PEMBROKE DOCK FESTIVAL GROUP

Lantern Festival Winter 2007 < click here for a slideshow.

www.pembrokedockfestival.org.uk

The Pembroke Dock Festival Group was supported in it's development from an informal grouping of people with the seed of an idea (to support the regeneration of Pembroke Dock through culture and the arts) to a fully constituted voluntary organisation by the Llanion Communities First Team and Partnership.

The Summer of 2006 saw the first week-long Pembroke Dock Midsummer Festival as the fruit of that capacity building work.



In 2006 part of the money raised by the Festival Group helped to fund 19 workshops for a wide range of people in the community ranging from;

• adults of all ages, who undertook training around different aspects of event management,
• to children and young people who made banners, sculptures and joined with music workshops.

  
During the festival;
The funding supported;

• 17 diverse events
• 2 large events attracting 500 people each
• 10,000 brochures distributed promoting Pembroke Dock
• 200 volunteers directly involved
• 2000 community beneficiaries
• Over £11,000 in funding attracted into Pembroke Dock.

The Pembroke Dock Midsummer Festival has been chosen as the representative image at the launch of the “National Strategic Framework for Community Development” in Wales.

Sponsorship and Support - Would you like to make a contribution to the development of this succesful initiative?

As well as the wider benefits, your support will assist the Pembroke Dock Festival Group to build on the success and momentum of last year’s event with a series of larger sculpture workshops leading to a larger parade though the town and culminating in a performance. 
The workshops will be targeted at people from the following disadvantaged groups in the community and will take place prior to and during the festival.

- Older people
- Young people 11 – 25
- People with basic skills needs.

To find out more about sponsoring the festival please contact Don Earl - Secretary, 29 Munro Court, Pembroke Dock, SA72 6ND. Tel: 01646 682565 e:mail earldnn@aol.com

SPRINGBOARD

Springboard is a partnership project funded by Llanion Communities First (£38,653), Monkton Communities First, Pembrokeshire County Council and the European Social Fund - Objective 1.  The project offers learning opportunities for adults living in the Communities First area of Pembroke Dock. 

The Project is continuing for its third year, bringing community based learning to Llanion. We would like to say a big thank you to Di Horley who has stepped down after two years working with this very successful project which has seen 481 learning opportunities taken up by the community.

The new Community Learning Animateur in Llanion is Claire Arnold who is keen to meet the community and hear what courses would be useful to them. She can be reached on 0845 603 7023 or 07876 651331

Springboard runs a wide range of short courses in crafts, IT and job related courses such as site safety, first aid and basic food hygiene. The courses are held locally and childcare is provided.

All our courses and activities are FREE and FUN!!

If you would like to take part in any of these activities or have ideas of your own then you can ring us free on 08456 037 023 or find us in Pembroke Dock Community School or email us on springboard@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

THE DOCKLEAF PROJECT

The Dockleaf Project funded by Llanion Communities First (£115,641) and Pembroke Dock Community School trains local people in NVQ Childcare.

The number of Dockleaf beneficiaries continues to rise and there is now a waiting list of people wishing to join the supported training offered by the project.

The success of the project has meant that of the 85 people who have entered the project since it began, a total of 55 have now found jobs.

Dockleaf offers training in NVQ Childcare and supports those who join the project with free childcare and with its own peer support network.

The school offers a wide range of opportunities to enable completion of NVQ Level 2 and 3 childcare and supports those who wish to progress further to teacher training and foundation degree level.

If you want to know more about Dockleaf, contact the Pembroke Dock Community School on 01646 684872

GO4IT - MENTRO ALLAN, PEMBROKE DOCK

STEPS2HEALTH

Llanion Communities First are part of the steering group for this project

Steps2Health is a new project in Pembrokeshire which aims to get more people out walking.  Walking is an easy, enjoyable and inexpensive way to improve your fitness - you don't need any special kit, apart from a comfortable pair of walking shoes.

By the end of 2006 Steps2Health aims to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy some fresh air, meet new people and improve their health by regular brisk walking in some of the most beautiful scenery in Britain. We already have walks in St Davids, Tenby, Fishguard and Pembroke Dock with walks in other areas being added over the coming months.

