

Carmarthenshire planners have granted permission for security fencing at Ysgol y Castell in Kidwelly. The county planning committee approved an application by the local education authority for 2.4m high weld mesh fencing and gateways for the school in Priory Street.

Eco-friendly schoolchildren in Kidwelly are doing their bit to clean up the town for both residents and visitors. Pupils from Ysgol Y Castell have been carrying out litter-picks and encouraging residents to help keep the town clean. Members of the school’s eco-council have been looking at the number of litter bins in the town and were pleased to see the council had installed a new recycling litter bin on the square. The new-style bin has two separate sections – one for general litter and the other for paper, cans and plastic bottles making it easier for recycling and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. Ysgol Y Castell is committed to looking after the environment and tackling climate change. It has won the Green Flag three times under the Eco Schools programme and is now working towards achieving the Platinum Award. Pupils study topics including litter, biodiversity, water, energy, waste, transport, healthy living and global citizenship. Headteacher Jan Wareham said: “Looki...