The Project Proposals are in!
Project Proposals
01 Boxing Gym
I am hoping to introduce a new Boxing Gym to Llandeilo, which will offer young people a weekly (possibly twice a week) training session(s) in the Civic Hall, Llandeilo. Currently there is nothing of the sort in the area and we know of youths who are bored and up to mischief on the streets. I know this as I personally encountered a group of 6 male youth’s, the ages of approx. 15 in Parc Le Conquet, Llandeilo. Who stressed that they had nothing to do and nowhere to go, hence they would loiter late at night at the parks.
I personally have experience with boxing as i used to attend a gym in Carmarthen. I also have good contacts with Cass, who runs a successful boxing club in Ammanford. Boxing offers a whole new perception to violent behavior, teaches new techniques and primarily, discipline. We have heard several complaints recently in the area of certain youths vandalizing parks, spraying apparatus with red marker paint, disturbance etc. But at the end of the day, if they have nothing to do then this is simply what’s going to happen. This is where the discipline aspect of the training would be key. Respect the equipment, gym and teacher and the respect will come back the other way. There is a real gap in the productiveness of youngsters in Llandeilo and I hope this will plug that gap.
Regarding sustainability. My aim is for the grant to get the Boxing club off the ground, from there on the community can sustain it long term. There is a lot of scope to the project which includes boxersize classes for adults and children, boxfit, sparring opportunities, all bringing in a steady cash flow long term. You could include a possible membership scheme on top of these classes, again creating income. We have plenty of volunteers interested that can help the project grow. Local sporting clubs have already issued interest regarding the boxersize/circuit classes, Llandeilo Football and Rugby Club, which will again add income long term. Alongside these we would apply for grant funding through sport, to cover as much costs going forward.
02 Bee Bombs
I am a member of the Town Council and as part of my duties, and with other volunteers, we have undertaken the general maintenance, day to day housekeeping and improvements to the green spaces in Llandeilo, mainly Penian Parc and Parc Ln Conquet.
The idea for which we seek funding are to create wild flower areas in both the parks and also other areas of Llandeilo and Ffairfach. Benefitting the wellbeing of the community as a whole, involving and educating children and adults about the benefits of green spaces, not only will the areas be beautiful to look at but it will improve the environment with its carbon capture and as a food source for pollinating insects and bugs.
The Bee Bombs are made from a mixture of normal bagged compost, clay powder and wild flower seeds. I intend to use only native flower seeds with a mixture of annuals and perennials and with the vast majority of those seeds being self-seeding so hopefully bringing a profusion of colour, textures and scents to those areas with very little cost of maintenance in the future
I have had informal decisions with all 3 Primary Schools who were very eager to get involved. I am extremely keen to get the children of these schools in the making of the bombs and in the distributing of them and then hopefully when the seeds have germinated to find a volunteer bug expert to take the children out to these wildflower areas to do a bug sweep to identify the different species and the values that they bring to the environment. This in turn I would hope would encourage the children to have their own small wildflower areas in their own gardens.
We would hope to start the process in April 2022 with the preparation of the ground and in the making of the Bee Bombs, I would then like to take the children out in May time to launch the bombs randomly but in a designated aree and then to take them out in July time before the schools break up with the bug expert. We plan to cut a small footpath through one of the areas for people to walk through.
I do believe that this project meets your criteria and I hope you look upon it favorably as it will benefit the whole community with a stunning display of colour and to educate the children.
03 Natur Project Ysgol Bro Dinefwr
The Outdoor Learning Project (Natur) was originally drawn up in 2018 and involved an acre of waste land to the side of the school which had been left fallow and suffered from poor drainage and frequently flooded.
Mr Christwick, Assistant Headteacher and the new Headteacher Mrs Spowage developed a vision of turning an area of waste land into a productive and stimulating environment for the pupils of Ysgol Bro Dinefwr. From small shoots grew the Natur project and phase one which involved many national organisations including the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Centre for Alternative Technology, Royal Society and the National Botanic Gardens supporting the school and enabling the school to develop its curriculum offering to include Horticulture and a new Horticulture after school club has already begun in September 2021.
All the work seen on the site is the result of a team of volunteers to project manage and build all of the infrastructure. Pupils of the school planted the raised beds and have spent evenings under the guidance of officers from the National Botanical Gardens learning about their outdoor environment and growing their own vegetables.
The school is developing the area as an exemplar to demonstrate sustainability and prepare students for the new cross curricular activities which will be required in all subjects in preparation for the launch of the New Curriculum in September 2022.
The Natur Project currently has an Outdoor classroom, polytunnel for hydroponic experiments, food production which is sold through a local shop in Llandeilo; an 18m pond to promote diversity and nurture wildlife; an Outdoor Theatre which is in the first phase of construction, a peace garden and plans for bee hives, chickens and ducks.
