Aberystwyth University will once again show its support for Wales’ biggest youth festival next week as thousands of young people compete at theBrecon and Radnorshire Urdd National Eisteddfod.

For the third year running, the University is the sponsor of the sports arena at the Eisteddfod, which is being held at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Showground, Llanelwedd from May 28 until 2 June 2018.

The sports arena, which offers a full program of sessions that include cricket, tennis, rugby, hockey and football, is part of a long term initiative between the University and the Urdd to promote sports provision and develop new talent across Wales.

Eisteddfod goers will also be able to follow the latest Eisteddfod news on a large video wall near the Pavilion and on a large screen at the Urdd’s Cafe, thanks to the University’s support.

Competitors are also set to benefit. For the first time, on its stand which this year is in the South Glamorgan Pavilion, Aberystwyth University offers a professional piano and rehearsal space for individuals or groups who want some last minute preparation before they take to the stage.

There is no need to book in advance, but anyone wishing to reserve the rehearsal space in advance can do so by contacting Eurgain Haf Evans at ehe2@aber.ac.uk/ 07854373041.

And of course, there will be an opportunity to relax and watch some of the highlights of Eisteddfod week including the crowning and chairing ceremonies, live on the Unviersity’s stand throughout the week.

Dr Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Welsh Language, Culture and External Relations at Aberystwyth University said: “The Urdd Eisteddfod is a highlight in the calendar and we are really proud to have shown our support by sponsoring the field sports, the video wall and rehearsal space, thereby enriching the experience of eisteddfod goers, both visitors and competitors. We will also have students competing during the week, including Aelwyd Pantycelyn, and we wish them and the Eisteddfod every success.”

Weblink –

http://www.urdd.cymru/en/eisteddfod/20181/

Workmen have been busy bees at Sandy Water Park in Llanelli.

They’ve been busy creating a new habitat for bees, close to Pont d’Agen (the Agen footbridge and cycle crossing over Traeth Ffordd).

I’m no expert in the habits of bees, so the jury may be out on whether locating such a habitat close to the busy path and cycleway is a good idea . . .

But, for now, I think it’s worth parking any issues like that and commending what seems to be a good idea.

After the diggers moved in a few weeks ago, the site has been left to settle and it is now just some shallow banking and a gravel bed.

The sign says: ‘It may look a bit are at the moment, but in a few years we hope that this patch of ground will be full of wildflowers.

‘We’re creating an area similar to bare ground and sand dunes so that local wildflowers, which like low levels of competition from grasses, can thrive.

‘This will provide lots of food for pollinators such as bees.’

The project is being supported by Carmarthenshire Council, The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Welsh Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Bees have a massive role in nature by helping pollination.

Both commercial and wild bees have been in the news because of their decline in numbers.

The campaign group Avaaz has been working hard in recent months to ban the world’s most common insecticides, pressing the farming industry to develop a whole new model of non-toxic agriculture.

West Wales is regarded as an important place for bumblebees, with many rare and protected species.

You can find out more about Bee Wild West Wales on the following weblink –

Bee Wild West Wales

If you want to find out more about bees, then the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has all the answers –

https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/

The site of the habitat near Pont d-Agen.

A Google map of the habitat location. Look for BEES in blue in the bottom, middle.

Work is set to start on the new £2.6 million archive extension at the rear of Carmarthen library.

The development of the new, much needed, purpose built archives facility, Y Stordy, will help ensure the awaited return of the Carmarthenshire Archives collection to the county.

Contractors TRJ are set to start work at the site. It is hoped that the archives, designed by Acanthus Holden, will be open in Autumn 2019.

Once complete Y Stordy will contain the current archive collection with room for up to around 25 years new material.

From this week, as part of the construction work – which is expected to take one year – 75 spaces will be temporarily unavailable in St Peter’s car park.

Part of the works also involve the relocation of a lighting column and ticket machine in the carpark. Parking is available at the remaining town centre car parks and the Nant y Ci Park and Ride service continues to operate with stops at Blue Street, Spilman Street and the hospital.

The library, community centre and car park will remain open as usual throughout the construction works.

Executive board member for transport, Cllr Hazel Evans, said: “We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this reduction in car parking spaces may have over the coming year, but it has been necessary to ensure safety whilst this work on the new archive building gets underway.”

Alongside the construction of the extension there will also be external works, internal alterations to the library, external fabric upgrade of the Book Stack and some improvements to the frontage of the existing library.

Executive board member for culture, sport, tourism, Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, said: “It’s great to see that work is starting next week on this fantastic purpose-built building which will bring back the archives collection to Carmarthenshire.”

It was a great pleasure to work with singer and TV and radio personality Shân Cothi recently.

On stage, she is a ‘force of nature’. Backstage, she is supremely professional and always enthusiastic.

Here’s her biography . . .

Welsh personality, is a versatile classical and music theatre soloist and an experienced actress and presenter on television and radio.

She began her career as a music teacher but winning the Blue Riband for the best classical soloist at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1995 prompted her to become a professional singer.

In 2000, Shân was cast as Carlotta in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End and performed the role for 15 months.

n 2014 she made her début in the role of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, with Sir Bryn Terfel in the title role, at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and in 2015 understudied Emma Thompson in the role for English National Opera.

