Bro Becca
This project was to employ a Development Officer on a part-time basis for 15 months, based at the Antur Cwm Taf / Tywi offices in St. Clears. The main role of the officer was to seek funding for the Bro Becca project and to implement aspects of the Development Plan. The officer was also responsible for bringing Carmarthenshire communities together to develop cultural experiences, foster community pride, and to enhance tourism experiences. The officer contributed greatly to the huge importance of the Rebecca Riots history within Carmarthenshire.
United Counties Agricultural & Hunters Society - Food Extravaganza.
This was one of the main features at the 2003 United Counties Show, creating a high profile, quality opportunity for food producers, many of whom were from the local area, to display and sell their products to the visiting public. Food producers were allocated an individual shell scheme where they were able to display and retail their products. Added value activities included cookery demonstrations, cultural entertainment and a café area selling local products. The marquee and exhibition area were also decorated with floral and plant displays.
United Counties Agricultural & Hunters Society – Marketing the Future
Facilities at the Carmarthen show ground were under-utilised with many prime dates unallocated for usage. Marketing/feasibility had never been undertaken to any extent and with new infrastructure in place, it was a suitable time to do just that. A consultant was appointed to undertake the initial research into the types of potential customers to attract, and then obtaining the relevant contact details to compile a comprehensive database. Once the database was complete a new marketing brochure was designed and produced to promote the facilities of the show ground
Merlin Magic Festival
The project organised and promoted this annual event in one of Carmarthenshire’s unique selling points, the town of Carmarthen. The theme of the event was magic due to the area’s association with the legend of Merlin, and it is hoped the festival will be developed over the next few years to become a national and possibly international festival of magic. The festival began on the most magical day of the year, Midsummer Day on the 21st of June. Links were made with schools and events included a guest appearance by Paul Daniels, and a Harry Potter look a like record attempt.
Menter Taf Myrddin – Development of Welsh Language Arts / Theatre Projects within 5 Villages
Menter Taf Myrddin was awarded £5000 to assist a project called Malwod Mawr! that was aimed at developing communities through arts, by discussing themes in a creative and fun way, so that the confidence of individuals and the communities of west Carmarthenshire were developed. Malwod Mawr! was commissioned by Menter Taf Myrddin and written by Menna Elfyn, and was performed in five local community centres. The stars of Malwod Mawr were all local people and each performance was performed to a sell out crowd.
Pendine Community Council Noticeboards and Environmental Enhancement Scheme
Pendine Community Council was awarded £11697.00 to provide two notice boards, replace the chain link fencing outside the village hall, and to also plant flowerbeds and plants outside the hall. Providing the notice boards has given the community local level access to all types of information. The improvements outside the village hall have resulted in a vast improvement to the surrounding environment. The area now looks much better and gives a better impression of the area to tourists and locals alike.
Laugharne Township Community Council – Community Notice Boards
The project aim was make local information accessible to the community and tourists. Laugharne Township Community Council was awarded £1554.40 to provide notice boards on the Spar shop at the centre of Laugharne, and also in the village of Llansadwrnen. The notice boards have benefited the community greatly as before information was only accessible on half a day a week in the local library.
Penybont Community Centre
The grant was awarded to Penybont Community Centre to complete external improvements to the centre. The improvements included the repair of the old stone wall, the renovation of the historic outside children’s toilet as a village feature, and the levelling and resurfacing of the former schoolyard with tarmac. These improvements, made possible with the help of the Rural Services and Thematic Fund, are part of a much larger project that commenced in 1974, and will provide future generations with an example of school conditions in the 19th and 20th century in rural Carmarthenshire.
St Clears Chamber of Trade Information Boards
St Clears Chamber of Trade was awarded a grant to create 2 information boards for the town of St Clears. The information boards included a map of the town, pointing out sites of specific interest. The information boards in the centre of the town were aimed at helping tourist that visit the area, but also benefit the whole community of St Clears
Cockles in the Castle
This event took place on Sunday 10th August 2003 and was the conclusion to the 10 day Laugharne Festival which was held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the death of Dylan Thomas. Cockles in the Castle was primarily a food fayre showcasing local produce, including Laugharne cockles, local salt marsh lamb, and Llanboidy cheese. Celebrity Chefs Margaret Rees and Ieuan Williams provided culinary inspiration with their cookery demonstrations, while other entertainment was provided by a local Welsh Choir, a ceili / tympath band and group of Welsh border Morris dancers. The event was a resounding success, attracting around 1,300 visitors.
Capel Dewi Community Association
Capel Dewi Community Association was awarded a grant to improve the exterior and interior of the old Victorian school in the village. Inside the school has been transformed with its walls having cladding on them now, allowing the association and other groups to display material that is associated with the community. This project has also enhanced the surrounding area of the hall, encouraging further use of the community centre.