As a special project the school entered into partnership with the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth for their students to design and build an Outdoor Theatre. Phase 1 involved the design and build of the theatre and Phase 2 involves the construction of a roof for which the school is raising an additional £7.5K for a sympathetic shingle cladding construction. Once the theatre is complete the school will be undertaking outdoor theatre projects and the additional funding we are seeking are for rustic benches to fit in with the outdoor themes of the project.
Future phases of the project will involve a Sensory Garden for our specialist autistic centre (Canolfan Cothi) and leasing of the adjacent woodland for a mountain bike track for students. We currently have arrangements to support the local community to provide facilities to teach local people cookery skills and our plans for electric car charging points are at the final stages of agreement with Carmarthenshire County Council.
It is worth reiterating that this project has been funded through donations and fundraising by teachers, students and parents and obtaining grants from National bodies. The work undertaken so far has been project managed by volunteers and staff and the manual work and infrastructure has been completed by staff and volunteers during lockdown. The development of curriculum and opportunities for students to experience the outdoor project has only just begun and its already obvious how much our young people are growing in their new environment.
04 Gardd Cymunedol Ysgol Ffairfach
Hoffwn ddatblygu ein gardd Ysgol ar gyfer ddefnydd y disgyblion ac i henoed yr ardal. Mae’r ardd yn cael ei ddefnyddio at addysg allanol yn ystod oriau Ysgol ac yn agored i’r gymuned ar ôl Ysgol ac yn ystod penwythnosau a gwyliau. Mae’r cyfnod clo wedi golygu bod ein gardd wedi gor dyfu gyda phethau wedi dinistrio ac mae nawr angen ailwampio hwn. Mae nawr angen ail-ddatblygu’r ardd er mwyn ail afael ar gysylltiad gyda’r gymuned er lles plant a chymdogion yr Ysgol. Y bwriad yw creu gweliau blodau/ llysiau, ardal dawel i ddarllen/ ymlacio gyda meinciau, datblygu gardd synhwyrol a gosod ‘Polytunnel’ ar gyfer gweithgareddau trwy’r flwyddyn. Bydd ardaloedd I gymdogion dyfu cynnyrch eu hunan a’r plant I dyfu a gwerthu cynnyrch. Dyluniad gan y plant fydd yn arwain sut mae’r ardd yn edrych.
Mae’r ieir hefyd angen cartref newydd, felly bydde unrhyw arian sbâr yn mynd tuag at ddatblygu ardal ddiogel a chartrefol iddyn nhw. Mae’r ieir yn brosiect sydd ar waith gyda’r gymuned- gyda’r gymuned yn elwa o edrych ar ôl a chasglu’r wyau dros benwythnosau a’r gwyliau. Bydde cymorth ariannol at ddatblygu hwn yn werthfawr iawn.
05 Ffairfach Park
We would like to improve the park in Ffairfach to make it more useable in hot weather. I live in the village and use the park regularly with my one year old daughter. In the summer there was no shade to sit under and being outside became unbearable. With the climate changing, it makes sense to use natural solutions to prepare for hotter summers in the future. I propose planting some trees and a living willow structure to improve the situation.
The willow structure will provide more structural diversity in the park and somewhere for younger and older children to explore and play. We will work with the Eco Council in Ffairfach school to plan and design the structure and ensure it is situated in a suitable location. We want to ensure we maintain areas of the park that are currently used. The structure will need annual maintenance that the Community Council have agreed can be included within the general park maintenance.
We propose planting x4 trees in a location that will be decided in collaboration with the Community Council and children from Ffairfach school. These will grow into large standard trees which will provide shelter within the next 10 years.
We also propose planting a hedgerow with deciduous native trees which can be provided for free from the Woodland Trust. These will be planted in a double line along the northern boundary of the park. It will replace a hedge which was recently taken out on the adjacent neighbours boundary.
Planting trees is good for biodiversity, and the hedgerow will provide connectivity to other habitats.
I have a background in delivering environmental education and would like to work with Ffairfach school to deliver these changes.
I have spoken to other parents of young children who are supportive of the proposals and will help where possible. I also have the support of Duffryn-Tywi Community Council who manage the park.
We propose;
- Build a living willow structure designed with children from the Ffairfach Eco Council and parents and children from Ffairfach Ty a Fi.
- Hold a willow workshop in Ffairfach School where each child makes a willow leaf that will then be attached to the willow structure.
- Plant new hedgerow along boundary fence to replace the one previously there, with Ffairfach eco council.
- Plant x4 new larger trees which will grow to provide shade in the summer.
06 Young People’s Creative Empowerment Project
Now, more than ever, is a crucial time for additional support and guidance for young people. Mental health charity, Mind, reported more than half of adults, and two thirds of young people, said their mental health worsened during the lockdown restrictions.
I run Creative Empowerment Coaching Programmes and Workshops, which empowers individuals to develop their own resilient tool kit in order to confidently pursue a career within the creative industry.
