West Wales Sports Aid lunch a great success story

Rugby ace Glen Webbe, widely acknowledged as the first black man to be capped by Wales, was the guest speaker at the spring Cymru/Wales Sports Aid lunch in Carmarthen.

Webbe, 62, made 10 appearances on the wing for Wales during the 1980s.

He used his platform at the Sports Aid lunch to give a first-hand account of racism in sport. He received a standing ovation from an audience of nearly 200 at the Ivy Bush Royal Hotel in Spilman Street.

The lunch also featured a speech about the work of Sports Aid in Wales by regional secretary Jayne Morgans.

The guest comedian was Paul Fielding, from Porthcawl, the compere was Richard Gealy, vice-president of Sports Aid in Wales, and a charity auction was conducted by Andrew Morgan.

Other notable celebrities present included the actor Julian Lewis Jones.

The lunch was organised by the west Wales committee of Sports Aid.

Currently, the west Wales committee raise £14,000 a year to support the future of young Welsh Sporting talent. Over the last 30 years, the committee has raised more than £435,000.

West Wales grant recipients for 2024 include –

Athletics

Darcy Coslett, Iwan Thomas, Lucy Harris, Matilda Quick, William Jac Sheehan.

Gymnastics

Imogen Coslett.

Hockey

Ned Reese-Wigmore.

Paralympics (100m and long jump)

Tommy Robert Jones.

Ice skating

Connor Furness.

Swimming

Saskia Webb.

Tennis

Leo Weston, Isabella Morgan, Rundong Huan.

Triathlon

Ifan Bowen.

Weightlifting

Grace Morris, Everlyn Thomas.

Windsurfing

Elliot Barton, Taylor Shelmerdine, Poppy Owen, Indi Lynch, Josie Hawke, Arthur Buick, Katie David.

Main photo outside the Ivy Bush –

Chief guest Glen Webbe and comedian Paul Fielding, pictured with representatives of the west Wales committee of Sports Aid, including Dave Butler, Richard Gealy, Rhodri Morgan, Dewi Jones, Huw Jones, Sean Boucher, Felicity Morgan-Jones and Kevin McCarthy.