Strangers

Something strange is happening in Brynamman - Mess Up The Mess Youth Theatre is putting the finishing touches to its new play, Strangers which opens at the Ammanford Miners' Theatre on 15th February.

Artistic Director, Peri Thomas

Groups of young people from the Amman Valley, Slough and New Zealand have worked together on the Strangers project and each group will perform it in their home country during February 2008.

Designer, Alex, explains why you should go and see Strangers

More information about the Strangers project and Mess Up The Mess can be found at the website at: http://www.messupthemess.co.uk/.

Performances will take place at 7.30 pm on Friday 15th February and Saturday 16th February at the Ammanford Miners' Theatre. Tickets cost £5.00 and are available from the box office (Tel: 0845 226 3510).

Work Starts on Play Area

Work has started on a new play area for the children of Maes Gareth Edwards in Gwaun Cau Gurwen.

Tracey Ervine, Secretary of Maes Gareth Edwards Residents Association is most pleased - it has taken two years to get to this stage. Part of the preparation work was to remove discarded waste through a clean up with Keep Wales Tidy.

Play the video below to hear more about the project from Tracey

The work will be carried out by Groundwork, the charity that supports communities to improve the quality of people's lives (http://www.groundwork.org.uk/).

Some of the Groundwork team

The area before the clean up with Keep Wales Tidy took place

BASE Celebrates Santes Dwynwen Day

Brynaman Street Elite (BASE) had a good time celebrating Santes Dwynwen Day on Friday 25 January - they held a disco, with a buffet and karaoke at Brynaman RFC.

The event was supported by Upper Amman Valley Communities First and Mess Up The Mess Theatre Company.

Juliana from Communities First, Alex, Peri of Mess Up The Mess and Peter

Kaos By Name, Kaos By Nature

Organised Kaos, the youth circus based in Brynaman, offers an opportunity for young people to learn exciting new skills in a safe environment. Members enjoy practising circus skills including poi, walking globe, Diablo and acrobatics. But don’t take our word for it. Listen to what they have to say for themselves.

Josh and Lewis discuss their favourite circus skills.

Ellie explains to Martyn what she likes best about circus.

If you really want to understand what makes Organised Kaos so special for these young people, you have to see what they get up to.

Martyn demonstrates his skill with the Diablo



Lewis on the walking globe


Josh on a single kangaroo stilt



Ellie’s acrobatic performance

The group is organised by Nicola Hemsley, aided by a team of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. They’re always looking for new volunteers. If you’d like to help out, particularly if you have a circus skill to share, please contact Nicola on 01269 823400 or 07810 021421. You can also find out more about Organised Kaos on their own blog at: http://organisedkaosbrynaman.blogspot.com/

Silver Surfers - Holiday time

Just to advise everyone that unfortunately for you (but hey, hey, lucky for me) I have had a surprise holiday booked so there will be no Friday sessions on either 1st February or 8th February. Sorry about this, but we will resume activities on Friday, 15th February.
Regina Clayton

Llanelli's Multicultural Fiesta

On Wednesday 23 January a Multicultural Fiesta was held at the Graig Campus of Coleg Sir Gar. The event was orgainsed by Samantha Hudson, Black and Ethnic Minority Support Worker for CAVS, and was a celebration of Welsh Culture and Llanelli's growing multicultural population.

To start the eventing, guests could enjoy stands from a variety of organisations and projects. The performances from different cultures formed the main part of the evening. Performances were by:

• Llwynhendy Samba Band
• Pupils of St. John Lloyds School who sand Polish Song
• Harp player Rhydian Davies form Coleg Sir Gar
• Agata Skrzesinska who sang Polish Song
• Llanelli Drum Circle
• The Goddess Bellydancers (accompanied by Llanelli Drum Circle)
• Filipino Dancers

Then international food was enjoyed and a prize draw could be entered.

Mayreau, the black and minority network for West Wales, and their stand
(for more information, email mayreau@hotmail.com)

Development Officer Farah Aziz with the Glanymor and Tyisha Communities First stand

Sam Hudson's thoughts on the evening

An excellent evening!

5 Tys Waste Amnesty

As part of its Pride in Our Communities project, Keep Wales Tidy organised a waste amnesty today for the residents of 5 Tys. It was a good chance for residents to get rid of unwanted items. Some residents also got together to clear up discarded furniture and to do a litter pick.

Pride in Our Communities project officer Dan Snaith led the event, assisted by the 5 Tys Tenants and Residents Association, Communities First, Police CSOs and Carmarthenshire County Council.

