Recently Rated:
Stats
Award-winning South Wales architects the Lewis Partnership are playing their part in the development of a new school at Letterston in Pembrokeshire.
The 4 million project is creating a new school for nearly 200 pupils, aged three to 11, on a site next to the existing Ysgol Ger y Llan at Letterston.
Haverfordwest-based builders W.B. Griffiths & Son Ltd are in charge of construction and the new school is expected to be completed this summer.
The finished school will amalgamate two local schools, housing pupils from Ysgol Ger y Llan and Mathry School following an education reshuffle. The school will also provide community facilities.
As the architects in charge of the design work, we are thrilled to be involved with the project, said the managing director of the Lewis Partnership, Philip Lewis.
We have been involved with other school projects for the local education authority, Pembrokeshire County Council, in the past and we were delighted to provide the winning design for the new Ysgol Ger y Llan.
The building has been designed with a high emphasis on health and well being, something which strikes a chord with anyone interested in the welfare of children and education.
The design of the building has been benchmarked for BREEAM, the worlds foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings.
BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable building design and the new Ysgol Ger y Llan has been given an Excellent rating which means it is about as sustainable as you can get.
Mr Lewis said that his team of architects had worked very hard on achieving a design which will contribute to the learning experience and not just be viewed as a traditional place of work or school
At least 80% of the floor area in each occupied space will receive adequate day light and have an adequate view out.
Fresh air will be delivered to the occupied spaces of the building via a natural ventilation strategy.
In addition, we have taken care to ensure that the external features of the design contribute to the education experience.
There will be a multi-use games area and a grass pitch, all within a secure perimeter.
Other features will include dedicated areas with raised planters for pupils to create and manage organic planting.
There will also be natural habitat areas, including a wildflower meadow area, bird nesting boxes and feeder stations and bat roosting boxes around the site to improve biodiversity.
There will be a car park and a wildlife pond and a dedicated African garden
The school building itself will include six classrooms a main hall and a kitchen.
Hot water needs will be provided by solar thermal collectors on the roof.
Mr Lewis added: All in all, its a very innovative project and one which we hope will meet with the approval of the pupils and teachers who will use the school.
Photos above: An artists impression of the finished school at Ysgol Ger y Llan, showing the whole building and the view of the reception area.
Weblinks
http://www.lewispartnership.co.uk
www.wbgriffiths.co.uk
On Facebook, search Lewis Partnership Ltd.
On Twitter, look for @Lewis_Architect
Healing The Wounds, the Welsh charity which helps treat PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), has just completed its first treatment mission in North Wales.
The charitys treatment practitioners went on the road to treat two veterans of the 1 Royal Welsh and 1 Rifles regiments.
Its the first time weve been able to extend our ground-breaking treatment programme into North Wales, said charity founder and executive director Kevin Richards.
In recent weeks, there has been a huge amount of publicity about PTSD and the need for successful treatment programmes such as the ones we run.
We have a waiting list of people queuing up for treatment and we were glad of the opportunity to take our programme into North Wales.
Its the first time weve been able to run a treatment course in North Wales, but it wont be the last. We are a Welsh charity providing treatment services in Wales and that means delivering our services to all four corners of Wales whenever possible.
In an ideal world, we would be providing our services from a residential centre in Wales, but that dream is still to be fulfilled. While we work towards that goal, our mission will be to provide frontline treatment to the brave men and women who need treatment for PTSD.
The recent tragic death of Lance Sergeant Dan Collins from Tiers Cross, near Haverfordwest, has highlighted the need for proper treatment for victims of PTSD.
Our treatment programmes work. Lives can be saved. We can rebuild lives which have been shattered by PTSD.
The charity was able to deliver the treatment programme in North Wales thanks to the help of The Union of Welsh Independents Annibynwyr, the association of independent Welsh chapels and churches.
The Union arranged for the charity to use the facilities at Capel Ebeneser in Wrexham.
