The View from Richmond Park - home to Carmarthen Town AFC -

Carmarthen Town AFC has elected a new club President to succeed Anthony Jenkins.

Jeff Thomas, the former chairman of the club, was elected by an unanimous vote at the clubs Extraordinary General Meeting at the clubhouse.

The fund-raising work carried out by Mr Thomas proved crucial during his 14 years as chairman.

His achievements as club chairman are notable

Welsh Cup: three Welsh Cup Finals, winning once

League Cup Final twice winning once

Consistently finishing in top six of League

10 European Cup appearances.

Ground brought up to UEFA European standard with European games held at Richmond Park. Capacity of 2,500 including 1056 seats in their Grandstand

State of the art Community Centre, completed at a cost of 400,000 incorporating Social Club, Match Hospitality Suites with conference facilities and meeting rooms available for hire.

An innovative Carmarthen Town community programme backed by EMC Electrical Services and the ever-supportive Neil Alexander.

A debt-free club, with a high level of credibility within Welsh football and the local community.

Mr Thomas was unable to attend Friday nights meeting of the football club as he was being honoured with the Unsung Hero award at the annual Carmarthen Town Council Sports Personality awards night at the Carmarthen Quins Club.

The EGM of Carmarthen Town AFC members also receive favourable reports on the work of the clubs Community Programme, the clubs finances and efforts to secure new sponsorship. Members of the executive committee were also able to give club members an insight into their individual roles and tasks on the committee.

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Tote draw January 25, winning numbers 42 and 44. The prize was 400, but there was no winner. The weekly draw (for a prize of 500) was taking place on Tuesday evening.

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Fans will be interested to know the club has a web shop under the Buy At banner.

When you shop online from the Buy At website, youll help raise funds for the club with no extra cost to yourself. You can find online bargains, gifts, cheaper gas and electricity services and even book a holiday through the web shop.

You can find it at - http://www.buy.at/carmarthentownafc

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Weve got new stock in the Club Shop at Richmond Park, including the following:

Rain jackets, 30; shower jackets, 18; childrens shower jackets, 13; black polo shirts, 15; childrens black polo shirts, 12; hoodies, 18; childrens hoodies, 15.

Theres also the all the normal stock, including home and away replica shirts; fleeces; scarves; hats etc. All prices include second class postage and packing to a UK address. Please e-mail your requirements to: celiakirkby@ic24.net

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Carmarthen Town Supporters Club is again running the successful sponsor a win for this season. Already 17 Carmarthen Town supporters have committed for the season.

Paul Ashley-Jones, of the Carmarthen Town Supporters Club, said: This provides the club with vital revenue by donating 5 for every league and/or cup win this season. On behalf of the club, I would appeal to you to consider joining them and help us raise vital funds. Anyone wanting to join should give me a ring on 07775 820864 or call in at the Club Shop and pick up a form from Ron or Celia Kirkby.

Once again, thank you to those supporters who have already registered to help.

Theres a tale of great community spirit behind Cor Meibions appearance for a charity concert at Capel Adulam in Felinfoel, Llanelli, later this month (February 18).

Its a story which has very poignant moments and very uplifting moments, said chapel Minister Rev Alan Jones.

Basically, it is about a communitys shared experience and how we come through the good times and the bad times.

Cor Meibion Llanelli will be performing at the chapel in Adulam on Friday, February 18, and will be sharing the stage with the pupils from Ysgol y Felin, the new school in Felinfoel which has been formed by Ysgol y Babanod and the Primary school.

It promises to be an excellent evenings entertainment and I would hope everyone turns out to support a worthy cause because we will be raising money for the West Wales Hospital in Glangwili in Carmarthen.

The Minister explained: We have chosen Glangwili because it seems to feature very heavily in the lives of our chapel-goers.

Many have benefited from treatment and major surgery at Glangwili Hospital and are with us today to pay testament to the hard work of our doctors and nurses. For others, it has sadly been the end of a journey. Take, for example, one of Felinfoels true gentlemen, Gerald Phillips, who was for many years the Llanelli Stars local correspondent and who died at Glangwili.

The work of the hospital seems to have touched the lives of so many of us, including those at my other chapel in Salem in Llangennech.