The 5 Tys
The skip arrives

Waste starts to flow in

Time to clear the pathways

Dan finds the sledge hammer very useful for making the most of the skip!

The skip is full

Website Service Announcement

Carmarthenshire Connect is experiencing problems with the category listings on the website. We are currently working to rectify this problem as soon as possible and apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Thankyou.

Carmarthenshire Connect Team

Felinfoel Silver Surfers

Computer Messenger Service

Want to know how to set up an Instant Messenger Service to be able to keep in touch with friends? Want to know the difference between Messenger and ordinary e-mail? Why not come along to the Tirynys Complex, Felinfoel between 10.00 am. and 3.00 p.m. Friday, 25th January to find out??

Got some old photos that are in dire condition and you would like to put a bit of life back into them? Why not bring them along and learn how to scan them into the computer and touch them up to make them new again.

Reply to Meggy

Many, many apologies for not replying earlier but unfortunately had a slight problem with computer this end. What we suggest you do, if you can spare the time, just pop in any Friday between 10.00 and 3.00, when the club is running, for a chat and see what it's all about.

Ray Phillips

Computer Classes

Afraid to turn your computer on? Want to learn to use the Internet? Interested in learning Desktop Publishing or transferring your Photos from the camera to the computer? You need to join the Felinfoel Silver Surfers Club. See below.

Best Foot Forward - Swiss Valley Cycle Path

Tuesday 11th December, 11 intrepid members of the Felinfoel Walkers Group made thier pre Christmas foray into the wilds of Swiss Valley. It was a bright sunny and crisp morning which helped to put a spring into our step, and made the one hour seem like a few moments.

Despite the criteria of being over fifty to be a member of the group we allowed the youngster Ran Foster-Mason of Carmarthenshire Connect to try to keep up with us on condition that he acted as our professional photographer. On a non-fee basis obviously!!

He did a brilliant job using his mobile phone camera and the actual snapshots are shown below.

LEADING THE WAY

WHOLE GROUP READY FOR THE OFF

AFTER-WALK REFRESHMENTS

Fresh 'n' Fruity Launches in Llwynhendy

Llwynhendy Communities First launched a new Food Co-op on Thursday 10 January. It's called Fresh 'n' Fruity and will be open every Thursday at Llwyn yr Ynys residential complex for people to pick up their fruit, salad or veg bags. The bags need to ordered and paid for one week in advance and currently cost £2.50 a bag. Opening times are 10am to 1pm.



From left to right: Communities First Liaison Officer Adele Evans, Gillian Handscomb and Aled Davies from Llwynhendy Communities First, Llwyn yr Ynys resident Beatrice Dean and Warden Lynette Williams.

A food co-op is a simple system through which you can access fresh fruit, salad and vegetables on a weekly basis at affordable prices. Local produce is accessed as much as possible (quality and price permitting) benefiting and encouraging local farmers. Local sourcing means that more of the money you spend is kept within the region and food miles are reduced.

Brynamman Public Hall Cinema

The Cinema Committee: (clockwise from rear) Cen Puw, Morlais Thomas, Chris Seabrook, Morlais Puw, Margaret Kelly. Photograph taken by Rhidian Griffiths.

Brynamman Public Hall Cinema has a long history of serving its community. It opened in 1926, funded by the local miners who paid for it from weekly deductions from their pay. The cinema has been screening the latest movies to the local community ever since. It’s now staffed by a team of enthusiastic volunteers who work alongside the manager and projectionist, Brian Harries.

For more information about the cinema, including ticket prices and listings, visit their website at http://www.brynammanpublichall.co.uk/.

New Year Re-start

Some of the members of ScribesRus at their first meeting of 2008.

The group meets at the Community Centre, Cwmgarw Road, Brynaman every Monday between 1pm and 4pm. New members are always welcome.

For further information email Scribesrus1@aol.com

Ward 9 Connects to Radio BGM

Ward 9 of Prince Philip Hospital can now enjoy Radio BGM, the hospital’s radio station, after being connected. The connection happens after much work by the radio team. The station, which provides a welcome source of entertainment and music during hospital visits, is run by volunteers and is on the look out for volunteer presenters, particularly those of retirement age.

Stephen Henry presenting the 8-10pm live slot.

Radio BGM has also received funding from the Communities @One Fund to train local young volunteers in the art of radio presenting and using technical equipment. This has enabled the station to set up a new training studio. The course lasts for 10 weeks, and the next one is due to start in the New Year.

Radio BGM presenter David Hurford in the new training studio.

For more information on volunteering with Radio BGM, email info@radiobgm.org.uk