Upsets, dissapointments and excitement!

Hi All,

What a week it has been! We have seen so much rain, the poor kids have had a miserable summer holiday. Bless them!

I'm still suffering with my teeth and getting incredibly frustrated. 3 weeks with a swollen mouth. Hmpff!!

I was very excited to receive an invitation last week from the Secretary of State for Wales, inviting me to be an official guest of Her Majesty's Government at the Equestrian event of the Paralympics!! How excited am I? I go next week and am so honoured to have been invited.

This Bank Holiday Monday should have seen the Picnic in the Park take place at Crown Park. Unfortunately, the weather was horrendous and the committee had to make the difficult decision to postpone. The ground was too wet and it would not have been safe. The whole community was dissapointed but understood. I'm waiting to here what date it has been re-arranged for. It's going to be fab!

Recently, I've been the target of a couple of bullies and unfortunately, I allowed their behaviour to upset me. However, I've given myself a talking to and I will no longer allow these individuals to bother me again. You see, all that I do, I do voluntarily and for the good of the community and not for financial gain or kudos. I will continue to work hard for my community for as long as I need to.......

I have some exciting projects coming up soon so watch this space!

The dreaded results day!

This week I've had horrendous toothache coupled with an abcess, but even that can't dull my mood today.

Everyone was up early today as it was GCSE result day and I had a very nervous daughter to contend with. We took her down to Coedcae to pick up her results and her beautiful prom photo. Forever the pranker, she decided to phone me from inside the school building, (I was waiting in the car), and told me she had all D's and an U. However, this was not the case and when she eventually returned and handed over her results, despite the pain it caused (abcess :( ), I had the biggest grin on my face!

She passed everything!! All B's and C's. I couldn't have been more proud. I always knew she could do it, she just needed to believe that herself. I'm absolutely delighted for her. There were a lot of happy teenagers there today, so congratulations to each and every one of them.

Celebratory meal later and a pressie is in order I think. She likes Indian food............do they do soup?

Hello my friend, hello......

Well hello there!

I know, it's been over a month since I last posted on this blog! My most humble of apologies. There's been so much going on and with busy school holidays (I refuse to say the word summer!), I simply haven't had time.

So, what have I been up to??

I'm delighted to be working with Morfa Family Centre arranging low cost family trips. Our first one is to Manor Park this Friday. Weather prediction? Horrendous!! But we're not made of sugar, we're not jelly babies, we won't dissolve - wellies and mackintosh it is!!

Morfa Family Centre have been running sessions throughout the holidays and the children are really enjoying them. So far there's been a fun day, mini sports day, mosaic and clay modelling and today there was circus skills. We have a trip to Pembrey Country Park next week for a bit of horse riding. Yee Haa!

There have also been play sessions at Crazy Maisies, helping to raise monies for the Life Share scheme. Talking of which, we're really getting somewhere now. Copperworks School and Llanelli Tesco have both pledged their support and the wonderful fitness instructors have agreed to do a sponsored fancy dress dance around the swimming pool!! How very brave..........

There was a lovely piece in this week's Llanelli Star also. You can read it here - http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Helpers-families-big-festive-boost/story-16711175-detail/story.html
There's also a Curry Fundraising evening to be held on September 7th. Tickets are £10 each.

This week (today actually), I've realised that I'm a better person than some individuals and I refuse to allow them to trouble me further. All that I do, I do for the betterment of the community, to create a better community for my children to grow up in and not for personal gain. I work hard and I can hold my head up high.

So, tomorrow's plans are to pop in to Llanelli Multi Cultural Network's exhibition in Lakefield Hall and then off to the cinema to watch Brave.

Catch up with you all soon :)

I've been neglecting you.....

Hi All, it seems I've been neglecting you and for that I am sorry!

The last couple of weeks have been somewhat up and down. My youngest daughter had her yellow belt in Kickboxing and we're all immensely proud. My niece Gracie had her school prom and she looked lush! And it was my other niece's 2nd Birthday. How quickly time goes by.

Last Saturday we held the Safer Communities Action Group's first ever Summer Fayre which was supported by Llanelli Multicultural Network and I would like to hail it as a success. There was a very energetic Street Fit Dance demo and the fabulous Ammas did what he does best - African Drumming! We all had a fab day and we'd like to thank everyone for their support.

