News
Army seeks to engage community
C A R M A R T H E N S H I R E County Council’s top brass came face to face with the Army’s top brass in an Army Engagement event held at Parc y Scarlets on Thursday (Jul 14). A large Army presence gathered outside and inside the stadium, giving invited local businesses and community organisations the opportunity to engage with them.
The man in charge of events was Colonel Lance Patterson, the Deputy Commander of 160th Infantry Brigade.
Colonel Patterson told The Herald that he had been in the Army for 28 years. He is a former pupil of Bryngwyn School in Llanelli and a graduate of Leicester University. Colonel Patterson said that he had gone straight into the army from university where he attended Sandhurst and received his commission.
Speaking about the event, he said: “I am here to talk about what the British Army does now and what we are doing in Wales. We have a team from London and Wales here and we are focussing on communication. We are setting out where your taxes a being spent. We have a covenant between the nation and the army, which is aimed at looking after our servicemen and women. If you are serving in the army, you can get free access to swimming pools. There are a number of issues surrounding serving men and women and their families. Children of servicemen are in local schools and families live in the local community.”
Questions were asked by a number of community organisations about what they could do to offer more support to the Army. The reply was that the Army does quite well with its own in -house services and that anyone interested in working with the army should seek advice from the County’s Armed Forces Champion, who happens to be County Councillor David Jenkins.
Inspector Rhys Williams from Dyfed -Powys Police asked if the Army Engagement team worked with the police force on their ‘Be the Best’ programme. He said that it would be something he would be interested in finding out more about.
Speaking to The Herald after the event, Inspector Williams said that he was at the event to find out what opportunities there were for working with the Army Engagement team. He said: “We have some reserves in the police force and it is possible for people to juggle being a police officer with being in the reserves. There are obviously benefits for both parties given the quality of training both the police and army provide.”
During a multimedia presentation, the audience saw and heard the story of Paul, a homeless man who had been introduced to one of the Army’s programmes in the community, where he had been referred by the Department of Work and Pensions onto a scheme and was now holding down a job with a local builder who had become a partner with the Army engagement team.
The Herald asked Colonel Patterson what changes were ahead for the army as a result of Great Britain leaving the EU. He said: “As far as a the British Army and NATO are concerned, it is business as usual. Our commitment to UK security remains the same.”
CARMARTHENSHIRE’S Public Services Board (PSB) is seeking residents’ views to find out what matters to them and their local communities.
The PSB has developed its Well-being Objectives and draft actions to deliver them, based on feedback received on its Well-being Assessment. The results of a survey at that time gathered views and helped shape the PSB’s understanding of the economic, social, environmental, and cultural factors that impact the well-being of individuals and communities within Carmarthenshire.
Once again, residents are being asked to contribute to help public service partners develop Carmarthenshire’s Local Well-being Plan for 2023-28.
To help shape the future of well-being please visit: Current Consultations (gov.wales)
The survey closes on 25 January 2023.
Cllr Darren Price, Chair of the Carmarthenshire PSB and Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, said: “To deliver what is important to our communities, we need to their feedback and input. This survey is an opportunity for our residents to tell us if we, as public services, are on the right track to help create a better future for our children’s generation, and the generations to follow, as we strive to reach this goal.”
Andrew Cornish, Vice-Chair of the PSB andChief Executive Officer / Principal of Coleg Sir Gar and Coleg Ceredigion said: “Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our work so far. Our Well-being Assessment gives us a strong foundation on which to build our Well-being Plan and I would like to encourage everyone to take part in our involvement work for the preparation of the Plan.”
Carmarthenshire’s Public Services Board is a partnership of public and third sector organisations working together to improve well-being across the county and includes Carmarthenshire County Council, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Natural Resources Wales and other organisations.
LATER TODAY (Sunday, November 13) the town will honour those who have fallen in service over the decades.
A number of roads will be closed on the day, including Murray Street, Church Street and Vauxhall Road from its junction with the mini roundabout.
These will be shut for the parade between 8.30am and noon, however, pedestrian access for those wishing to reach individual properties in those streets will be maintained where possible throughout the duration of the closure.
Traffic will be diverted to Robinson Street, Arthur Street, Columbia Row, Anne Street, Bigyn Road, Stepney Place, Water Street, Thomas Street and Gelli Onn.
At 10am, police, organisations and others not marching in the parade will take up their respective positions in front of the cenotaph in the town hall grounds, while the civic party will assemble inside Llanelli Town Hall.
At 10.15am the parade leaves Drill Hall for the town hall with the mayor Cllr Philip Warlow proceeding to the Boer War Memorial where he will lay a wreath.
When the parade arrives at the town hall, the civic party will proceed to the cenotaph where the Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed Sara Edwards, will lay a wreath.
This will be followed by the chair of Carmarthenshire Council Cllr Rob Evans, laying a wreath on the Royal Welch War Memorial and then on the town’s cenotaph.
More wreaths will be laid by dignitaries and politicians and ex-servicemen and women A two-minute silence will then be observed at 11am.
Any service groups or individuals who wish to lay a wreath on Remembrance Sunday can contact Paul Wickers via email at llanlva2009@aol.com.
While community organisations are to contact Llanelli Town Council at enquiries@llanellitowncouncil.gov.uk.
Contact should be made by Monday, October 31 at the very latest to confirm arrangements as no additional wreaths will be able to be accommodated on the day.
MEMBERS of a Llanelli female choir have bared all to raise money for the town’s Ty Bryngwyn Hospice.
Côr Curiad has created a cheeky fundraising calendar for 2023 – the second one they have done.
With around 50 members, photos were taken across Llanelli with strategically placed items to spare their blushes – all in the name of a good cause.
Llanelli photographer Graham Harries was behind the lens for the project.
The choir’s musical director Alex Esney, who is Miss December in the calendar said: “Local businesses sponsored the calendar and so many of the photos were taken at their premises.
“So for example we went to LTC Mobility Ltd and had scooters carefully positioned in front of us, it was a lot of fun.
“I also want to thank Ffwrnes Theatre for opening up especially for me to go and have my photo taken with the piano there.”
Alex said the aim is to raise as much as possible for the hospice, adding: “We did a calendar a few years ago but we now have more members so we thought it was time to do it all again.
“The ladies decided to ‘bare all’ to raise money for the hospice which provides such great care and support for families in their time of need, including two of our own.
“I think we pulled out all the stops this year, getting their clothes off at local businesses in and around Llanelli.”
