Blogs
The organisers of the Healing the Wounds Golden Grove Mansion Appeal have been bowled over by the response to a HTV Wales programme featuring their campaign.
It has made a huge difference to public awareness, said Kevin Richards, Director of Healing the Wounds, the appeal fund which aims to turn the famous Golden Grove Mansion in the Tywi Valley into a convalescent home for the Armed Forces.
The appeal is already being talked about within the local community, but the HTV Wales Sharp End programme took us to a whole new, national level, said Mr Richards.
The feedback to the programme has been tremendous. A lot of people out there are unaware of the difficulties our servicemen and servicewomen face when they return from the battlefields and when they try to rebuild their lives in the civilian community.
The programme presented the shock statistic (reported by the Howard League for Penal Reform) that as many as one in 10 of British soldiers who have fought overseas end up in jail after they leave the army.
That is a very shocking figure and illustrates the challenge that we face in making sure that the proper support and care is provided to people when they leave the services or return from the horrors of the battlefield.
Plaid Cymru MP Elfyn Llwyd spoke very eloquently on the programme. He has been warning that the numbers of people ending up in jail and in trouble could be even higher in future as more troops return from battle.
They often suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and Mr Llwyd has been very vocal already in calling on the Government to fund a specialist treatment centre in Wales.
Mr Richards added: Our Healing the Wounds appeal would aim to create just such a centre at Gelli Aur Golden Grove Mansion and all we need is a total of 200,000 to kick-start the project and exchange contracts on a property which would be ideal as a convalescent centre.
As well as looking to treat post traumatic stress disorder, we would also be able to build in retraining programmes, where people leaving the armed forces can learn new skills, everything from being a plumber or a plasterer or an electrician.
The Sharp End programme has really helped focus the minds of the people of Wales that this is a worthy, much-needed project. Of crucial importance is the fact that we have a centre in Wales to treat and help the people of Wales.
Weblink to the Sharp End item presented by Lynn Courtney -<a href=" http://www.itv.com/wales/sharp-end32576 http://www.itv.com/wales/sharp-end32576">http://www.itv.com/wales/sharp-end32576</a>.
Weblink to the Healing the Wounds website - <a href=" http://www.occasionsdvd.co.uk/index.php">http://www.occasionsdvd.co.uk/index.php</a >
The Golden Grove Appeal (Healing the Wounds) has been launched for the purpose of raising the funds needed to enable the purchase of a suitable facility within Wales for the treatment of our Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans and their families, who are suffering from stress related illnesses such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and to provide a convalescent home to allow them to heal and recover from the traumas of conflict.
Golden Grove Mansion has become available for purchase with 100 acres of Country Park, which would provide a peaceful and beautiful environment that would be the perfect place for recovery.
However, if the sale of the property does not materialise, Healing the Wounds charity will continue to raise the funds needed for the purpose of searching for an alternative suitable property to facilitate treatments and convalescence for our Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans and their families.
This is and shall always remain the prime objective of the charity
Golden Grove Mansion was actually used as a hospital for American troops during the Second World War. It was first built in 1560 as the seat of the Vaughan family, descendants of the Princes of Powys. Two hundred years ago it passed to Lord Cawdor and the present mansion was built in 1834. In later years it housed an agricultural college, but is now empty. There are more than 150 rooms and the basic structure is sound. It is a grade II* listed building within a 100 acre conservation area and the grounds include a wooded Country Park, a visitor centre and cafe.
The appeal is more than halfway towards its initial target of raising 200,000.
Donations can be made
By post
To make your donation by post, please send a cheque payable to Golden Grove Appeal, together with your name address and post code to enable us to claim gift aid, to Golden Grove Appeal, 22 Abbey Road, Kenfig Hill, Bridgend, CF33 6HF
Give in person at Barclays Bank
Call into any branch of Barclays and pay your donation into this account:
Golden Grove Mansion Appeal
Sort code: 20-84-41
Account number: 90516929
The radio star who runs the biggest Garden in Wales will be centre stage at Cor Meibion Llanellis annual Christmas concert.
Chris Needs is to compere the evening at Theatr Elli, Llanelli, on Saturday, December 18.
Its a major coup for Cor Meibion Llanelli, said choir secretary Fred Elias.
Chris Needs is in great demand as a performer, particularly over the Christmas period. But he was delighted to seize the opportunity of sharing a stage with Cor Meibion Llanelli.
And I am sure the army of people who follow his radio show will be equally delighted to seize the chance of seeing a real hero of Radio Wales here in Llanelli.
The weeknight Chris Needs show goes out in Radio Wales between 10pm and 1am. One of the key features of the show is the Garden, an on-air club of listeners.
