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

Residents are being reminded that there are changes to bin collections over the May bank holidays.

From Monday, May 28, until Friday, June 1, collections will take place one day later than usual. So for example, if your collection is due on Monday it won’t be picked up until Tuesday and so on.

These changes also affect garden waste and trade waste customers.

The recycling centres in Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford), Nantycaws (Carmarthen) and Whitland are all open as usual over the bank holidays.

All recycling centres are now operating summer opening hours, 8.30am-7pm.

To find out when your bins are being collected or for more information on recycling visit Carmarthenshire County Council’s website www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales

Cllr Hazel Evans, executive board member for environment, said: “Please remember to recycle using your blue bags. Items such as plastic bottles, food tins, aerosol cans, magazines and catalogues, plastic coat hangers and cardboard can all be recycled in the blue bag. Information and advice is available on the council’s website.

“In Carmarthenshire about a quarter of a typical black bag still contains food waste, and half of that is still in its packaging.

“Reduce your food waste and save money, visit the Love Food Hate Waste website for advice on avoiding food waste and using up leftovers.

“If you do have waste food such as teabags, bones, vegetable and fruit peelings or egg shells please put these in your food waste bin for a weekly collection where it will be treated and turned into soil conditioner.”

Links –

https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-services/recycling-bins-and-litter/recycling-bin-collections/blue-bags-recycling/#.WwcFhi-ZPOR

https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-services/recycling-bins-and-litter/recycling-bin-collections/green-bin-food-waste/#.WwcFhi-ZPOQ

https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-services/recycling-bins-and-litter/recycling-centres/#.WwcFiS-ZPOR

An award-winning short film by an Aberystwyth University graduate is to be broadcast on S4C.

‘Dwy Chwaer a Brawd’ (Two Sisters and a Brother) was produced by Meleri Morgan in 2017 as part of her final-year project in the Department of Theatre, Film & Television Studies.

Featuring the lives in rural Ceredigion of two sisters and a brother in their 80s and 90s, the observational documentary won the Factual category in the 2018 Royal Television Society Wales Student Awards as well as the ‘Best International Student Award’ at the 2017 Wexford Documentary Film Festival.

It will now be shown for the first time on television when it airs on S4C’s Heno programme at 19:00 on Friday 25 May 2018.

One of the Heno presenters will be in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies on Friday evening to speak to students and staff before the documentary is shown.

Meleri, who graduated with a BA in Theatre, Film and Television Studies in July 2017, said: “The film is very close to my heart and reflects a period in my life when my creativity developed greatly. I am hugely indebted to my lecturers Elin Morse, Kate Woodward and Gareth Llŷr Evans for opening my eyes to the wide world of the arts and the importance of searching for the perfect story before starting to film.

“The department at Aberystwyth is exceptional and offers a broad spectrum of experiences from the academic to the creative which in my opinion need to run in parallel so as to create a more complete student who is able to make the most of the experts in all areas of the department. Being able to study through the medium of Welsh has also enriched my experience here in Aberystwyth and I would recommend that anyone who is interested in a degree that is full of artistic variety and experience considers studying here.”

Elin Morse, Lecturer in Media Productions at the Department of Theatre, Film & Television at Aberystwyth University, said: “Dwy Chwaer a Brawdis a wonderfully crafted film which provides an incredibly valuable record of a world that is rapidly disappearing. As a Department, we are extremely proud of Meleri’s success and her talent as a film-maker.”

As well as being shown on S4C, Meleri’s film will also be screened in the Department’s R Gerallt Jones studio on Friday evening to an audience of staff, students and representatives from the local community.

Dr Anwen Jones, Head of the Department of Theatre, Film & Television studies at Aberystwyth University, said: “Our aim as a Department is to equip our students with the technical skills and high production values they need to develop. Meleri has found a unique voice as a filmmaker and we would like to extend our warmest congratulations to her on the standard and success of ‘Dwy Chwaer a Brawd’.

The screening on Friday also coincides with the Department’s annual awards ceremony for final year Film and Television students.

For more information about Aberystwyth’s Theatre, Film and Television courses, please see the Department’s website

Photo: Meleri Morgan, whose documentary film Dwy Chwaer a Brawd(Two Sisters and a Brother) will be shown on S4C’s Heno programme at 19:00 on Friday 25 May 2018.

Links:
Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies
www.aber.ac.uk/en/tfts

Study at the Department of Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University
www.aber.ac.uk/en/tfts/study-with-us/prosp-ug/courses

A child’s play area, a high end spin and cycle studio and a 3G pitch are some of the planned investments for leisure centres in Carmarthen and Ammanford.

Over £2 million is being ploughed into the centres to ensure sport facilities are fit for the future.

The money, earmarked for Carmarthen and Ammanford leisure centres out of the council’s capital programme, will enhance current facilities, community provision and offer customers a better experience.

Works at the centre in Carmarthen will include a new child’s play area with a bashbag, tri deck climber, spinning door, dangly snake cluster, a ride on playshape, log ramp, racing slide, wobbly mirror, pyramid puzzle and much more. There will be a junior and toddler area, seating section and a café point. Outdoor facilities will be updated including resurfacing the athletics track and astro turf facilities and a previously unused area will also house sports courts. These new works will complement the recently refurbished state of the art gyms and Synergy.

A new 3G pitch and outdoor sports court facility – both floodlit – will be installed at Ammanford Leisure Centre.

Additional parking will also be created at both sites to meet current demand and improvements will be made to ease traffic flow.

The council’s executive board member for leisure, Cllr Peter Hughes-Griffiths said: “More people than ever are using the centres to get more active and healthy, so it is critical that we are able to provide them with modern facilities that compete with a busy private sector market. If we don’t invest we face the possibility of losing our customers which would have a long term effect on the viability of our leisure centres. We are pleased we are making this significant investment which will benefit our members and the local community and schools.”

Works will be phased in over the next two years.