Llansteffan & District Tourism Association
Llansteffan & District Tourism Association were awarded £800 to design and produce a leaflet to promote Llansteffan and the surrounding area. It was believed that Llansteffan was not promoted enough in the County Brochure, and that as one of Carmarthenshire’s leading tourist destinations, it should have a leaflet of its own. The association successfully created a quality brochure that is both attractive and informative, and gives tourists a clearer picture of the Llansteffan area.
Laugharne Environmental Enhancements
The project has improved the physical environment of Laugharne through enhancement works to visitor areas within the town including The Strand, The Grist, Church Lane and Jubilee Square, as well as improvements to the two gateways at Ant’s Hill and Orchard Park. Funding has also enabled the widening of the boat slipway and installation of timber bollards to protect the foreshore. The enhancement works, identified through public consultation on a number of studies of the town were developed through the Laugharne Community Association and continue to contribute to the town’s tourism product.
St Clears Newsletter Association
St Clears Newsletter Association was awarded £1851.12 to develop an independent newsletter, which will service the whole community of St Clears. The newsletter has benefited the community greatly and has addressed the needs of the community in providing news and information to all members of the area.
Papurau Bro
A group of young Welsh speakers from the Taf Valley received funding to publish a magazine for young people in their area, and also to publish a marketing pamphlet for their local community paper Y Cardi Bach. This is the first magazine of its kind to be published in the area, where the young people constructed and edited the magazine themselves – they collected local stories, interviewed local people and wrote the articles, enabling them to contain what they would want to read themselves in it. Following the success of Tafod Taf, the group got together again to design and publish a pamphlet to market Y Cardi Bach
St Peters Civic Hall Lighting and Sound Installation
Carmarthen Town Council was awarded £12960.80 to upgrade the current lighting and sound installations in St Peters Civic hall. Since the completion of the project the many community users of the hall have benefited greatly from the improvement and quality of the new equipment. The improvement has resulted in a greater choice of artists from varying backgrounds wanting to perform in Carmarthen.
Llangynin Hwyl Haf
Llangynin Hwyl Haf took place on Saturday 3rd July 2004 at Parc-y-Pentre, Llangynin.The event, which was organised by Llangynin Entertainments Committee, included skittles, bowls, horse-racing, a fancy dress competition and a Hog Roast. There were also opportunities to compete for prizes for cookery, knitting, sewing, painting, metal/wood-work and pottery, photography, gardening and literature. Proceeds from the Hwyl Haf were put towards holding other local events throughout the year and also to help with the costs of public liability insurance for the Parc-y-Pentre.
Pendine Music Festival
A one-day music extravaganza hit Pendine in 2004. The open-air event took place on August 14. A variety of Carmarthenshire-based bands took to the stage. Bands included a young group called Trydan from Llandeilo, Nickolai, Supernauts, Red Rooster and Nick Turner. Pendine Community association was awarded £1,400 of RSTP money to hold the event. It was put to great use in organising the family day. The cash paid for stage hire, exhibition trailer hire, bands expenses and hiring a PA system. The association plans to make the music festival an annual event.
Cynwyl Elfed Community Centre
Cynwyl Elfed Community Centre received a grant to purchase a Sound System. This has enabled more community activities to take place at a local venue rather than travel to neighbouring villages. A large number of organisations previously made use of the facilities but with the grant it has ensured more usage of a local resource, thus raising community spirit and involving the community as a whole. The sound system consists of a loop induction system, which helps the hard of hearing. The Committee encourage and support groups from Mother and Toddler to the Senior Citizens Day Care. The committee’s policy is to care and facilitate groups from the ‘Cradle to the Grave’. The sound system has helped us carry out this aim.
Just Good Friends
Just Good Friends is a group of youngsters who are members of a successful drama group in Carmarthen. Just Good Friends received a grant to purchase stage lighting to enable the group to perform in churches, chapels, village halls and old people’s homes in order to target audiences who might not attend theatrical events in Carmarthenshire. The group have no restrictions on membership, as they are ready to give everyone the opportunity to join their drama team and have the chance to learn new skills.
Extension to the existing Hywel Dda Centre, Whitland
This large and exciting extension project was aimed at providing improved visitors access to the garden from the interpretive centre, thus giving a better understanding of the garden and the laws of Hywel Dda. With the increased number of visitors over recent years, there was a need for a larger and more flexible kitchen area, and as the original premises were made up of only one room, the new extension will enable increased booking visits for community and visitor use.
