Newcastle Emlyn and Adpar / Castell Newydd Emlyn ac Adpar

Last night, live on ITV Wales Tonight, Newcastle Emlyn’s King George V Playing Fields Association learnt that it had won £50,000 from the People’s Millions Big Lottery Fund. Children and adults from right across the community gathered at the primary school, Ysgol y Ddwylan, to await the results, and there were screams of genuine surprise and delight as ITV news presenter Carl Edwards appeared through the curtains with a huge cheque.

Success in The Peoples Millions for the Playground Committee

The win follows months of campaigning, and a TV film which was shown on ITV Wales Tonight on Monday. Thanks to strong community support, and remote voting by family and friends across the UK, the playground committee was told they had won ‘by a comfortable margin’ against a rival project in South Wales.

But this isn’t the only success to have been enjoyed by the committee over the last week. Last week, the Association learnt that it has also been successful in securing a £40,000 Cwm Environmental (landfill tax) grant.

The two prizes together will allow the committee to completely refit the playing field with all of the equipment featured in the complete new designs, along with landscaping/flowerbeds and perimeter walkways so that the public doesn’t have to walk through wet grass to get around the park.

Said committee fundraiser Fiona White:

“We are absolutely delighted that the park is finally attracting the money it needs. As a committee, we have invested a great deal of time in fund-raising this year - particularly grant applications and national competitions - in six months we have raised £104,000 and this is mainly down to the support of everyone in our community, so a huge thank you to everyone who has helped with this.”

“It’s absolutely fantastic news - now, we will be able to give the community the best central public space it could wish for, breathing life back into the heart of the town, and providing a safe and stimulating outdoor environment that all of the community can enjoy,” added fellow campaigner, Sue Tabbitt. “Not a penny will be wasted, and we’ll be listening carefully to additional new ideas from local residents before we roll out the next stages of the project, so all feedback is very welcome.”

* The committee meets on the second Monday of every month in the town council chambers in the clock tower, from 7.30pm. All are welcome.

For further information, contact Fiona White, grounds manager and fund-raiser, KGV Playing Fields Association Committee: 07970 090343 Email: fionawhite1470@btinternet.com

Filming in Newcastle Emlyn for the ITV Programme “The People’s Millions” has been announced

It will take place at Newcastle Emlyn King George V Playing Field on Monday 17th November from 11.30 pm to 4pm in the park!

Cllr. Fiona White of the Playground Committee said:

“We need to show how much our community support the children’s park in our attempt to win £50,000 from the People’s Millions.

“People are welcome throughout the day for background scenes but we need everyone in the park at 3.30pm to film the final group scene. Everyone is welcome – children, teenagers, parents, grandparents, teachers & local businesses, everyone!”

“The film will be shown on ITV Wales Tonight at 6pm on 24th November 2008 at 6pm. We need your support for the filming and your VOTE on the day!”

The King George V Playing Fields Associated of Newcastle Emlyn has raised a further £1,500 towards the refurbishment of the playground, thanks to a fantastic Bonfire Night and firework display on Wednesday 5th November.

The annual event, in the grounds the castle ruins, this year raised just short of £1,500 in clear profit, with more than 1,000 paying visitors flooding through the gate. Cllr Fiona White, one of the committee’s fundraisers and its grounds manager, worked tirelessly with other committee members and friends and family to produce the event, which was blessed with perfect weather conditions. She said: “I’d like to thank all the committee members who gave up so much time - and all the many additional helpers - those who collected wood for the fire, built and managed it, made the guy and provided the food - to West Coast Fireworks who, once again, put on a tremendous display which could be seen far and wide.”

This year’s tickets were entered into a raffle, and we are pleased to announce that ticket number 626 win the prize of a delicious meal for two at the Emlyn Arms Hotel. Congratulations to the winning ticket-holder!

With the firework extravaganza out of the way, the committee is now turning its attention to generating votes for the playground’s £50,000 People’s Millions campaign, under which it stands to secure £50,000 if it wins high numbers of public votes when a promotional TV film is shown on the ITV Wales evening news on Monday 24th November.

The film is being shot in the playground on the afternoon of Monday 17th November, and the committee is keen to see all corners of the community represented, to emphasise the importance of the project to people right across the town and beyond. “We’re encouraging hoards of children, parents and grandparents, as well as teachers, vicars, brownies/guides/scout leaders – all corners of the community – to turn out and wave banners to show their support as the film is made,” said Sue Tabbitt, a committee fund-raiser.

“There is no question that people will know about the TV programme and the big prize that’s at stake - the big challenge is getting people to pick up the phone - and to use their full 10 votes!!” said Cllr Fiona White.

If successful in this latest quest, the Committee will be able to roll out the next stage of the plans for the playground, which include a fenced-off toddler area, a new zip-wire, basketball hoop and a new tyre-swing installation. Regular updates will be posted up on the new playground noticeboard.

The committee meets on the second Monday of each month at 7.30pm at the Council Chambers, in the clock tower, in Newcastle Emlyn. All are welcome.