What is a health walk?

• Health walks are short organised walks, led by trained volunteers from the local community.
• Health walks are perfect for beginners or those who would like to become more active.

Why walk?

Walking has been described as the ideal form of physical activity.

• It can be done by almost anyone, anywhere, at any time.
• It makes you feel good, reduces stress and helps you to relax and sleep better.
• Walking two miles per day has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack by 28%.
• Regular walking can help you to lose weight - up to 14lbs in 3 months, in some cases.
• You use roughly the same number of calories whether you walk or jog the same distance.

Walking at any pace has the following benefits:

• Gives you more energy
• Improves your mood
• Increases confidence and stamina
• Helps to prevent diabetes
• Increases good cholesterol
• Helps to reduce weight
• Reduces risk of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and some cancers
• Improves muscle strength

Walking at a brisk pace also:

• improves the functioning of heart and lungs
• reduces blood pressure

Brisk walking is when you walk fast enough to make you breathe a little faster, feel warmer and have a slightly faster heart beat. But it should always be comfortable and you should still be able to talk!

Who to contact

If you are interested in coming along to a walk in your area, the Project Coordinator Paul Morris is waiting to hear from you on 07747 564042 c/o
Tenby Leisure Centre
Marsh Road
Tenby
SA70 8AB

Contact Paul Morris 07773 788173

Samba Doc

Samba Doc emerged out of a series of samba workshops that took place in Pembroke Dock throughout the autumn of 2008. The workshops were supported through the communities first music trust fund and music on the move and were led by Fliss Fleck a samba teacher based in West Wales. The purchase of a starter kit of samba instruments was made possible through a small grant from the Communities First Trust Fund.

The series ran for eight consecutive weeks and was a great success with an average of around ten people attending each week. The project culminated in an outdoor public performance at the head of the annual Pembroke Dock Midwinter lantern parade. The band got drenched, but the buzz and excitement of this first public performance was not easy to forget and Samba Doc was well and truly on its way.

So if you have ever secretly nurtured an ambition to join a samba band, now is your chance to do something about it. To find out more or to book a place please contact Stuart Colquhon on 01646 680508 or Vicky Parsons on 01646 651534

PROSIECT PAPURAU / COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Bob blwyddyn, mae 1,150 o wirfoddolwyr yn cyfrannu dros 50,000 o oriau gwaith i gynhyrchu papurau bro yng Nghymru, ac mae galw o hyd am fwy o bobl i ymuno â hwy. Mae gan yr holl bapurau bro gylchrediad o tua 47,000 drwy Gymru, ac mae’n dasg aruthrol ar adegau i ddiddanu’r holl ddarllenwyr hynny, a sicrhau eu bod yn gwybod beth sy’n mynd ymlaen yn eu cymunedau. Digon o gyfleon, felly, i wirfoddolwyr o bob oed i ymuno yn y bwrlwm.

I newyddiadurwyr y dyfodol, mae papurau bro yn gallu rhoi profiad gwerthfawr o’r byd cyhoeddi o fewn tafliad carreg o’u cartrefi, boed hynny drwy ysgrifennu erthyglau, bod yn ffotograffydd, dylunio tudalennau neu hyd yn oed olygu’r papur cyfan. Mewn diwydiant hynod o gystadleuol, mae papurau bro yn cynnig cyfle prin i gael troed ar yr ysgol ac yn ffordd o gyfrannu i fywyd cymunedol. Ond nid cyfryngis yn unig all elwa o helpu eu papur bro - mae nifer o ffyrdd i gyfrannu, gan gynnwys cyfieithu, cydlynu gweithgareddau, cadw cyfrifon a threfnu cyfarfodydd; oll yn ychwanegiadau ardderchog i CV. Mae yno hefyd elfen gymdeithasol gref i gynhyrchu papur bro, a digon o hwyl i’w gael bob mis wrth weithio ar y rhifyn nesaf.

