PORTHCAWL

slope and pathway is causing more concern to residents as more storms with heavy rainfall are forecast

BAVO: Administered by Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations ( BAVO) grants may be awarded for capital or revenue up to the maximum of £3,000 pounds for community group in Penyfai,

Wildmill and Laleston, the scheme will fund the purchase of capital items and help with the running costs of the group, the Suncredit Community Benefit fund was set up with the help of BAVO some years ago to support communities immediately affected by the Solar Farm on fields next to Llangewydd Court Farm, Court Colman.

The deadline for applications for funding is 1pm on Monday,

March 2.

Penyfai Guide Group Guiding: Meetings are held in the Scout and Guide Hall, Court

Colman Road, Penyfai (except summer school holidays) as follows:

Rainbows (age 5 – 7) meet Wednesday from 5.30pm-6.45pm.

Brownies (age 7 – 10) meet on Mondays from 5.30pm-7pm.

For more information contact Pippa O’Neill on 074808 255 321.

1st Penyfai Scout Group: Scout and Guide Hall, Court Coleman Road, Penyfai (except summer):

Beavers (ages 6 to 8), meet Thursdays from 5pm-6.15pm.

Cubs (ages 8 to 10) meet Thursdays from 6.30pm-8pm.

Scouts (ages 10 to

14) meet Thursdays, 6.30pm-8pm.

Call Christine Jordan on 01656 860 831.

Play and Community Playgroup: For families of newcomers to the village of Penyfai with children from two years to four years looking to join a play group, there is the play and community play group held in the Scout Hall on Court Coleman Road, Penyfai.

It is open 9.15am-3pm Monday to Friday during term time.

Call 07813 392 464 for more details.

Send Your News To: 42 Suffolk Place, Porthcawl, CF36 3EB. 01656 451844 davidn-w@homecall.co.uk

Free Support For Community Groups: To reduce their carbon footprint, Porthcawl based charity Sustainable

Wales, contracted by Renew Wales www. renewwales.org.uk, is able to offer free support to reduce your group’s carbon footprint. The support is tailored to your particular circumstance and project activity.

The idea is to help groups respond to the climate change emergency. Are your activities and projects environmentally and people friendly? Do you need help to develop new ideas and ways of working or understand the Welsh Government’s Well-being of Future Generations Act?

Further support is available from a mentor - specific adviser/expert (equivalent to 2 daysworth of time) to help with more detail.

I would be pleased to come to one of your meetings and join staff, trustees and/or volunteers who will all be able to contribute in an informal way.

You will also be able to promote yourselves on the Renew Wales website action plans and evaluate what you have achieved. Contact Margaret Minhinnick at www. renewwales.org.uk

National Coastwatch Institution - Porthcawl: During January, the NCI in Porthcawl dealt with 2 logged incidents and monitored a further 9. They logged a total of 349 vessels and 592 volunteer watchkeeping hours were undertaken.

On the February 7 - the Porthcawl Branch participated in a live

“wet winching” training exercise with Coastguard Helicopter 187 off the pier at Porthcawl. This involved dropping a winch man into the water, detaching from the helicopter winch line, the helicopter flying off and returning to recover. Our role in this type of exercise is to provide a constant visual on the person in the water, in case the helicopter is called away to another incident, until the RNLI completes the rescue, by coming to the aid of the person in the water. This is excellent training for the volunteer watchkeepers and helps develop our skills. The Porthcawl Branch of the NCI are extremely grateful to the team at Bristow St Athans for their support.

Storm Ciara arrived on the 9th February.

The expected high tides and winds resulted in some spectacular waves and the branch also monitored the many photographers and sightseers to ensure their safety. The Fairy buoy, just offshore, was a casualty of the storm, having moved position. All relevant parties were made aware and its position is regularly being monitored. Information provided by Nick Weedon who is the Media Officer, Porthcawl NCI and can be contacted at the Watch Station at the end of Promenade near the RNLI Station.

