Club achievement award 7.30pm

At a ceremony held at the West House Hotel on Monday, the annual Rotary Achievement was presented to Mr Phil Kirkham of Llanmaes and to Mr Dave Roberts of Llantwit Major in recognition of their work with Major Music.

Phil, until recently a youth worker with Bridgend Council, is perhaps best known locally for his time spent as a councillor and sometime chairman of Llanmaes Community Council.  In the year 2000 he established in Llantwit Major a youth club to form a safe environment for young people to get together and make music.  They met on Tuesday evenings.  The club was so successful that a junior club was added and took place earlier in the evening before making-way for the older teenagers.  Dave Roberts soon after the start joined Phil as his deputy and together they guided and encouraged the club to great success.  Dave is known locally as a former professional footballer with Cardiff City who continues to train young footballers in the town.

When he spoke to the Rotary Club Phil said that he and Dave could not have achieved what they had without the huge support of former Major Music members, parents and other helpers who had all given of their time and expertise to make the club what it was.  High points had included being invited to perform at the Welsh Assembly building and, in 2013, the production of a CD in which all the music was composed and performed by the members.  The club continues to meet but now does so at the YMCA hall in Barry.

Rotary President Mrs Mary Noyes presented the two with the Achievement Shield and each with a framed certificate and a cheque for one hundred pounds.  She said that Major Music had provided many young people with a creative focus which will remain with them all their lives.  Some members had gone on to become professional musicians including Asha Jane Fletcher-Peters who featured prominently on the CD and who was also a regional winner of the Rotary Young Musician (Vocal) competition.  She added that the community of Llantwit Major owed Phil and Dave a debt of gratitude for what they had helped to create.  The Rotary Achievement Award has been given annually for over twenty five years to worthy recipients. These have included diving champion Robert Morgan, Joy Halbritter for her services to Save the Children, Sandra and Brian Perkins for giving hope to a handicapped child and Penny Caston for showing resolution in dealing with a serious handicap. Last year it went to Tina Benfield for her leadership and huge success with Llanilltud Fawr in Flower which had helped to transform the town centre.  Mrs Noyes concluded by saying that the names of Phil Kirkham and Dave Roberts will now be added to those who by their effort and ability had helped to make our community a better place in which to live.