Aberystwyth

Parkinson’s UK

THE recent meeting of the Aberystwyth Parkinson’s group was their AGM. The chairman welcomed everybody to the AGM and he especially welcomed Dawn McGuinness from Llandudno and Liz Morgan, area development manager from Merthyr Tydfil. There was a good turnout of members present. The group had received two cheques during the month. The chairman had been invited to attend a small buffet at the Richmond Hotel, where John Harries presented seven cheques to various charities of members’ collection at Morrisons and Bank Square during Christmas carol-singing and collection of the Rotary members. He received a cheque for £500. On the same day he had received a cheque for £140 from a woman in Lampeter, which was left over from a school reunion, and as the woman suffered from Parkinson’s the members felt the money left over should be donated to that cause. As the woman was sending in the cheque, a friend called and also donated £20. Liz Nicol, the treasurer, acknowledged the two cheques.It was reported that it was 25 years since the group had been formed in Aberystwyth and it was decided that members should celebrate with a dinner later in the year.At the AGM, the minutes of the AGM in 2015 were read and accepted. Barbara Standing, secretary, circulated a report on the year;s activities, which was passed.Hefin Jones then handed the chair to Dawn, who took the vote, as follows: chair, Hefin Jones; vice-chair, Judy Southgate; treasurer, Liz Nicol; membership secretary, June Smith; sub committee Zena Evans, Maureen Kinninmonth, Pat Davies, Ethel Jones, Margaret Jones and Karen Baker.Although many names were suggested, the role of secretary was not filled, and Dawn said she would try to fill the vacancy.The sub committee met at the end of the meeting to discuss the coffee morning to be held at the Waunfawr community hall on Saturday, 23 April, during Parkinson’s Awareness Week.Liz Morgan then addressed the group.She has been in the job now since September. She reported and discussed what she’d learnt in her job. The chairman thanked everybody for their support and help over the years, and presented Barbara Standing, the retiring secretary, with a bouquet of flowers and thanked her for her help during the last 12 years.The meeting closed with the usual tea and cakes, with the chair thanked the ladies for preparing the tea every month.

Women’s World Day of Prayer

THE Aberystwyth English Service for the 2016 Women’s World Day of Prayer took place on the bitterly cold evening of Friday, 6 March. The service hosted by St David’s Church was led by members of St David’s, and a number of other churches and chapels in the town took part in the service which had been prepared by the Women of Cuba and has as its theme ‘Receive Children, Receive Me’. The service and its accompanying booklet, presented everyone with an insight into a fascinating country which for many years has been very much isolated from the wider world. Leaders and congregation then enjoyed refreshments together in the hall.

Cymdeithas yr Aelwyd

NOS WENER, 4 Mawrth, Terry Edwards oedd cadeirydd y noson a chroesawodd Jess Enston sydd ar staff Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri.Daeth Jess atom i siarad am ei gwaith yn yr Ysgwrn, Trawsfynydd, sef cartref y bardd Hedd Wyn. Prynwyd yr Ysgwrn gan y Parc yn 2012 ac ar hyn o bryd mae ar gau i’r cyhoedd a bydd yn ailagor y flwyddyn nesaf ar newydd wedd, pan adroddir hanes y fferm a’r teulu o 14 o blant.Er mwyn gwneud y gwaith ymchwil, mae Jess yn cydweithio â’r archifdy yn Nolgellau, Sain Ffagan a’r Llyfrgell Genedlaethol sydd ar hyn o bryd yn gwneud gwaith cadwraeth ar Feibl y teulu.2017 fydd blwyddyn canmlwyddiant marwolaeth Hedd Wyn yn y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf ac Eisteddfod y Gadair Ddu ym Mhenbedw, felly gallwn edrych ymlaen at ddigwyddiadau arbennig yn Nhrawsfynydd, Fflandrys a’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn Ynys Môn.