Chris was born in Cwmafan near Port Talbot in 1954. Before joining Radio Wales, he was a star presenter for six years for independent Welsh radio. He built up a large and loyal following with his cheerful one-to-one style. In 1996's Radio 'Oscars' he won the coveted Sony Silver Award for Best Regional Presenter. Chris joined Radio Wales along with a host of other new presenters in August 1996, as part of a revamp of the schedules. He began by co-presenting the mid-morning magazine programme, Live Time, and an edition of the afternoon phone-in show, The Network.
Chris now hosts his own brand of late night music and chat. Every member of the Chris Needs Garden has a membership number. Anyone can join and signing up means you'll receive a starter pack, badge and goody bag.
In 2005, Chris Needs was awarded the MBE. On 22 June 2005, he collected this award from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. Some of the Garden Club members were even there with him to celebrate his momentous day.
The Cor Meibion Llanelli concert starts at Theatr Elli, Llanelli, at 7pm on Saturday, December 18. Tickets are now available at the Theatr Elli Box Office and the advice is to book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets: 8 Contact -Theatr Elli, Station Road, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, SA15 1AH, Tel: 0845 2263510 E-mail: theatres@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
For more information, see Cor Meibion Llanellis website on www.llanellimalechoir.co.uk
Other weblinks http://www.chrisneedsmbe.co.uk
Carmarthen Town AFC fixtures for November 2010
Saturday, November 6 away at Goytre United, Welsh Cup Round Three, kick-off 2pm Friday, November 12 - home to Port Talbot Town, 7.30pm. Saturday, November 20 away at Bangor City, 2.30pm. Saturday, November 27 home to The New Saints, 2.30pm.
The Terry Griffiths Matchroom in Llanelli will be holding the annual Lads and Dads snooker tournament on Sunday, December 19.
The entry fee is 4 per pair. You must be paid-up Matchroom members to enter.
The loser pays for the table.
There is a Plate tournament (with prizes) for first round losers.
Lads or dads can be joined by mothers and daughters, uncles and nephews, grandfathers and grandmothers. The rule is you must be related and from different generations!
The closing date for entries is Thursday, December 16.
Llanelli Rotary Club is staging a charity fund-raising amateur boxing dinner show at Parc y Scarlets on Friday, November 5.
Trostre Boxing Club are staging the show on behalf of Llanelli Rotarys HARK (Hearing Assessment Research Klinic) Appeal for Ghana in Africa.
The evening will feature eight bouts of amateur boxing with boxers drawn from various clubs in Wales. Also included is a three course dinner in the Canolfan Delme Thomas (Delme Thomas centre) at Parc-y-Scarlets.
Rotary Club president Melanie Carroll-Cliffe said a previous boxing dinner show organised in conjunction with the Trostre club had been a huge success.
She added: We have a wonderful venue for the event at Parc y Scarlets and it promises to be an excellent evening, with plenty of sporting action, good food and good company. And it is all in aid of a worthy cause an international project being organised by Llanelli Rotary Club to help a deprived area of Africa.
Also, ladies take note. Dont let the guys fool you into thinking this is a men only function. This is a mixed occasion which the ladies will also enjoy.
Tickets are 30, or you can order a table for 10 at 300.
For tickets and further information contact Anthony Jones, at TAD Builders Ltd, telephone 01554 752884 or 07970 022761
More signs - some of them crass and tacky, some boring, many clever and very funny - here:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-100-best-signs-at-the-rally-to-restore-sanity
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If you would prefer to view it in a separate browser window click here. Then click back in the browser to return to read on.
Peninsular Business Services Ltd (that's me) sponsor and organiser of the competition collaborated with The Bay Bistro Coffee House Rhossili where Alan Gregg's photograph will hang for all to see. Alan and his wife will enjoy dinner here as part of his prize.
The Bay Bistro is a favourite of visitors to Gower who pilgrimage to The Worm's Head to take in it's power and beauty. I imagine ten's of thousands of photographs exist of this phenomenon, how many are equal to Alan's shot, not that many methinks.
So today 29th October we met at the bistro to award Alan his Certificate of Achievement and it was kindly presented by His Worshipful The Lord Mayor of Swansea, Cllr Richard Lewis. The South Wales Evening Post newspaper covered the event.
Please comment and share your views on this winning photograph. I will pass on all your kind wishes to Alan and prompt him to set up a profile here on Americymru so that you can view future images from his portfolio.
Many thanks to Americymru (Ceri Shaw) for partnering with Peninsular Business Services (me - aka @LadyBizBiz on Twitter) for this great event.
There - all done for this year - now I'm off to begin considering which establishment might partner with me for next years event - somewhere in Mumbles perhaps, or Cheriton, or Stembridge, or Port Eynon ..... or ......
