Carmarthenshire County Council is ready to invest around £4million in local businesses.

The council is launching a variety of new grants aimed at supporting new and existing businesses, aimed at stimulating new economic growth throughout the county.

The Economic Development team is inviting businesses and entrepreneurs, both established and new, to find out whether they are eligible for financial support.

A combination of grants and loans are being made available for businesses to grow in Carmarthenshire.

The biggest investment will be for the development of commercial property.

£1.5million is being made available in the Carmarthenshire Transformational Commercial Property Development Fund to stimulate the supply of high quality business premises.

£1million is being made available under the Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund aimed at stimulating growth in the rural economy.

£895,000 is being offered to businesses who want to develop or relocate to Llanelli or Ammanford town centres, under a new round of the Town Centre Loan Scheme.

Businesses are also to benefit with £500,000 being offered for new business start-ups and existing businesses looking to expand, with grants of up to £10,000 being available.

Priority will be given to businesses that create and safeguard jobs, ensuring the investment will have a long-term positive impact on the economy.

As well as the businesses benefiting directly, the local construction industry and supply chain is expected to benefit as businesses look to build and expand premises.

Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of the council and executive board member for regeneration, said: “This is a significant investment that we hope will have long-term benefits for Carmarthenshire, not only for the businesses that could be eligible for support but because of the future jobs they will create.

“Strengthening our local economy is a key aim of the executive board’s Moving Forward in Carmarthenshire plan, so I’m delighted to announce this funding which I hope will energise the county and help us build a more prosperous future.”

• Information and eligibility criteria about all the grants on offer is available on the council’s website www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/business

Burry Port Town Band are scheduled to stage their annual summer concert next month.

The band’s special guests will be Tenovus Cancer Care Swansea Sing With Us Choir and Burry Port Junior Band.

Curtain up at the Memorial Hall in Burry Port is at 7pm on July 21, with tickets £10, under 16s free.

The Burry Port Town Band will be looking to perform an entertaining programme featuring popular classics and music from the stage and screen.

They will also feature their Eisteddfod programme ahead of the Royal National Eisteddfod at the Wales Millennium Centre on Saturday, August 4.

It has been a successful year for Burry Port Town Band, reaching the semi-finals of S4C Band Cymru and again qualifying to represent Wales at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain taking place on September.

The compere for the Burry Port concert will be Robert Lloyd.

A new hub for The Royal British Legion’s services for West Wales has opened in Carmarthen.

Operating from the Ty Myrddin building in the town centre, the office will host a Welfare Officer and Membership Support Officer, delivering services to the beneficiary community and growing membership footprint in West Wales. It will also host regular clinics from specialist Legion staff to assist with war pensions, independent living and benefits and money advice.

The opening of the office was marked with a small open morning for partner Armed Forces charities and support organisations from the locality to gather and discuss best practice in service delivery for the Armed Forces Community in West Wales.

This new Carmarthen office will add to the Legion’s existing staff hubs in Cardiff, Wrexham and Caernarfon.

Ant Metcalfe, Area Manager Wales, The Royal British Legion said: “The Legion prides itself on being a national charity with a local footprint and the opening of this new West Wales office shows our commitment to this.

“This new office will allow us to be on the doorstep of our beneficiary community here in West Wales and, working alongside our partner organisations, can help us to ensure we are delivering the best support we can to those who need us most.”

Cllr David Jenkins, Carmarthen Armed Forces Covenant Lead, said: “Congratulations to the Royal British Legion Wales on the opening of a new office base here in Carmarthen. We look forward to working closely with the RBL on a local basis and I can offer my personal support as Armed Forces Champion to any local projects and to the provision of services to the Armed Forces community in Carmarthenshire.”

For more information about The Royal British Legion and the Services it provides across the Wales can be found at www.britishlegion.org.uk

Carmarthenshire County Council has launched the first round of its Events Support Fund by supporting 14 events across the county.

Events ranging from a Promotion of the Tour of Britain Festival, celebrating the visit of the well-known national cycling event to the county in September, to the Welsh Dairy Show and a Year of the Sea themed carnival in Laugharne are amongst the successful applicants benefitting from the fund.

More than £12,000 has been committed across the 14 events in the first round.

In order to qualify, applicants must hit certain criteria such as meeting priorities within local and national strategies and showing how their event will benefit the local economy.

Last year, the £20,000 pot was awarded to 16 events which contributed over £1.17 million to the county’s economy.

Executive board member for culture, sport and tourism, Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, said: “We recognise the importance of events in supporting our communities and towns, the contribution they can make to the local economy and how they attract visitors to Carmarthenshire.

“This fund is just one way we are supporting events in our county which have the most potential to meet our objectives.

“We would urge those interested who meet the criteria to apply.”

A young person from Garnant has become the first in the county to be honoured for volunteering more than 500 hours.

Brittany Alsop-Bingham, aged 20, was presented with the first Carmarthenshire’s 500 hour Youth Volunteering Certificate.

The award was launched at the Carmarthenshire Youth Council (CYC) 2018 Annual General Meeting.

The certificate recognises Brittany’s commitment to share the most precious of resources – her time – to make a difference in the county and her great generosity has had a profound and lasting impact on children and young people in Carmarthenshire.

Brittany has volunteered her time with Carmarthenshire Youth Council, she has been chairperson for the past three years and has lead on the planning of the Youth Conference and other events.

CYC chairperson Brittany Alsop-Bingham said: “I feel very honoured to be awarded with Carmarthenshire’s 500 hours Certificate. I feel I have gained a number of skills volunteering with Carmarthenshire Youth Council and my role as chair has increased my confidence with public speaking and my communication skills. I would encourage everyone to volunteer.”

Executive board member for education and children’s services, Cllr Glynog Davies, said: “Brittany has shown great dedication in giving up more than 500 hours of her time to help out with Carmarthenshire Youth Council. This award is just a token of our appreciation for her time and I would like to thank her for this, although I’m sure that during her volunteering Brittany has learnt and gained a lot from her experiences.”

If you would like to find out more about Carmarthenshire Youth Council and their volunteering scheme, please go to www.youthsirgar.org.uk

Parents have until July 31 to apply for part time places at a new nursery class which opens in Ysgol Parc y Tywyn School, Burry Port, this September.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s full council has today (June 13) approved that part time nursery provision be introduced at the new Parc y Tywyn school building in Burry Port.

From September 4, part-time nursery provision will be provided at the school, which up until now has only accepted pupils from the age of four.

The new provision will provide 45 part time nursery places.

Cllr Glynog Davies, executive board member for education and children’s services, said: “Providing part time nursery provision at Ysgol Parc y Tywyn ensures that the school falls in line with all the other primary schools in the area.

“The new provision will ensure that children in the area have a smooth transition into the foundation phase, giving them the best possible start to their education.”

Current pupils will be moving into the new school building from Monday, July 9.

Parents have until July 31 to apply for a place for their children to start part-time this September.

Internet link to apply for a school pace –

https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-services/education-schools/school-admissions-changing-schools/apply-for-a-school-place-3-year-olds/#.WyaCPy2ZPOR