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

Carmarthenshire Council has distributed more than £21,000 to help sport clubs across the county. Some 18 clubs have benefited from Community Chest grant funding after applying through the sport and leisure team. The bulk of the money will be spent on developing junior and youth sections, improving and increasing the level of coaches, as well as training courses including first aid, umpiring and refereeing. Equipment such as mats, training bibs, balls, tennis nets, posts, first aid kits will also be purchased from the money. Community Chest is funded by Sport Wales and distributed via the council’s sport and leisure section. The closing date for the next round of funding is November 18. Youth clubs/groups, sports clubs/organisations and non-sporting organisations with an interest to provide physical activity (eg community hall associations, community councils) can apply for up to £1,500. The council’s executive board member, Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “This continued investment helps cl...

Carmarthenshire Council has distributed nearly £17,000 to sport clubs across the county. Some 14 clubs have benefited from Community Chest grant funding after applying through the sport and leisure team. Whitland Ladies RFC, Llanelli Olympic Wrestling Club, Mini Merlins Netball Club, Welsh Racing Drivers Association, Llanelli Cricket Club, Dinefwr Archers, Kidwelly Bowls Club, Ammanford Netball Club, Calsonic Kansei Swiss Valley AFC, Towy Riders Cycling Club, Ammanford Cricket Club girls and boys section, Llanelli Steelers Basketball, Sauterelle Trampoline Club and Llangennech Cricket Club all secured cash. The bulk of the money will be spent on developing junior and youth sections, improving and increasing the level of coaches, as well as training courses including first aid, umpiring and refereeing. Equipment such as cricket gloves, netballs, batting pads and mitts, wickets, coaching mats, windballs, bowls, netball whistles and first aid is planned. Community Chest is funded by Spo...

Nearly £35,000 has been awarded to sport clubs in Llanelli since last April. Many clubs have benefited from the Sport Wales Community Chest grants including Llanelli Steelers Basketball, Sosban Riders, Llanelli Gymnastics, Llanelli Blues Netball, Zanshin Judo, Llanelli Inline Roller Hockey Club, Trostre Boxing Cub, Trostre FC, Llanelli Wrestling and many more. The funds are administered locally by Carmarthenshire County Council’s leisure team who are developing a successful Active Communities campaign county wide. Much of the cash has helped to set up clubs, develop teams, increase coaches, introducing new age groups and purchasing vital equipment. A total of £107, 436 has been ploughed into sporting organisations across Carmarthenshire in the 12 months, with £111,000 available this year. The council’s executive board member for regeneration and leisure, Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “ These grants are aimed to provide funding towards activities in the county that encourage more people to...

An information pack has been put together so that sporting organisations and town and community councils and have a greater understanding of the options for Carmarthenshire’s sporting assets. The county council is seeking to ‘gift’ sporting pitches, parks and playgrounds to communities so that they can be locally-managed and developed with grant funding. Such a move would protect facilities and give local people more control, whilst helping address the inequality over sporting assets where some look after themselves and others rely on the council to subsidise their costs. Currently, the council maintains fewer than 60 sporting clubs at an annual cost of around £341,000, and is only able to bring in £77,000 from charges – leaving a £264,000 deficit that it can no longer afford to subsidise. The pack fully explains the council’s position, and provides detailed information about the steps community councils and organisations can take to protect the facilities they use, as well as answe...

Carmarthenshire Council Press release -  More sports clubs and organisations in Carmarthenshire are being asked to take charge of their futures as most already do in the county. Meetings have been held over the last year throughout the county to explain to the sporting fraternity that there is a great imbalance in the county where 70 clubs or organisations are already maintaining their own facilities. Fewer than 60 have their facilities maintained by the authority but at a subsidy of more than a quarter of a million pounds. Currently the council subsidises some clubs to the tune of £264,000 per annum with costs of about £341,000 being offset by an income of only £77,000. The three-year sports facilities realignment programme will ensure than all sporting organisations across the county are treated equally helping to wipe out this council deficit. Council leader Cllr Kevin Madge said: “Our aim is to provide a level and stable playing field for the continued health and growth of a...