Sunday 27 September 2009

Helen Mary and Myfanwy enjoy World Biggest Coffee Morning with Macmillan

Last Friday (25/0), local AM Helen Mary Jones and Myfanwy Davies showed their support for Macmillan Cancer support by visiting a coffee morning in Lakefield School, Llanelli. They joined pupils, parents and teachers as part of Macmillan’s World Biggest Coffee Morning.

The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is Macmillan Cancer Support’s biggest and best known annual fund raiser. It has a simple yet compelling objective: share a cup of coffee and raise funds for the fight against cancer. These funds provide practical, medical, emotional and financial support for better cancer care.

Last year, thousands of coffee mornings were held all over Wales, raising nearly £290,000. This money helped Macmillan continue to support services and professionals working to help people affected by cancer across Wales.

Plaid's Helen Mary Jones said:

"In the UK today 2 million people are affected by cancer. I know that many of my constituents have personal experience of the problems a cancer diagnosis can bring to both patients and their family. Macmillan Cancer Support is there for people from the moment they are diagnosed, with really practical help and support. Holding a coffee morning is an easy way to make sure Macmillan has the money to continue its vital work and I hope lots of coffee was consumed today in Llanelli!”

Plaid’s Westminster candidate for Llanelli, Myfanwy Davies added:

"I know from my own family's experience how devastating a diagnosis of cancer can be and what a huge difference a Macmillan nurse can make in so many ways. I was delighted to be able to join in the fun today at Lakefield school. It is amazing that just enjoying a cup of coffee and catching up with friends can improve things so much for people affected by cancer.”

Rhian Kenny, teacher and organiser of The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning at Lakefield School said:

“We are delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile cause that helps so many people in Llanelli. In addition, it is fantastic that we can use fair-trade products at our coffee morning and bring together the great work that both Macmillan and Fair-Trade do. We believe that education outside the classroom but within the school, is a brilliant way to raise the children’s awareness of such great causes and of the wonderful work that is done within the local community.”

Fundraising Manager for South West Wales, Sue Reece said:

“The help we provide people with cancer is absolutely essential. We want to be able to give support to everyone who needs it and that’s why we need to raise more from this year’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning than ever before. It’s a really fun event that is so easy to take part in, especially as you can tailor it to suit yourself, in fact it’s a piece of cake to help Macmillan!”

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Myfanwy wins national support for town centre businesses

Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s Llanelli Westminster candidate has won national support for a plan to help Llanelli’s town centre businesses. In a motion to Plaid Cymru’s National Conference, last weekend which was passed to a packed hall, she called for revising the rate relief scheme to help small businesses effected by out of town developments. She also called on the Assembly Government to develop community finance initiatives to provide credit to local businesses and for a national strategy to fill empty shops, promote local produce and provide suitable housing in town centres.

In her speech to the conference Myfanwy said:

“In Llanelli the failure of Carmarthenshire County Council to stop a huge out of town development together with the loss of hundreds of manufacturing jobs is bleeding our town centre dry”.

Speaking in Llanelli on Wednesday, Myfanwy added:

“For our town centre traders, business rates have become a real burden. I’m delighted that we have won national support to look at prioritising their needs. We also won support to call for a strategy to fill empty town centre shops and our Plaid AMs will now be able to campaign for community finance schemes to fund viable new businesses and to support surviving traders who need credit to grow. I know of a number of established businesses that are struggling to grow because they are scandalously being refused credit by those very same banks we bailed out with our public money.”


Helen Mary Jones Llanelli’s Plaid AM added:

“The decision gives us a clear platform to campaign for more Assembly support for small businesses in Llanelli and to look at how we can continue to help good local businesses get going and grow”.

Tuesday 8 September 2009

Myfanwy and Helen Mary fight against County’s puppy farm shame

Puppy farms in Carmarthenshire are keeping dogs in cruel and dirty conditions, says Dr Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s Llanelli Westminster candidate. Following a recent Channel 5 film on unacceptable conditions at puppy farms that had been visited and given licences by Carmarthenshire County Council, Myfanwy has joined forces with Helen Mary Jones Llanelli’s Plaid AM, to tighten up the Council’s control of puppy farming.

Myfanwy has written to Helen Mary asking her to raise the matter with Elin Jones the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Rural Affaris. In her letter Myfanwy explained:

“I am concerned that the Council’s inspection practices are inadequate and require scrutiny especially given Carmarthenshire’s history as a centre for licensed (and also unlicensed) puppy farming. In its response to the programme, the Council also indicates it would be willing to revise its license conditions if required to do so by Welsh Assembly Government Ministers”.

Speaking this week, Myfanwy added:

“ I am very pleased that a pet superstore that has been buying puppies from these farms has agreed to stop sourcing puppies from them. I am disappointed by the Council’s response. It is shocking that council inspectors visited and passed those puppy farms shown in the film and I hope that the response Helen Mary’s receives from Elin Jones will help clarify the standards of animal welfare that the council needs to ensure”.

Helen Mary Jones added:

“I have seen a recording of the Channel 5 news item since Myfanwy contacted me and it raises some very worrying issues about animal welfare standards in the County. I am pleased Myfanwy has raised this with me and I will be discussing the issue with Elin Jones within the next weeks to make sure that the standards followed are made clearer and if needed are changed protect dogs and puppies from the levels of neglect shown in the film.”