Now, this week, well, where do I start? A friend of mine found herself in an awful situation and I have come to realise that at times the law is an ass! She finally had a positive result, but not until a great deal of hurt and anguish.

I would like it to be known that I love my family dearly and I am thankful to have them here, close to me.

I also passed my theory test today so I'm halfway to becoming a legal driver!! How exciting, as long as I remember to breathe............

Friday sees the final session of the Feel Good Factor Health Programme which has been very successful. Seeing it end is a little bitter sweet. Special thanks to Debs from D-Stress Solutions and Jacquie from Tranquil Minds

I'll catch up with you soon.

Laters :)

A busy week...

What a week! This week has been a busy one.

My beautiful daughter attended her prom last night at Ffos Las and she looked gorgeous! I'm a very proud mum right now.

I've finally booked my theory test so I'm hitting the books to study. Feels like I'm back at school......

Had a very productive meeting with Deborah Chapman from the Antioch Centre and we have some really exciting projects coming up.

Also had a very productive meeting this morning with various service providers and partners. Highlighted the very good positive work that has been and continues to be implemented within Glanymor and Tyisha. It's very easy to forget about this good work and focus only on the negative so a thumbs up for the agreed way forward!

And....finally got to see the Doctor. Why is it always easy for a Doctor to give you tablets and then send you on your way without actually getting to the root of the problem? Have spoken to my Holistic Therapist friend and we're going to try some holistic remedies first. :)

Can I be a patient patient?

Today I needed to make an appointment with my GP. My appointment isn't an emergency yet I would like to be seen fairly soon. The date the receptionist gave me was for July 20th!!!! That's 4 weeks away!

Now, I know I'm not the only person to get frustrated with Doctor's waiting lists, in fact most people I speak to have the same gripe. But why is it that we have to wait so long to see our GP? Are we to guess when we might become unwell and book an appointment in advance?

What constitutes an emergency appointment? To me an emergency is just that, an emergency! When you're very unwell and need urgent medical assistance (not to be confused with semergencies requiring hospital treatment).

Having to wait 4 weeks may lead my ailment to become worse when eventually I will need an emergency appointment. This really is unacceptable and I know many of you will agree. Time to start lobbying I think!!!!

In answer to this post's heading, NO, I am not a patient patient!!

The Wallich

The Wallich, what a wonderful project. The Wallich works with homeless and vulnerable people and yes, they've had one or two problems but hey, who doesn't?

This week they were featured on Secret Millionaire and what a very deserving charity to receive the financial gift. It was heartening today to hear that Phillip, the Secret Millionaire, has remained in contact with the project.

Paul, Mary and the team have my full support :)

Passionate? You could say that!

Today, I'm not in a very good mood! I promised myself that I wouldn't use this blog to vent my anger or to criticise others and today I'm finding that really difficult!! Some people really don't deserve the accolades they receive. I am fed up of people taking credit for work other people do, I am fed of people constantly criticising others and I am fed up of rude, bad mannered, egotistical jerks!!!!!!!!!

Penymorfa project....

This week I received complaints for residents living in the Penymorfa area. The waste land which was transformed 2 years ago had overgrown so much it was up to hip heighth! I emailed a complaint in yesterday and I'm delighted to hear today that the grass will be cut tomorrow. :)

Oh the weather oustide is frightful....

Oh my goodness! What has happened to the weather? It's simply horrendous!

Today I went to a fundraiser for the Fire Fighters Benevolent Fund and despite the weather, Lilian Rees (organiser) still managed to raise over £200 which is fantastic, so well done Lil!

This evening I'm off out with my friends, it's been a little while since we last went out so I'm really looking forward to it. I have my Pimms ready, just because it's raining doesn't mean I can 't enjoy a little summer ;)

My 2 girls have been busy baking a cake for Father's Day which reminds me that I have to make breakfast in bed for one fab dad!

Laters

This week, everyone's talking about.......

Well, I have never met such book hungry women before! We all know the reason and it's all down to the Fifty Shades trilogy. Thye discussions at the school gates are all about one Christian Grey. I have to admit, I do have all three books on my kindle and I am as much a fan as anyone. Read on ladies......

Adult Learner and Tutor Awards Speech

Hi there, below is the speech I made at the recent Adult Learner and Tutor Awards held at Parc Y Scarlets.

Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen. May I take this opportunity to congratulate all of you, not just those who have received awards this evening, but each and every single one of you. Your bravery and determination is commendable. You took the first step, tutors and teachers may have opened the door for you, but it was your decision to enter.

Like you, I am currently an adult learner, I’m learning to drive! After having my provisional license for nearly 20 years, I’ve finally got behind the wheel, turned the key and started my journey. It’s terrifying, there’s so much to learn but I’ve not crashed the car or injured anyone yet so that’s a bonus!

Learning something new can be frightening, suddenly, your whole world revolves around it and you aim to be as enthusiastic and the best that you can be. I’m dyslexic so learning something new is always a scary prospect for me. I have to read and re-read everything to make sure I understand it correctly. Anything I write gets proof-read by my husband to ensure that it makes sense and that there are no spelling mistakes. Sometimes, a word will look correct to me when it’s not, but I’m learning, everyday!

Education empowers people, whether it’s learning a new language, learning to read, learning maths, learning to drive or simply learning how to ride a bike or decorate a cake. Education gives us confidence, it gives us the tools to progress in life. We don’t have to be heroes and try to learn everything overnight. Take it a step at time, enjoy it, relish it and respect it.

We all have the right to education. Adult education is just the same as a school educating children, where we develop our skills and broaden our knowledge. Education helps us to contribute more fully and effectively in society. But life itself is an education; we learn something new every day, just this week I learned that my two teenagers appear to be allergic to doing the dishes!!

Face down your challenges, embrace and welcome them! Education gives us the skills to steer ourselves towards any direction we choose, to experiment and explore and to dive headlong into the world. Your mind is a tool and you can choose to use it any way you want. You are the masters of your own minds, the captains of your own ships.

Louise Hay says – “Your thoughts and beliefs of the past have created this moment, and all the moments up to this moment. What you are now choosing to believe and think and say will create the next moment and the next day and the next month and the next year."

Thank you

Cracks in the pavement

A lovely couple I met during the election campaign were telling me of their frustration regarding the paving in Druce St Seaside. They had reported the problem and had asked a local councillor to take up the issue for them but to no avail.

I reported the matter to CCC and this week I received an email stating; "I would like to confirm that regular inspections of the footpath are carried and any defects noted will be dealt with. After inspecting the footpath on your request I shall raise a job number for this footpath to be resurfaced i.e. slabs removed and tarmac laid instead."

The couple are delighted and I hope the work gets done soon!

Adult Learner and Tutor Awards

Last night it was my very great pleasure to be a guest speaker at the Adult Learner and Tutor Awards held at Parc Y Scarlets. It was fantastic listening to the stories on why people deserved their awards and each and every one of them truly deserved the recognition.

My fellow guest speaker Kevin Green and I also got to present some awards which was lovely and I got presented with a beautiful boquet of flowers too!

I have to say, the buffet was lovely too although I couldn't really eat much due to this infected tooth :(

Well done everyone and thanks for inviting me along to share your evening.

Seaside Jubilee Celebrations

Well, Monday's weather turned out to be ok and I'm sure it was only so that we could celebrate the Jubilee in Seaside as it rained Sunday and Tuesday!!

The day was brill with the community coming together and helping one another out. The tables and flags really gave it that regal theme and poor Richard Keenan volunteering to be the victim in the wet sponge throw was awesome.

Special thanks to everyone who came along and worked hard to make it a success - Maria, Danna, Geraldine and so many more. Seaside still has an excellent community spirit.

Hmmm, it's been a little while since I last posted. My laptop went to join with all those other electronic things in the sky. Yes, it died and I think I quite literally cried!!

So, I have quite a bit to catch up on......

When I learned that the Cricket Club in Seaside was being given to someone else to run as a pub and not the association to run as a community facility, I was devastated. Despite the assurances that there will be community facilities provided (phase 2), I'm not thrilled with the prospect of having a pub on the park. Just my opinion.....