Cancer Research

Porthcawl Branch: One for your Diary! The Porthcawl Branch of Cancer Research UK has now given a date for their Spring Lunch in the Hi-Tide in Mackworth Road. It is to be held on Saturday, April 18 at 12.30pm for 1pm. Information on ticket prices and menu will be available next week. This is always a most enjoyable function and which always raises a health sum for Cancer Research. There will be stalls and a raffle as well as lots of friends and friends you haven’t met yet!

Sandville Self-Help:

There is always a First Class Table Top Sale at Sandville Court

(CF33 4PU) on the first Saturday of the month and the next one will be held on Saturday, March 7 at 2.30pm-4pm. There are always lots of Bargains from £1 up and there will be numerous stalls, a Class Raffle and Refreshments will be available on the day.

Community Events - Porthcawl: Every year there are a number of events which take place in the town organised by community and voluntary groups. Porthcawl Town Council are keen to see more such events organised and are therefore inviting applications from local charity or voluntary groups needing some financial support to make the event a success.

The council is targeting support for events small or large that reflect our aims: a) benefit residents, business and visitors to Porthcawl b) showcase Porthcawl c) and are open to public.

This particular fund is not eligible for events which are fund raisers or collect money for onward distribution. Porthcawl Town Council are particularly interested in receiving early proposals, plans and costings for a summer and/or a Christmas event in 2020: Further details of how to apply can be obtained from the Interim Town

Clerk in the Council Offices in Mary Street (01656 782215). Note that all submissions must be presented by the required deadline of Saturday, March 7.

Col Canto: Col Canto are organising a Flower and Music Festival on Saturday, June 6 in All Saint’s Church in Victoria Avenue. The festival is free to enter and the Maesteg Male Voice Choir and

Col Canto will be there during the day as will other Porthcawl choirs and groups so look out for posters and programmes nearer the time.

Porthcawl Weekly Table Top Sale: Griffin Park, New Road, Porthcawl, CF36 5DF - This is a weekly event held every Friday at Griffin Park Hall in

New Road with doors open between 8am and noon. There are always stalls with books, games, CDs, DVDs and much more. Refreshments are available on the day and if you want a table to sell things yourself, then tables are available at £5 for the morning.

For further information or to book a table contact Jean on 07778 599616.

Porthcawl Farmers Market: The next Farmers Market will be held in Griffin Park Hall, New Road, CF36 5DF on Saturday, February 22nd between 9.30am and 12.30pm. All the usual stalls will be there and refreshments will be available. Go along and buy your local vegetables etc without the plastic wrapping and in so doing do your bit to help save the planet.

Porthcawl Veterans

Hub: The Veterans Hub offers a NAAFI break on Saturday mornings between 9am and 12pm to all ex-servicemen and women: It is held in the Porthcawl Wellbeing Centre adjacent to the tennis courts and bowling club at Griffin Park and is a place where regular and reserve military veterans and their families can meet with other veterans, raise their problems and get advice in a pleasant and convivial atmosphere.

Get help and advice in getting back to work and note that the Hub is also open to members of the emergency services including Coastguards, RNLI and NCI. Ex service men and women of all ages should call in and try it out and while you are there try the bacon butties and char! I called in last Saturday and was informed that between 40-50 ex-service people call in regularly on a

Saturday over the three hours they are open.

Museum And Historical Society: The next lecture in the PM&HS series of Lectures will be held on Tuesday, March 17 when there will be a talk on Shipwrecks Off Our Coast given by Ross Martin from Porthcawl RNLI and finally, on Tuesday, April 21 Ceri Joseph will be giving a talk on The Civil War in Wales. Anybody who heard the talk she gave on the Battle of Waterloo to celebrate the bi-centenary back of the event, back in 2015 will never forget the image of Ceri striding across the stage as Wellington with an over the shoulder throwaway line telling us that one of the reasons that he (Napoleon) lost at Waterloo was that he suffered from an unmentionable complaint! I’m sure that this is the way history should be taught and I can’t wait for her talk on the Civil War in Wales.