And, in fact, I have personal experience as I suffered meningitis and a thrombosis in the head. Without the care and dedication of our doctors and nurses, I would not be here today.

Rev Jones added: It was while I was out walking, recuperating from my illness, that I bumped in to Cor Meibion Llanellis musical director Eifion Thomas. Without any prompting from me, he suggested the choir do a charity concert.

It was literally music to my ears as the choir had been very kind to me during my ministry at Ebenezer Chapel in Aberavon. After the terrible blast furnace tragedy at the Port Talbot steelworks in 2001, Cor Meibion rallied to the cause with a fund-raising concert which the people of the steel town found very moving indeed.

As a chapel at Adulam, we have already raised more than 700 through a charity curry night at the Masala restaurant in West End, Llanelli. We have high hopes that this charity concert can do better than that!

The concert starts at 7pm and tickets are available from Gerwyn Richards at Adulam Chapel, other chapel members and through Ysgol y Felin.

Cor Meibion Llanelli welcomed some special visitors to their rehearsals last week.

The choir staged a master class for more than 40 pupils from the Queen Elizabeth High School in Carmarthen.

The session was the idea of Cor Meibions new assistant accompanist Sarah Thomas (who teaches at QE High) and musical director Eifion Thomas.

Mr Thomas explained: Sarah is thrilled that so many boys at QE High are interested in singing and joining choirs.

So we thought it would be a good idea to stage a master-class at one of our rehearsal sessions at Furnace Community Hall.

The boys went along with the idea and more than 40 of them took part in rehearsals and we were able to put them through their paces with a variety of different songs.

It was a hugely rewarding experience for the choir and I hope the youngsters enjoyed the experience and that they will go on to enjoy their singing for many years to come. Who knows? Perhaps some will now be joining Cor Meibion Llanelli?

Meanwhile, Cor Meibion Llanellis most recent public performance was at the British Confectioners Association conference at the Stradey Park Hotel, when they showed off their new waistcoats, supplied by the ladies committee and manufactured by Manhattan Marketing, of Thomas Street, Llanelli.

The choirs next big Llanelli date will be the St Davids Day concert to be staged at Theatr Elli, Llanelli, on Tuesday, March 1. Choir rehearsals are held every Monday and Thursday (7pm) at Furnace Community Hall. New members and visitors are welcome.

For more information, see Cor Meibion Llanellis website on www.llanellimalechoir.co.uk

Cor Meibion assistant accompanist Sarah Thomas with pupils from QE High School in Carmarthen.

For more photos see https://picasaweb.google.com/robertapvincent/CorMeibionLlanelli2010#

Style is something that comes easy to the world-famous Cor Meibion Llanelli.

There is always a touch of class to their musical arrangements.

And now Llanellis male voice choir is able to boast some extra sartorial style for their stage appearances.

The 90-strong choir has been kitted out in brand spanking new tailored waistcoats. The waistcoats have been produced by the Cor Meibion Llanellis Ladies Committee.

Obviously, they thought that we needed a little extra something for our stage appearances, smiled choir chairman Mel Harries.

Followers of the choir will know that we normally take the stage in blue jackets or dinner jackets or tuxedos.

But it is always nice to present things less formally and the ladies came up with the idea of kitting us out in waistcoats a mammoth task, as you can imagine, as our choristers are all shapes and sizes!

Mr Harries added: We are, of course, very grateful to the ladies committee for making such a splendid effort and I am sure they will be very proud of the finished result when they see the choir take the stage in their waistcoats.

The choir performed last week at the British Confectioners Association conference at the Stradey Park Hotel.

Their next big Llanelli date will be the St Davids Day concert to be staged at Theatr Elli, Llanelli, on Tuesday, March 1.

After the disappointment of having to cancel the Christmas concert because of bad weather, the choir members are eager to get back on the Theatr Elli stage, said chairman Mr Harries.

Our annual St Davids Day concert is always a treat and I would advise people to book tickets early. Who knows? You may even get a chance to see the new waistcoats!

For more information, see Cor Meibion Llanellis website on www.llanellimalechoir.co.uk

Pictured in their new waistcoats are choir chairman Mel Harries, Ken Collins and Peter Thomas.