Other news - I was very proud to be a Turk on May 23rd when I was one of the 500 who headed to the Senedd to protest about the downgrading of our services at Prince Phillip Hospital. I was even prouder of Caitlin, who at 8yrs old decided it was important for her to attend and what a lovely protester she made :)

At the beginning of this week, Steve and I headed to London as I had been invited to the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace!! It was a lovely day and the gardens were beautiful. We were served finger sarnies and cakes. I have to say that Katherine was simply gorgeous and Steve didn't look to bad either! ;)

On Wednesday, Holly and I visited Swansea to pick out her shoes and bag for PROM and for her to have a fitting. She looked stunning and not a single cross word was uttered. Success!!!

On Thursday we held our annual Community Safety Awards and Presentation Evening and I am a very proud wife and mum as Steve won the Community Champion Award and Rhys won the Young Community Champion Award. Congratulations to all the other winners.

By Friday however I had a dreadful migraine and had to miss my health course :(

Saturday, well it's a bit of a blur.....

I'm looking forward to our Jubilee celebrations tomorrow and have been busy preparing today. Please stay dry????

The week ahead......

Staring at my diary is not going to get the work done! I have several meetings this week as well as the SOSPPAN demo at the Senedd on Wednesday. I have decided to Caitlin along with me, after all, she also has the right to protest and to be heard.

I also need to find the perfect dress to wear at Buckingham Palace, I'm just not happy with anything I find so it's a last ditch visit to Monsoon tomorrow for me.......

May Blues!

Yesterday was a little hectic to say the least! After reading a star article which didn't impress me greatly I headed to the monthly SCAG (Safer Communities Action Group) meeting. It was nice to catch up with everyone and even nicer to see some new faces. This group is growing from strength to strength. I was quite anxious that we finish on time as I had a 4:30pm train to catch to Cardiff to see Westlife on their farewell tour!

The concert was awesome and I was quite sad thta this would be the last time I saw them live. I've watched them grow from boys to becoming the men they are today; I sound like a mum. I'll never forget their first tour when me and my best mate Yas went to see them. We've now been 13 times.......

Had to be up early today and really didn't want to. Had the Feel Good Factor Health and Wellbeing course. Fab meditation, redid my vision board although it wasn't quite what I expected and lunch was delicious. Feel bleurgh though. Maybe it's an anti climax from last night or maybe it's because it's May and it's cold and raining. Will I ever get my veggies planted?? I hope the sun re-appears for the Strawberry Tea on Sunday..

Going to chill a bit now with my kindle and coffee and read 50 Shades of Grey Darker.......

International Women's Day 2012

Although a few months back now (March 2012), I wanted to share this with you. March saw us celebrating International Women's Day. This year's theme was domestic violence, delivering the message that society will not tolerate domestic violence and that there is help. Nia Griffith MP delivered a short speech highlighting the fact that although women have come along way, we still have to fight harder for that job, for acceptance. Recently, I was very privileged to be invited to speak to a group of women visiting from Lybia and Jordan as part of the active citizens programme. Below is what I said to them but I feel it also applies here, at home.

When I was first invited to come and speak to you, a little panic arose. Was I qualified to speak to you? So I sat down and begun to think about my life and how it fit into the community.
I grew up in the community where I still live with my husband and three children. I have been a community volunteer for over twelve years now, working with my neighbours to make our community a happier, safer place to live. I have helped to organise large scale events, worked with the local schools on many different activities, projects events and campaigns and have received awards for my accomplishments which include “All Wales Volunteer of the Year, Community Safety Champion, Road Safety Wales and also a commendation from Dyfed Powys Police”. Volunteering was within my comfort zone. Recently, I decided to take the next step, into local politics. Am I ready? I don’t know, I hope so........
 
It’s the year 2012 and still women are not always regarded as being capable, strong, and intelligent. It’s sometimes difficult being a woman working in the community as our sympathies are seen as weakness, our kindness seen as naivety.
 
As a woman I am many things; a daughter, a sister, a mother, a wife, a friend, a counsellor, a good listener, a referee, a cook, a cleaner and so much more......
 
Women come together every day to create a better environment for our families, our neighbours and our friends. Whether it is whilst out shopping, in work, or taking our children to school or the park, we come together. We come together to talk about our concerns and how we can make changes for the better. We all want what’s best for our families and our communities and this is the one thing we have in common, we women, from around the world. We are united, we share common goals. We are home makers, lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, fire fighters, police officers, policy makers, women - making a difference.
 