Porthcawl Stroke Club: The Porthcawl Stroke Club meets every Wednesday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm at Albert Edward Prince of Wales residential home in Pen y Lan Avenue, Porthcawl CF36 3LY and their mantra is ‘All Friends Together.’

Porthcawl Town Mayor’s Community Awards: Friday, March 27 will see the first Mayor’s Community Awards evening.

This event will be instead of the Annual Mayor’s Ball and is aiming to recognise the unseen heroes who quietly and surely help make our town a better place or those who help others and make life better for everyone around them. A nomination process has already started and winners will be announced on the evening and receive their due recognition.

The evening will feature a meal with coffee, good company, the band

‘The Valli Boys’, widely acknowledged as the ultimate tribute act to Frankie Valli and the

Four Seasons. DJ Robbie Owen will be supporting the event with dancing till midnight. The dress code is ‘smart casual’ and tickets and nomination forms can be obtained by contacting Caroline Newman, the committee secretary for the Mayor’s Community Fund, on 07799 717801 or by email on mayorofporthcawl communityfund@gmail. com

Cream Tea For Carers In Porthcawl: Are you looking for information and support with your caring role? Do you want to know more about what is going on in Porthcawl? If yes, come along to the Stage Door at the Grand Pavilion on Friday, March 6 from 12.30pm – 3.30pm and find out lots of useful information to help you whilst enjoying a spot of free afternoon tea.

Organised by

BAVO’s Community Navigators Project and Bridgend Carers Centre, information and support for carers will be available throughout the afternoon, alongside taster sessions in Tai Chi, stress control techniques, confidence building and lots more.

You are welcome to take part in as much or as little as you like. Working together to connect you to information and activities in your community to help your health and wellbeing, feel free to pop in for a chat to learn more about what is going on in Porthcawl.

For more information, please contact: Jodie Williams at BAVO,

T: 0792 321 2731 or E: jodiewilliams@ bavo.org.uk : BAVO’s Community Navigators Project for Bridgend County Borough is funded through Welsh Government’s Integrated Care Fund, working in partnership with

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health

Board and Bridgend County Borough Council’s Resilient Connected Communities Programme for Bridgend.

All are welcome to join and wear sensible clothing and walking boots/shoes are advised and bring a packed lunch and a drink.

Tir iallt WI: At the February meeting

Alexis James welcomed members and the speaker was David Thomas, a historian. David talked about the Welsh names around the Llynfi valley and Wales. The talk was enjoyed by all. Next meeting Tuesday, March 3 at Llangynwyd Primary School at 7pm and the topic is “Embroidery”.

Gleemen: The Maesteg Gleemen had the busiest Xmas in their long history raising money for worthy charities Ty Hafan children’s hospice and Prostrate Cymru.

They go into 2020 with an exciting event playing host to Guernsey Welsh Male Voice Choir who are over to Wales to sing in the Principality Stadium before the

Wales v Scotland match on Saturday, March

14. The night before Friday, March 13 they will perform in a joint concert with the Gleemen in St Michael’s Church, Maesteg, an event not to be missed. Tickets will soon be available from any chorister price £5 or pay on the door. 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Followed by an After Glow in Maesteg RFC,

Bird in hand Maesteg: Every Thursday at

8.30pm ears up, listen in for the rock and roll bingo. Live music every Saturday night, DJ upstairs, homemade food available.

Maesteg Harlequins: Next season we are looking to restart our youth team! If you are currently in year 11, 12 or 13 in school and are looking to get into rugby or would like a fresh challenge then Maesteg Harlequins RFC is the place for you.

All our youth coaches are fully qualified, plus there will be a strong working relationship with our senior squad including joint sessions. If you are interested then please contact us.

Live Music: In the Coytrahen Arms over the coming weeks:

Sunday, February 23 - Chris Howe.

Noteworthy: The Annual Concert this year will be held on Saturday, April

4 at St Michael & All Angels Church, Maesteg, commencing at 6.30pm.

The concert will feature the Welsh baritone John Ieuan Jones and tickets are priced at £8 each and are available from myself