My aim is to outreach to as many as can benefit from this innovative programme, but the primary focus is those who would otherwise not be able to afford such a course. National Youth Agency reported two thirds of those who lost their jobs during the pandemic were under 25, hence why I believe this funded programme should focus on under 25s, whom live in and around Llandeilo.
In order for any artist to be successful in the creative industry they need to be equipped with skills that build up their resilience. This programme has been specifically designed with the following six factors to do just that:
- Values: often we are unhappy because our life is out of alignment with what’s important to us. We look at what’s deeply important to them to ensure going forward they plan towards a life that matches up to that
- Goal Setting: identifying the one big goal, then working in numerous small actionable steps in order to get there
- Overcoming fears, limiting beliefs & obstacles: our biggest downfall – why we feel we can’t achieve something – is our limiting beliefs that we’ve held for many years of not being good enough to pursue their goal. This then is reflected as many obstacles that seem to be in our way – when really it is our fear & lack of belief in ourselves
- Confidence mindset: in accordance with disproving limiting beliefs, we develop the confidence in our ability to achieve our goals, and work on the mindset of receiving “failures” as lessons to improve – vital for resiliently receiving criticism and rejection.
- Self-Love & Self-Worth: limiting beliefs also come down to lack of self-love – not feeling worthy to have a fulfilling life that they love.
- Freedom of Creative Expression: in combination with all of the above, I create a space where they feel it is a safe space to begin to express themselves creatively and be supported in doing so.
There are many budding artists in Llandeilo, all they need is the support and guidance for their potential to flourish.
07 Llyfrgell a Lles Hwb Ysgol Gymraeg Teilo Sant
The creation of a Wellbeing Hwb at Ysgol Gymraeg Teilo Sant is an ambitious, innovative and crucial project that will develop a center for excellence for wellbeing and learning experiences.
The Hwb will be a flexible environment for students, staff and parents at the school as well as enhancing provisions for the local and wider community.
The Hwb will be a multi-use space which will also contain a predominantly Welsh medium library which through a book borrowing scheme will also benefit four other local primary schools.
The Senior Leadership Team, the School Governors and the CRhA/PTA are working collaboratively to plan and design the Wellbeing Hwb so that the project aligns with the needs of the school and the priorities of the School Development Plan for the forth coming years.
The Wellbeing Hwb project primarily aims to provide wellbeing, support for all, to help build children’s emotional resilience, support staff and parents/carer’s and promote mentally healthy schools, as well as providing a space to enhance literacy, numeracy and academic support and diversify learning opportunities.
The Hwb will house wellbeing resources and equipment, a school library (specialising in Welsh literature), and the space will have flexible and transformative capabilities to facilitate community, learning and wellbeing activities. Similar projects have been successfully implemented in other schools in the UK.
Young people are the main focus of this project which aims to provide a holistic experience for students at Ysgol Gymraeg Teilo Sant. These students are already a generation of children who will be impacted by the lock-down period and the further ramifications of Covid-19 on our community and this project aims to safeguard their futures. This is turn will foster confident, capable and caring individuals who will enrich the communities that they live in.
08 Tree Nursery
I would like to propose a locally based tree nursery to provide free tree saplings for re- greening projects in the town and surrounding area.
Many of us have access to mature native trees which produce seeds every year. The proposal is to collect seeds in the autumn and plant them in large pots to germinate and grow on for several years and then distribute them to people and organizations around Llandeilo to re-green the area and plant woodland on unproductive land at minimal cost.
Permaculture Tywi could provide the land to house the growing trees and people to nurture them, and then in the fullness of time co-ordinate the collection or delivery of the trees.
The only expense would be pots and compost. We could provide 1000 trees for a cost of less than £3000.
09 Orchard Extension
Dinefwr Orchardeers is a voluntary group based at Dinefwr Home farm, Llandeilo, whose purpose is to promote active orchard management in and around the Towy valley. We’ve been managing the National Trust Dinefwr Heritage Orchard since 2015, initially purely as NT volunteers, but since 2020, as a separately constituted community group.
We wish to ‘gear up’ our activities on a fully inclusive basis to make more of the produce from the Dinefwr Orchard and also many other local orchards with whom we are developing relationships. We plan to sell the produce and to reinvest any surplus into training in all aspects of orchard management skills and knowledge, including plant selection, planting and establishment, pruning, care and maintenance, propagation, harvesting, juicing, pasteurising, fermenting and, eventually, other product manufacture.
We are going to offer public access to not only the current orchard, but a partly planted spiral orchard extension. Such access will be on a casual basis, and also an extension of the current participatory activities that promote the skills and knowledge outlined above, including weekly practical voluntary working sessions, and more at busy orchard periods. We also plan to extend our activities to local schools and youth groups by hosting active visits, where children can get hands-on in the orchard and processing rooms, and also by taking processing equipment to local schools to give on site demonstrations – also hands–on wherever feasible.