The importance of training the bakers of the future was highlighted during a two-day bakery and confectionery industry conference staged in Llanelli.

The British Confectioners Association (the body recognised as the torch-bearers for craft baking in the UK) picked Llanelli as the venue for their conference in honour of Jenkins the Bakers.

The Jenkins business is celebrating its 90 ^th anniversary this year.

Operations Director Russell Jenkins said the two-day visit by the BCA included business workshops, tours of the Jenkins Bakery main HQ in Trostre and visits to many Jenkins shops in the area.

Mr Jenkins added: They really do pack in as much as they can into BCA meetings. The BCA is highly regarded for preserving the craft element of what we do in the bakery industry. But it is also highly focused on innovation and the future and helping to improve the industry.

The conference is always known for its healthy exchange of ideas and best practice in the craft baking industry and this spirit of enterprise, partnership and cooperation was well to the fore in the Llanelli meetings.

Here at Jenkins, we pride ourselves on being very concerned with training our workers and we were delighted to have visitors from The Bakery School, a not-for-profit company based in Leigh in Lancashire which offers online tutorials for our staff.

Jean Grieves, of The Bakery School, joined her colleague Albert Waterfield in touring the Jenkins Bakery HQ.

She said: It was a very interesting visit and lovely to meet the enthusiastic and happy staff. We offer modules and programmes which the new generation of bakers can follow online and at their own speed. Its an innovative programme and I am delighted to see it is paying dividends for Jenkins Bakery.

The Jenkins bakery employs 300 people, full and part-time, across 25 different stores in South Wales.

The company has the Gold Standard Welsh Food Hygiene Award and the Investors in People award.

Company secretary Mr David Jenkins added: We are very proud to continue to be a family business and I think that shines through in everything we do.

The business employs 70 people at its Trostre HQ, while the Jenkins shop network stretches from Carmarthen to Bridgend. There are 13 shops in Carmarthenshire and even one as far afield as Powys.

Facts and figures . . .

Jenkins the Bakers produce 50,000 corned beef pasties a week.

The company serves 60,000 customers per week

7,500 custard slices are produced in a week.

The business uses 15 tons of flour a week

The flour silo at the Trostre HQ sees an 18-ton delivery every 10 days.

Picture: Russell Jenkins, director Jenkins Bakery, Albert Waterfield, The Bakery School. Front row - cake decorator Natasha Fuge and Jean Grieves of The Bakery School.

Other pictures available for download from

The 30th annual Mayors Fun Run in Carmarthen will chalk up yet another notable first this year.

The programme of races on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2, will include a special corporate section for businesses.

This is another new venture for the Mayors Fun Run team, said race organiser Noelwyn Daniel.

We strive to include as many races as possible for all sections of the community. There are already races for the very young and for veterans and last week we announced a wheelchair section for the first time.

Hopefully, a race category for businesses will be another an added attraction for spectators on what should be a very busy Bank Holiday Monday.

Mr Daniel added: We have had businesses entering before and they make a very colourful sight when they are all dressed up in matching T-shirts advertising their company and business.

It is a great opportunity for local businesses. Its a great team-building exercise for businesses, its great fun, it keeps your staff fit and healthy, companies get their name seen around Carmarthen and they are making a huge contribution to the community spirit in the town.

Plus, of course, theres the added edge of competing against other businesses to see who can be the best on the day!

We have already had a great deal of interest from local firms, including an entry of 13 from the Burns nutrition pet food company in Kidwelly. Any businesses out there who can go one better than a team of 13?

The main sponsors of this years races will be the St Catherine's Walk Shopping Centre.

The race date has been moved from the traditional Easter weekend to the May Day Bank Holiday on Monday, May 2.

Mr Daniel added: We have been hugely encouraged by the support of our major sponsors at St Catherines Walk and we are hopeful that this 30th annual race will be the start of a new era for the event.

Entry forms will be published in the Carmarthen Journal before the event. In the meantime, entry forms can be downloaded from the Fun Run website http://www.rasusymaer.org.uk The 2010 races raised cash for four Carmarthen charities and organisations - 500 each for Awaydays, Womens Refuge, Bi-Polar Organisation and Towy Salmon Swimming Club.Details of the 2011 charities will be released in the next few weeks.

