Donate to Ty Bryngwyn Hospice Appeal Fund

Ty Bryngwyn Llanelli Hospice is a Designated Centre of Excellence providing specialist palliative care for the community. Ty Bryngwyn is available to all the people of Carmarthenshire.

Please help by donating

In the 1960s the first hospice in the UK was established in London.
1986 – the founding meeting of Ty Bryngwyn took place as the result of the effort of Mr Thomas Lewis. Fund raising commenced in earnest, to 'build and equip a hospice' in Llanelli. A very generous public responded.
1995 – the Llanelli/Dinefwr Hospital Trust agreed to a proposal by the Hospice Committee to build a hospice in two stages.
Stage 1 – to provide a Day Care Service
Stage 2 – to provide In-patient facilities and to designate some land on the Prince Philip Hospital site.
1997 – Stage 1 completed – Day care facilities handed over to the Hospital Trust. Hospice Trust requested to complete Stage 2 as soon as possible as the beds were urgently required.
1999 – Stage 2 completed – and handed over to NHS Trust. A wing of six bedrooms (en-suite), clinic room, kitchen, bathrooms and sitting rooms ready for use. Funding unavailable owing to NHS monetary problems. In-patient facilities 'mothballed'.
2003 – Matched funding with Welsh Assembly grant agreed for 3 years.
2004 – Conversion of Storeroom in to additional two bed unit. Also new storage building and piped oxygen to each bed. New porch arranged for In-patient entrance.
2005 – Local Health Board agreed to take over Welsh Assembly Funding, Tripartite agreement in place between Carmarthenshire NHS Trust, Local Health Board and Hospice Trust on firm footing.
2006 – Hospice Trust in active participation with Palliative Care Service Strategy for Carmarthenshire Health Service.
2010 - Ty Bryngwyn Hospice hands over the inpatient unit to Hywel Dda Local Health Board.

Please consider donating to or raising money for this vital service that touches us all.

Speaker's Forum Holy Trinity Church, Pwll

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A series of four talks under the banner of Speaker's Forum, were held at Holy Trinity Church, Elgin Road, Pwll over the winter months from October to March.

The guest speaker's offered a wide variety of topics to keep most people happy. Mark Davies, Chief Executive Officer of the Scarlets, kicked things off with a talk on "The Exciting Future of Heart and Soul Rugby", followed a month later by a talk on "The Changing Face of the Prison Service" given by David Richards (Head Security Governor of Swansea Prison) and Tarul Clement (Dept Head of Residential Units).

The new year started with Noel Rees Producer of the Phoenix Theatre Group, giving a talk on the role of women in the Theatre, while comedian, broadcaster and Pantomime Dame, Kevin Johns, brought the curtain down on proceedings with a "tour de force" entitled "Comic Belief".

The chosen charity for the series of talks was Ty Bryngwyn Hospice, and due to the generosity of all guest speakers and all who attended the meetings, a sum of £300.00 was raised, and a cheque presented to the Hospice.

Ganjo Presentation

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Following the World Bubble Gum Blowing Attempt, Ganjo (aka Mark Jones) visited Ty Bryngwyn to present the money raised by the event.

Though unfortunately the record was not broken, Mark was in every other way a winner. And so was the hospice with a donation of £505.

Not one to give up Mark will be going for the record again in the future.

Good on you Mark!

Apel Canser Ail Gyfle Second Chance Cancer Appeal

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Apel Canser Ail Gyfle ~ Second Chance Cancer Appeal

Based in Kidwelly the appeal fund has raised £40,000 over the last seven years for the relief of those suffering from cancer in Wales. Their latest donation was made at the Ty Bryngwyn Hospice Appeal Fund committee meeting. The money is to be added to the Llanelli Star's Never Stop Caring Campaign whose aim is to raise £10,000 for Ty Bryngwyn. The year's campaign is to run to the end of May 2012 and has already exceeded the £10,000 target.

Memories of the Founding of the Hospice

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My mind was taken back recently to 1986, to the founding meeting to set up a hospice in the Llanelli/Dinefwr area. The impetus for the meeting came from Mr Tom Lewis and Mrs Winifred Lewis, having been greatly impressed by the facilities and dedication of the staff at Ty Olwen Hospice. They felt there was a need for a hospice in this area and arranged a meeting at their home and invited doctors, solicitors and nurses. It was agreed that a public meeting should be arranged; it was held at Moriah Chapel and wisely and tenderly chaired by the late Rev. Dewi Davies, with Dr. Peter Griffiths of Ty Olwen as guest speaker.

The one thing I can remember was a remark by Dr. Griffiths. He agreed that a hospice was needed with as many volunteers as possible to help with the venture, but he stressed that there was a battle ahead, with the need for "warriors". It is good to say that there have been many warriors in the struggle for the hospice. Individuals, societies, organisations, churches and chapels have given faithful support, not only in Llanelli but further afield as well. The Llanelli Star has been excellent in its support. We are greatly indebted to all.

Amongst our fund-raising activities we hold a yearly Daffodil Coffee Morning, a venture that was suggested to the late Mr Selwyn and Mrs Betty Samuel by a doctor and his wife who they met on holiday, who similarly had tragically lost a daughter. They also encouraged Mr and Mrs Samuel to set up a Garden of Hope in Llanelli. This project received invaluable help from Mr Trevor Bannister , the Parks Superintendent for Llanelli, and his hard-working staff. This has proved to be a great help and blessing to the work of the hospice.

The Festival of Light before Christmas was full to capacity, showing the overwhelming support for Ty Bryngwyn, raising the sum of fourteen thousand pounds. What seemed impossible twenty years ago is now a hospice with day care and residential facilities we can be proud of.

May God's blessing be upon Ty Bryngwyn in the present and the future as it has been in the past.

Diolch I bawb

Phyllis Hughes
Nantybryn, Dafen, Llanelli

Garden of Hope Gelli Onn 2012

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02 December 1993 ~ 04 April 2012

On a rather cold and windy day, after the previous week's exceptionally hot weather, a group met to record the new Garden of Hope sign.

With the new layout of the road system around Gelli Onn, the sign has been renewed and placed in a more prominent position. Financed by Carmarthenshire County Council and organised by Andrew Stephens, Manager of St. Elli Shopping Centre, the sign now stands amongst the daffodils for all to see as they drive by and walk across by the church. Many thanks to all involved.

There to help mark the occasion was Rhian West, daughter of Selwyn and Beti Samuel. Beti was one of the founding members of the Fundraising Committee but was unfortunately not well at the time of the original photograph for the Llanelli Star, so it was good to have Rhian with us 19 years later.