Treatment practitioner and charity co-founder Carol Richards said: The Reverend Trevor Jones-Morris was very kind to us at Capel Ebeneser and made everyone feel at home.
We were also very grateful for the help of Alun Lenny, who is the publicity officer for The Union and the current Town Sheriff of Carmarthen.
Without the help of The Union, the treatment programme would not have been possible in North Wales.
Thanks to The Union, we were able to deliver the treatment to two veterans and they were profoundly grateful for the opportunity. It has made a world of difference to their lives.
Mr Lenny said: The Union has been a supporter of the Healing The Wounds charity since the day it was launched. It was a pleasure to be able to provide help and support for the North Wales treatment programme.
Hopefully, members of the public will appreciate the good work carried out by the charity and will contribute enough funds to allow Healing The Wounds to extend their treatment programmes.
For more information, see the charitys website is at http://www.healingthewounds.co.uk
Other weblinks
http://www.annibynwyr.org
The Healing The Wounds charity was set up in December 2009 to help provide PTSD treatment for members of the armed forces and veterans. It aims to set up a Welsh base for the treatment of PTSD. It is already arranging treatment courses and building a team of counsellors who can treat PTSD.
Donations can be made
By post:
To make your donation by post, please send a cheque payable to Healing The Wounds, together with your name address and post code to enable us to claim gift aid, to Healing The Wounds, 26, Enterprise Centre, Bryn Road, Tondu, Bridgend, CF32 9BS..
Give in person at Barclays Bank. Call into any branch of Barclays and pay your donation into this account:
Healing The Wounds Sort code: 20-84-41 Account number: 90516929
The charitys website is at http://www.healingthewounds.co.uk/
Contact number for charity officers - 01656 728281
Information on the charitys treatment practitioners -
Carol Richards
Carol is co-founder of the charity and also charity secretary, she has a background in the banking industry and has experience in administration. Carol also spent some time as an instructor with the Army Cadets at Neath near Swansea, gaining weapon training experience and has also completed an assault course supervisors course. Carol is a Master Practitioner, delivering treatment to our Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and is constantly striving to help raise awareness for the charity, within our Welsh communities and beyond. Email: carol@healingthewounds.co.uk
Rachel Phillips
Rachel is one of the charitys Master Practitioners. A qualified care assistant, trained by the local authority, Rachel gained NVQ level 2 in Health and Social care and also has a Diploma in Welfare studies, which includes experience with medication, manual handling, dementia and the protection of vulnerable adults. She also holds a qualification for First Aid and food safety and a Higher Education Certificate for BSc Psychology with Criminology from University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd. Through her work, Rachel has come into contact with individuals who have been affected by the traumas of war. Rachel is an avid supporter of the rehabilitation of Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families. Email: rachel@healingthewounds.co.uk
Melin Consultants is fast building a Wales-wide reputation as one of the industry experts on sustainable construction.
We specialise in all the things which people value in the construction industry today getting environmental issues right and making sure buildings are as sustainable as possible, said Melin director Jamie Best.
Its an exciting time for the building and construction industry with everyone appreciating the value of getting it right first time in terms of energy savings and sustainability.
We are right up there in the vanguard when it comes to technical expertise in this area. Were probably not on the radar as far as members of the public are concerned, but our name and reputation is growing day by day.
The company has relocated its HQ from Tycroes, near Ammanford, to Llys Aur on the Llanelli Gate business park at Dafen, Llanelli.
Today, the business has eight employees and our new location in Llanelli provides us with an impressive Carmarthenshire home with good links to the motorway, said Mr Best.
In building today, sustainability is high on everyones list of priorities as we have all come to appreciate the need to make sure everything is as environmentally-sensitive as possible
We may be one of the best kept secrets in West Wales when it comes to the general public knowing what we do, but we wont be for much longer as demand is increasing for our services.
Our customers include construction firms and architects and, in fact, anyone involved in a building project.