Car manufacturers Suzuki and Cross Hands-based J and J Motors are helping to rev-up the fundraising campaign for the Healing The Wounds charity.

The charity, now celebrating its first year of operation, is raising funds for a suitable facility within Wales for the treatment of Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans and their families, who are suffering from stress-related illnesses such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).

The charity also aims to provide a convalescent home to allow them to heal and recover from the traumas of conflict. The Healing The Wounds charity wishlist currently has the historic mansion at Golden Grove in the Tywi Valley earmarked as a potential base.

The charitys work is moving on very quickly and we have already raised 120,000 towards out initial target of 200,000, said Healing The Wounds Executive Director Kevin Richards.

Our fundraising efforts have expanded very quickly in the 12 months since we first set up the charity and we are gathering support from all four corners of Wales.

We have a newly-appointed fundraising manager in Rachel Phillips and the very kind support of Suzuki and J and J Motors means that she will now be able to be more mobile in helping to support our fundraising efforts.

The support of Suzuki and J and J Motors has been very generous and we look forward now to moving our fundraising efforts up another gear thanks to their help.

Caption:

Boost for charity . . . Jonathan Thomas, a director of J and J Motors of Cross Hands Business Park, Cross Hands delivers the keys to a new Suzuki Swift to Rachel Phillips, fundraising manager for the Healing The Wounds Charity.

Notes:

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

A Gorseinon couple turned their Diamond Day into a charity fund-raiser for the Healing The WoundsGolden Grove Mansion Appeal.

The appeal aims to establish a Welsh convalescent centre for the treatment of ArmedForces Personnel, Veterans and their families who are suffering from stress-relatedillnesses such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).

When David and Irene Williams, of Grove Street, Gorseinon, knew their Diamondwedding anniversary was approaching, they decided they did not want any gifts.

Instead, they asked friends and family to contribute to Healing the Wounds.

Mr Williams served as a soldier with the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers.

His tours included Egypt, Palestine and Cyprus, during and after the Second World War.

The couple said they fully supported the work of the Healing The Wounds charity and wanted to help in any way possible.

The happy couple were married at St Davids Church in Penllergaer on 23rd September 1950.

Their celebration night included a dance and a buffet at The Brighton Road Club.

The event was organised by close friends Ann and David Buck, who also run dancing classes.

The catering was by The Brighton Road Club.

The evening raised 920 and there was a cheque presentation to Healing The Wounds representatives - Executive Director KevinRichards and Director Carol Richards.

Mr Richards said: It was a very generous act for David and Irene to use their memorable event as a charity fund-raiser. It justshows how passionately people care about making sure our military personnel aretreated properly in Wales.

Pictured, left to right - Ann Buck, Kevin Richards, Irene Williams, David Williams, Carol Richards and David Buck.

Golden Grove Appeal (Healing the Wounds) has been launched for the purpose of raising the funds needed to enable the purchase ofa suitable facility within Wales for the treatment of our Armed ForcesPersonnel, Veterans and their families, who are suffering from stress relatedillnesses such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and to provide aconvalescent home to allow them to heal and recover from the traumas ofconflict.
Golden Grove Mansion has become available for purchase with 100 acres ofCountry Park, which would provide a peaceful and beautiful environment thatwould be the perfect place for recovery.
However, if the sale of the property does not materialise, Healing the Woundscharity will continue to raise the funds needed for the purpose of searchingfor an alternative suitable property to facilitate treatments and convalescencefor 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 asthe seat of the Vaughan family, descendants of the Princes of Powys. Twohundred years ago it passed to Lord Cawdor and the present mansion was built in1834. In later years it housed an agricultural college, but is now empty. Thereare 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 awooded 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
Tomake your donation by post, please send a cheque payable to Golden GroveAppeal, together with your name address and post code to enable us to claimgift aid, to Golden Grove Appeal, 22 Abbey Road, Kenfig Hill, Bridgend, CF336HF.
Give in person at Barclays Bank
Call into any branch of Barclays and pay your donation into thisaccount:
Golden Grove Mansion Appeal
Sort code: 20-84-41
Account number: 90516929