To celebrate the Wales Millennium Centre’s 10th Anniversary in September 2015, Shân performed the role of the mythical mistress of magic Ceridwen in the Ar Waith Ar Daith finale –a grand-scale open-air spectacular of myth and magic involving over 700 performers – in the Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay.

Following the release of her début album, Passione with the Welsh National Chamber Orchestra on the Sain Label in 2005, a promotional video of Caro Mio Ben, recorded at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, was voted ‘The Most Watched Video’ on Classic FM television.

Her long awaited second album, Paradwys was released in September 2015 on the Acapela Label and reached number 26 on the Classic FM chart and number 18 in the classical charts. Following the release of the album, Shân embarked on a promotional concert tour of Wales.

Shân is a well-known face on Welsh television.

She made her TV acting début playing the role of Davina Roberts in the highly successful drama series Con Passionate for S4C and was nominated in the ‘Best Newcomer’ category at the 2006 BAFTA Cymru awards. Her self-titled music TV series for S4C won a BAFTA award and was nominated for the Best Music Programme award in the Montreux Festival.

Shân has presented a number of television series for S4C, including Bro in which she and her co–presenter Iolo Williams travelled around Wales, getting to know its people and landscapes and Y Sipsiwn in which Shân followed the old Welsh Romany gipsy route in a gipsy caravan.

Shân is a keen horsewoman. In 2012 she filmed the television programme Cheltenham Cothi, which documented her progress to be a competitive jockey at the St Patrick’s Day Charity Derby in Cheltenham. In 2013 she successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in support of Velindre Cancer Centre and Amser Justin Time, a charity Shân founded in 2008 to raise awareness of Pancreatic Cancer.

In June 2015, to mark BBC Music Day, Shân set a new world record as one half of the longest-distance duet ever.  Shân in Cardiff and Andres Evans in Patagonia sang ‘Calon Lân’, 7,000 miles apart in a link-up between Wales and Argentina which was broadcast live on BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio 3 and has been officially certified by Guinness World Records.

Concert highlights include ‘Broadway to the Bay’ at the Wales Millennium Centre, ‘10 Difa’ concert & S4C broadcast from Llandudno’s Venue Cymru, a Big Band extravaganza at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Abergavenny and the Amser Justin Time 10th Anniversary concert in Pontrhydfendigaid.

Shân presents a daily weekday morning programme on BBC Radio Cymru entitled‘Bore Cothi’.

The LEADER programme, which aims to support the regeneration of rural Carmarthenshire, has opened a new call for Expressions of Interest.

LEADER is designed to get local people, businesses and communities involved in delivering sustainable, innovative solutions to address some of the economic, social and environmental challenges facing rural Carmarthenshire.

The Local Action Group Grŵp Cefn Gwlad manages the LEADER programme in Carmarthenshire.

The programme can provide financial support of up to 80% towards a project’s costs.

The current call is open for those wishing to do feasibility studies only. Guidance on criteria for feasibility studies is available here.

The LAG can also support projects that cooperate with other geographical areas via inter-territorial or transnational working.

Cllr. Cefin Campbell, Executive Board Member for Rural Affairs said:

“The LEADER programme is a fantastic scheme which enables individuals, businesses and communities to deliver and test an idea which seeks to meet strategic priorities for the County.

“We would urge anyone with such an idea to get in touch and our officers can discuss further”

If you have an innovative idea which addresses the scheme priorities and would like to discuss further, please contact the RDP team on 01267 242431/394; email RDPsirgar@sirgar.gov.uk

The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest is 29 June 2018

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

An Ammanford teenager will be representing Carmarthenshire at the House of Commons later this year.

Thomas Vaughan-Jones, aged 14, has been elected by members of the Carmarthenshire Youth Council (CYC) to represent the county at the UK Youth Parliament for 2018.

He will be joining over 300 members who will take part in the UKYP’s annual sitting which is a national debate in the House of Commons, Westminster, in November.

Thomas, a pupil at Amman Valley School will hold the prestigious position of UKYP member for 18 months.
Over Easter Thomas had the opportunity to take part in the National Youth Voice Leadership Development Programme in Swindon which was aimed at helping him develop his skills that he will be using as the new UKYP representative for Carmarthenshire.

Thomas said: “I’m really happy to have been elected as Carmarthenshire’s 2018 member for the UK Youth Parliament and want to continue to listen to young people’s ideas and views, making sure that I represent Carmarthenshire on a national and UK platform. I would like to thank the Youth Council for giving me this opportunity. I haven’t done anything like this before and I’m really looking forward to the year ahead.”

Thomas will be leading on this year’s Make Your Mark ballot this Summer and encouraging other young people in the county to get involved in having a say nationally. Make Your Mark is the largest youth consultation across the UK with 954,766 young people taking part last year across the UK.

Last year CYC encouraged 4,635 young people aged 11-18 across Carmarthenshire to get involved in the ballot, Thomas is going to attempt to beat last year’s total, by encouraging young people across the county to vote on the issues that are important to them.

Executive board member for education and children’s service, Cllr Glynog Davies, said: “I would like to wish Thomas all the best as he takes on the role of UKYP member for the next 18-months, and particularly when he takes part in the national debate in the House of Commons, Westminster, in November.”

•    To find out more about Carmarthenshire Youth Council please go to www.youthsirgar.org.uk