As an example, we are involved with WRW Construction and Carmarthenshire Council in the new Ysgol y Ffwrnes (Furnace Primary School) project in Llanelli. Our focus for the new school is to assess the overall site sustainability measures.
We also do work for other South Wales local authorities, including Swansea, Neath-Port Talbot, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
We take great pride in the fact that we are a Carmarthenshire-based team. We are a local company employing local people and meeting local needs
Technically, we have a great deal of expertise to offer. For example, the company has licences to provide advice on sustainable construction. We are also members of the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers Low Carbon Consultants scheme.
We also offer air tightness testing services, which is a way of testing for air leakage in new buildings and identifying bad site practices.
This work is now a mandatory requirement for most new buildings, regardless of size and shape, and has provided the construction industry with a much-needed measure of a contractors performance.
It is all well and good subscribing to sustainable design, but, if it is not built correctly, then a building will never perform as it should.
Obviously, our client list includes large building companies, but we are equally at home working for individuals keen to make sure that the dream home they are building is as sustainable and as environmentally friendly as possible.
Weblink:
http://www.melinconsultants.co.uk
Twitter: @melinconsult
Facebook: Melin Consultants Ltd
LinkedIn: Melin Consultants
Photo above of Mel and Jamie Best, directors of Melin Consultants
Melin Energy Consultants has been providing SAP & SBEM calculations for local authorities, architects, builders & developers over a number of years.
All Melin technicians have a wealth of experience in dealing with individual requirements.
The company motto is "10% calculation 90% solution".
As a building consultancy specialising in Part L of the Building Regulations and environmental assessing of new buildings, Melin technicians are qualified and accredited to issue certification in all the following fields BREEAM, Code for Sustainable Homes, EPC, SBEM, SAP, air-tightness testing.
Contact details: Melin, Llys Aur, Llanelli Gate, Dafen, Llanelli, SA14 8LQ
t: 0845 094 1593
m: 07800 634804
e: jamie@melinconsultants.co.uk
The latest 'View from Richmond Park' Carmarthen Town AFC column is in the Carmarthen Journal today.
Splendid back page story in the Carmarthen Journal today on new Carmarthen Town AFC manager Mark Aizlewood's new recruits.
Burry Port businessman Gareth Isaac (GI Carpets) gets a plug in the Llanelli Star story about Tesco coming to the town.
Splendid 'Support Carmarthen Town AFC' campaign feature in the Carmarthen Journal today.
The latest Red Kite Law 'Business Brief' column is in the Carmarthen Journal newspaper today.
Where better to look for romance to blossom than the stunning surroundings of one of the most romantic gardens in Wales?
All couples paying to enter the garden on St Dwynwens Day will receive a special gift, said Aberglasney shop manager Vanessa Bolton.
Over the years, Aberglasney has proved very popular with visitors seeking that extra-special romantic location for St Dwynwens Day and for St Valentines Day.
The gardens at Aberglasney have seen their fair share of marriage proposals and the setting lends itself wonderfully to romance.
To make St Dwynwens Day extra special for those looking for romance we will be giving a hand-carved Welsh lovespoon to every couple coming through the turnstiles.
Aberglasney chief executive Roger Evans said he was eagerly looking forward to welcoming couples young and old to the gardens on St Dwynwens Day.
As well as being a romantic location, this is a magical and inspirational venue, he said.
The custom of carving and giving Welsh lovespoons originated in Wales hundreds of years ago. In fact, there are many on display at the Welsh Folk Museum in Cardiff, including one that dates back to 1667.
The lovespoon tradition is one we are keen to preserve and promote here at Aberglasney and what better day to give your loved one a gift of a love spoon than on St Dwynwens Day?
Aberglasney, acknowledged as one of the UKs finest gardens, is the ideal location for romantic walks amidst beautiful, exotic flowers and plants from all parts of the world.