There is a Mexican proverb that says “The house does not rest upon the ground, but upon a woman” this is true of all of us. Believe in yourselves, believe in your capabilities, and believe in your talents, your drive and enthusiasm. All change is possible; it just takes effort and a desire to make that change. Life is always evolving and it is up to us to make sure that the change is for the better. There will be days when you want to give up, when you feel you haven’t made progress, when the world appears to be fighting you. On those days, smile to yourself and say “I am woman, now hear me roar!”

I hope this has inspired you a little to go out there and be the best I know you can be.

I have now been asked to speak at the adult learner presentation evening next week. I have begun to think about what I can say. I am currently an adult learner myself - learning to drive abysmally! But if each of us stops for a while and thinks about it, we are all adult learners, learning something each day, whether it's that you really don't like daytime TV or whether it's something more, such as I'm learning how to use me kindle properly, we are constantly changing and constantly learning. It doesn't matter how old you are, if you want to learn something new, grasp life by it's horns and do it!

Sun, Sun, Sun!

What is it about the sun that puts a spring into your step? Everything seems possible when the sun is shining. Strangers will smile at one another, nothing is too much trouble and suddenly, things just seem to fall into place!

This week has been a funny old week, but today was top form. After running a few errands this morning, I popped in to visit Llanelli Multi Cultural Network. They normally meet on a Thursday at Lakefield Hall which is difficult for me, but they had an education event today. After sampling some of Paolo's fabulous cooking, I skipped out before it was time to do the dishes!

Next on my agenda was a meeting with the police to look at future projects. It was a very productive meeting and I'm quite excited about what will be coming up :)

I am also delighted that the Cumulative Impact Order has now come into force - meaning, no new licences will be granted along Station Rd unless under exceptional circumstances.

This evening, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I make it in time for my train tomorrow. I'm off with my best mate and our daughters to see Westlife for the very last time. There'll be tears before bedtime!

The Safer Communities Action Group will be holding their monthly meeting tomorrow at St. Barnabas Hall, Llewellyn St at 2pm. The group meets every 3rd Thursday of the month. We haven't met since March due to the elections so I'm sure tomorrow's meeting will be lively....... But before that, I will be out delivering flyers for the SOSPPAN group, inviting Llanelli residents to join us next week when we visit the Senedd to hand in our petitions. I hope you can all join us?

CLAP CLAP 123

I'm super excited! I have developed a Community Language and Play programme along with Kath Adams and Helen Patient. it's a fab programme which is currently being delivered across Carmarthenshire.

We're meeting with Keith Davies AM next month to see if we can get Government backing of the programme so that it can be delivered across Wales!

Refuse......everywhere!

The community is fed up with current situation regarding refuse collections. Some lanes are continually missed out. An official complaint has now been made.

Tenants at a local housing estate had dozens of blue bags containing non-recyclable items outside property. All bags have now been removed.

Fly tipping at Gathan Terrace - complaints been made.

Email sents by Joanne Yeo

Speaking up for residents

During the election campaign, I met an elderly lady who had previously reported to council that her front path was dangerous and was still waiting to have it sorted. I arranged a site visit and the work is now due to be completed on may 22nd.

Email sent by Joanne Yeo

Feel Good Factor

The Feel Good Factor is a Health and wellbeing plan taking a holistic approach to health. Participants take part in weight management hypnosis/meditation, Zumba and healthy cooking classes. There will be only 2 weight and bp checks taken -during the first and last sessions.

Participants will also get the opportunity to take part in food testing, EFT, Ear acupressure and will also have resources to take home which include a bag, file, perfumes, alcohol counters, recipe books, spoon/rice measures and various amounts of printed information.

Development of programme Joanne Yeo with input from Debra Byers, Melanie Griffiths and Rebecca Westcott. Funded by C1st

Bigyn School Nursery Garden project

From Root to Shoot.........From Wriggly to Fluttery

Working with children in the nursery to plant a vegetable and wild flower garden. This project will help to increase local bio-diversity and children’s knowledge of the environment and where our food comes from.

This project will also increase physical activity within the class. The children will also get the opportunity to study the life cycles of butterflies. Once the vegetables have grown we will conduct taste tests!

Funding sourced by Joanne Yeo. Resources purchased by Joanne and Steven Yeo. Work completed by Joanne Yeo. Funded by C1st