Yn bwysicach fyth, mae papur bro yn gaffaeliad i’w ardal, ac yn adnodd amhrisiadwy i’r trefi a phentrefi maent yn eu gwasanaethu. Nid yn unig eu bod yn cyfrannu at iaith a diwylliant Cymraeg, ond maent hefyd yn galluogi pobl – yn aml yn fregus neu ar eu pennau eu hunain – i gyfathrebu gyda’i gilydd a mwynhau bwrlwm bro. Pam na wnewch chi roi cynnig arni? I ganfod sut y gallwch chi helpu eich cymuned, gloywi eich CV a gwneud ffrindiau newydd, galwch Megan Jones yn Antur Teifi ar 01570 423410.

Every year, 1,150 volunteers contribute over 50,000 man-hours to producing community newspapers in Wales, and they’re crying out for more to join them. With a combined circulation of around 47,000 nationwide, a considerable amount of effort goes into keeping all those readers entertained and informed of what’s going on in their communities, which means there are ample opportunities for volunteers of all ages to get involved.

Budding journalists can gain valuable work experience on their doorstep, with the chance to write news and feature articles, be a photographer, design pages or even to edit the whole paper. In an increasingly competitive industry, community newspapers offer a rare opportunity to step onto the career ladder are rare, as well as being a way to contribute to community life. But it’s not only newshounds who can benefit from helping their community newspaper – there are other ways to get involved, including translating, co-ordinating events, keeping accounts and arranging meetings; all good things to have on a C.V. There is also a strong social element to producing a community newspaper, with plenty of fun to be had in clubbing together to work on each month’s issue.

Most importantly, community newspapers provide a vital resource for the towns and villages they serve, contributing to Welsh language and culture and enabling people – often vulnerable and isolated – to communicate and interact with each other. So why not give it a go? To find out how you can help your community, improve your CV and make new friends, please call Megan Jones at Antur Teifi on 01570 423410.

DEBT ADVICE

In 2006, The Citizens Advice Bureau in Pembroke Dock made a successful bid to the Department of Trade and Industry’s Financial Inclusion Fund programme to fund a Debt Caseworker to work in Pembrokeshire. In April 2007 Sue Morris and Nina Pope were employed as Trainee Debt Caseworkers on a job share basis, working alongside Chris Jones and Heather Lander, the Debt Caseworkers already working at the Bureau and funded by the Legal Services Commission.

Since Nina and Sue started they have advised people on a range of debt problems; whilst some people have only a couple of bills that they are finding it difficult to pay others are faced with court action to repossess their homes. Debt casework involves gathering information on how the problems arose, often because of a sudden change in circumstances such as ill health or relationship breakdown, as well as details of income and expenditure. Once this information has been gathered, the advisors can give advice on any extra income people could claim, explain court procedures, help to fill in forms, discuss which debts must be paid first and help work out a plan for dealing with the people they owe money to and getting back in control of their finances.

To find out more about face to face debt advice call into the CAB at 38 Meyrick Street between 10am and 2pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday or call us on 01646 621719.

PRIME CYMRU

Prime Cymru is an Initiative for Mature Enterprise established by HRH the Prince of Wales.  The Charity is dedicated to helping people over 50 in Wales to become economically active.  If you are in this age group and want to start your own business, develop a social enterprise, simply find a job or look at volunteering opportunities and they can help.

Their Aims are:

• To encourage people of 50+ into volunteering schemes all over Wales

• To assist people of 50+ who wish to become self employed

• To assist people of 50+ who wish to find employment

• To support people who are 50+ through our mentoring scheme

How we theyhelp you?

Prime Cymru has a number of Advisors, Mentors & Co-Ordinators each covering a specific geographical area in Wales. This level of local knowledge means that they have the experience and contacts to help you achieve your goal.

The advisors work by giving FREE face-to-face advice, helping you shape and develop your ideas. Your adviser can also act as a mentor, supporting you as you overcome any practical and psychological barriers to starting your own business or returning to work.

FOR HELP AND ADVICE CALL FREE ON 0800 5874085

Winners of the Llanion Partnership trophy - Pembroke Dock Quins Carnival 2006

Food is Fun Class

Introduction to the Internet Class

Dockleaf NVQ Childcare Trainees

Volunteers roll up their sleeves at the Botanic Gardens