To find out more about Aberglasney, you can visit
www.aberglasney.org.uk
St Dwynwen's Day is celebrated in Wales on the 25th January.
St Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers, which makes her the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine.
Dwynwen lived during the 5th century and was one of the prettiest of Brychan Brycheiniog's 24 daughters. Dwynwen fell in love with a prince called Maelon Dafodrill, but unfortunately her father had already arranged that she should marry someone else.
Dwynwen was so upset that she could not marry Maelon that she begged God to make her forget him. After falling asleep, Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice.
God then gave three wishes to Dwynwen. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and third, that she should never marry. All three were fulfilled, and as a mark of her thanks, Dwynwen devoted herself to God's service for the rest of her life.
A fund-raising curry evening is being held at the Sheesh Mahal restaurant in Stepney Street on Tuesday, January 31, at 7 pm for Radio BGM, Prince Philip Hospital Radio. The cost per head is 11, with a variety of dishes to choose from.
David Hurford, chairman of Radio BGM said: "We have been really fortunate to have been so well supported in the past by so many people and we hope that we can repeat that success and swell the funds a little to allow us to continue our service. A warm welcome is extended to all."
If you want to attend, then email David Hurford at davehurford@talktalk.net .
Weblink -
BNI recruits: Scott Ashford, Llanelli gas services engineer, left, and environmental services consultant Philippa Stanley, right, are welcomed into membership of the BNI Endeavour Llanelli branch by BNI area director Nick Romanello.
A popular Llanelli business breakfast club is going from strength to strength with the announcement it has recruited three new members.
The trio of new members at the Business Network International (BNI) Chapter in Llanelli is made up of environmental consultant Philippa Stanley (who was renewing her annual membership), Llanelli architect David Darkin and gas services engineer Scott Ashford.
Membership of the BNI business network is all about being part of a bigger team, said Llanelli chapter chairman Graeme Fox.
Everyone comes to a BNI meeting with their own individual skills and talents, but the power of the meeting comes through the way members work together.
These are challenging times in business and the club is really useful as a support mechanism. You know that fellow members are there to support you and to encourage you to do better in business.
The BNI Chapter in Llanelli is continuing to look for new members for the Thursday morning club at The Diplomat Hotel in Llanelli.
Kick off is 7am, said Mr Fox.
Yes, its an early start. But it does help you get some quality time at the start of the day to give your business a lift and, lets face it, nowadays everyone needs help and support to meet the challenges posed by the state of the economy.
One of the things new members are always impressed with is the fact that the meetings create a real buzz in the morning. We start the day energised as theres a lot of enthusiasm in our meetings.
Significantly, membership has gone up from 12 to 22 in the last 12 months as more and more businesses appreciate the benefits of joining the business network.
It is estimated that each seat around the Llanelli BNI breakfast table is worth more than 12,000 in business.
The key to this is in the make-up of the BNI membership. No two businesses in the BNI are allowed to be in the same category, so you get a mix which can be as varied as the proverbial butcher, baker and candlestick maker.
In Llanelli, the membership includes a plasterer, electrician, builder, web designer, IT support consultant and an accountant.
It really is a great mix, said Mr Fox.
As well as the networking and the support BNI provides, the meeting also enables members to pass business referrals to each other, which can vary from firm orders from one business to the next or an introduction to a potential client.
The business between the BNI members is monitored and in money terms we know that the BNI members have done more than 200,000 worth of business between each other over the course of 12 months.
BNI details: Endeavour BNI (Llanelli), Venue: Diplomat Hotel, Felinfoel, Llanelli, SA15 3PJ. Meeting time: Thursday 0700am - 0830am.
If you are interested in joining the Llanelli BNI, then ring the clubs chief experience officer Phil Evans for an informal chat on 07796 990493
Website
www.bni-southwales.com
Welcome on board: BNI Llanelli chairman Graeme Fox, right, welcomes Llanelli architect David Darkin into membership of the business breakfast club.