Llanybri Village Hall Improvements
Llanybri Community Association took the lead on this very important project to refurbish the existing kitchen area of the Village Hall at Llanybri. The existing kitchen was in an extremely poor condition, and it was essential that it was refurbished immediately in order for the community to continue to hold concerts, events and classes. The Association successfully secured match funding from Community Fund to undertake urgent building and refurbishment work, and to build new Male, Female and Disabled toilets. The Association planned a celebratory opening launch to raise awareness for community groups in the surrounding area.
Carmarthenshire County Museum - Renovation of a Wing of Museum for Exhibitions and Displays.
The museum is in the process of being extended by opening up four rooms and a circulating space previously inaccessible to the public. The rooms will be a mixture of two period rooms, and two rooms which tell the story of life in Carmarthenshire. The rooms developed are the Bishop’s kitchen and scullery, the old servants dining hall, old laundry room and the servant’s quarters hallway. The rooms and surrounding areas have required complete redecorating, lighting, heating and flooring.
United Counties and Hunters Society – Feasibility Study
The United Counties Agricultural and Hunters Society were awarded a grant to undertake a feasibility study into the financial viability of a combined indoor arena, and Celtic centre containing workshops and outlets. The project allowed professional drawings, videos and models to be produced which all provide a clear idea of scale, quality and design of the building and its surrounding area to members of the Society. The overall project will be a major development in Carmarthenshire and will substantially affect both the community and the economic activity of the county.
Cof Cymuned
Mentrau Iaith Myrddin has purchased audio and video equipment in order to undertake a pilot community project. Community groups are able to use the equipment in order to undertake historical audits of their communities, and to interview local historians and characters. It is hoped that a wide range of important stories and tales, photographic evidence, cultural experiences, traditional agricultural practices and literature will be collected as part of this project. It is hoped that an information pack or a historical booklet can be produced following the community interviews, in order to be used by schools and colleges, local history groups and other interested societies.
CAVS – The Mount (Phase 2)
This application is aimed at empowering CAVS to manage the Mount project and maximising the benefits of the new Voluntary Action Centre for the sector. The project includes elements of Project Management, Capacity Building and service development, Marketing and Promotion, Professional Consultancy Advice, and Consultation and Participation.
Gwili Railway DVD
In order to be able to market and publicise the Gwili Railway Steam Railway tourist attraction in an efficient and modern method, this project involves the production of a 15 minute DVD on the History and Development of the Gwili Steam Railway – past, present & future. The marketing tool will be circulated to schools and other educational associations along with a Curriculum-based Educational Pack currently being developed by the Local Education Authority, to encourage educational visits to Gwili Railway and to learn more about local heritage and culture, as well as the history of the industry within Carmarthenshire.
Dylan Thomas Boathouse Winter Evenings
A series of cultural events evenings held in the unique and historical surroundings of the Dylan Thomas Boathouse, Laugharne. They were traditional musical and literary evenings performed by local musicians and poets / writers all based on a local theme. The evenings included around four performances and included poetry / writing circles that is planned to be developed into a regular activity.
Carmarthenshire County Museum – Enhancing of External Visitor Facilities
This project was for the enhancement of the external visitor facilities at Carmarthenshire County Museum. It is part of a wider, ongoing scheme to improve the quality and length of visitor stay. The work included: Provision of a solid tarmac for the overspill car park to make it suitable for visitors with young children and the disabled as well as addressing health and safety issues, the provision of external lighting, provision of a surfaced footpath from the car parks to the museum, a bicycle stand and welcoming site map for visitors
King Street Gallery
The newly established Workers Co-operative has secured a long-term lease on their building in King Street, Carmarthen. The premises were in need of modernization, in order to make the visitors’ experience a better one. Some particular areas of the Gallery required upgrading to a higher standard, for instance the lighting system was not flexible enough to cater for the viewer’s needs and so new modern lights have been installed, as well as the general internal displays of the gallery. Signage has also been improved for the benefit of artists, visitors and the general public.
Whitland Town Hall
Whitland Town Hall was improved and extended as part of a refurbishment in the early 1990s, but during these improvements only part of the hall floor was renewed. The new area where the stage was sited, previously prior to removal, has since buckled. This has more recently indicated possible underlying problems that had to be resolved. This project was to cover the professional costs of structural engineers to visit the Town Hall in order to undertake a Basic Inspection, as well as to cover the cost of any additional investigative work as necessary.
Gwili Railway Environmental Enhancements
Picnic Tables have been installed for the visitors’ picnic area at the main stop-off point on the railway at Llwyfan Cerrig. They enhance the area for visitors, in particular for school children and large parties, to make it easier and more relaxed for them to eat their lunch. Also, four Great Western Railway lamp posts and copper lanterns have been installed along the platform at Llwyfan Cerrig station as part of on-going developments to recreate a Great Western period style appearance on the railway. Upgrading of signage at both Bronwydd Arms and Llwyfan Cerrig stations has also taken place to assist visitors locate the various facilities on site.