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

Tenants at Maengwynne in Furnace, Llanelli, have held their first family fun day as part of a new campaign to revive community spirit on the estate. Neighbours have got together to form an action group called Maengwynne 4 Change, with the aim of pulling the community together and restoring a good reputation in the area. The fun day went down a treat, with families and children of all ages coming out to play. They were joined by stall holders, including the Fire Service’s community safety team and the local  neighbourhood police team . They have been supported in their efforts by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Community Engagement Team , part of housing services. They are now in the process of applying for funding to revitalise the area, with ideas in the pipeline for a play area, a community notice board and regular events. Neighbours have also been working with Spice to train as Street Buddies so they can help each other in times of need, and are earning time credits for eve...

There are plenty of reasons to bring your family to Llanelli this summer. Carmarthenshire’s Communities First team have got loads of free family activities designed to inspire imaginations and help you discover your inner child and learn a new skills. On Thursday, August 28, Trimsaran Leisure Centre plays host to a community day between 10.30am and 4.30pm. Activities will include arts and crafts, knitting and crocheting workshop, as well as DJ and graffiti workshop and sports taster sessions including rugby, kick boxing and self defence. There will also be a visit at noon from the fire service. Communities First Volunteer Support Worker, Amber Williams, said: “There’ll be lots of activities for children of all ages. We were overwhelmed by how many people joined us last year, and we hope this year will be better than ever.” The Welsh Government funds support for the Communities First programme through the Communities First Support Network and other support organisations. The C...

Unearthing the past and digging up the family secrets is rapidly becoming one of the nation’s favourite pastimes. People who are itching to find out what their ancestors were like and where they came from can get help at Carmarthenshire County Archives. The archive service can help bring family stories to life, and with advances in online technology the process has become much easier. A variety of original historical records are now available electronically including the census, parish registers, probate and wills records, electoral registers and their predecessors poll books, and some estate records, such as rentals. Executive board member for archives Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “Looking into their family history has become a really popular pastime for many people. “A number of TV shows have encouraged this interest and there have been some fascinating stories told. “Our archive service is available to help Carmarthenshire people find out more about their family history and see what a...

Llanelli Rotary Club members have launched a new 'Backpack Appeal' to make a difference to a child in Africa - Give your OLD backpack a NEW life. With the new school year upon us, we're asking for your help to make a difference to a child in Africa. The Backpack Project is being organised by the Mary's Meals charity. It appeals to schools, clubs, businesses, churches and individuals to fill backpacks with basic educational materials to send to children receiving Mary’s Meals. Most of the children who benefit from Mary’s Meals and the Backpack Project have suffered war, poverty, famine, or natural disaster. Very often families cannot afford to buy basic things like pencils and copy books, or even suitable clothes for their children to wear to school. And so their children miss out on school and an education. A simple backpack with educational materials can be a lifeline to these children as studies show that an education is the best way a chronically poor child can esc...

The Kidwelly Beer Festival is being held on Friday and Saturday, September 5 and 6, at the Princess Gwenllian Centre in Kidwelly. One of the organisers, Harvey Jones, has kindly sent me some information from the 'match programme' about the Cydweli 900 celebrations and beer in Kidwelly -  This section of the programme is to advertise Cydweli 900 and to give you some interesting facts about beer and in particular the history of beer in Cydweli. Cydweli 900 is about celebrating 900 years of our history, give or take a few years. There is disagreement about dates, but this may be due to drinking an excess of beer and can probably be best resolved over a beer! In any case in 2015 we will be celebrating. Watch out for events from concerts to a Farm Fun Day, sporting events, and surprise, surprise a BEER FESTIVAL, and we have our own celebration ale:- Cwrw Cydweli You will probably be enjoying Cwrw Cydweli as you are reading this. If not, stop reading. Go to the...

Schoolchildren are using the latest screen technology to get active. Rhydygors School has just taken delivery of 12 top of the range iPads thanks to funding secured by Carmarthenshire County Council’s sport and leisure team. The dozen tablets and docking station will offer pupils who don’t often have access to online technology at home a chance to keep fit and healthy through online applications programmes. The ‘apps’ make available structured physical activities which will allow the eight to 16 year-olds to map their runs, see how far they can go and how many calories they’ve burned. Pupils will also be able to log diet plans, choose their own workouts and interact with each other. Rhydygors PE and ICT teacher Ryan James said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the Ipads and to have such a facility available during our PE lessons and extracurricular activities. These tablets will enable the children to not only develop healthy lifestyles, but vital communication skills.” T...

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