We are open at the usual times on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

• Rolls of Gold and Silver Card, 3 ft wide…….
• Thin Grey foam sheets……
• Pink Bubble Wrap on a 3 ft wide roll……..
• Strips of thin Pink Foam……..
• 1ft wide, half inch thick round adhesive foam pads…….
• 1 ft wide rolls of half inch thick grey adhesive foam…………..
• 6 inch wide, 1 inch thick white foam circles……..
• thin white foam rings, one inch wide…….
• stretchy grey neoprene type fabric…
   
   

In addition to this saturday’s Spring Equinox Workshop at Trysordy, March 20th, 10am to 12 midday, to make colourful wind streamers at Trysordy, we have a lined up a few over the next 2 months:

• Earth Day at St Peter’s Hall, Carmarthen………Sunday March 11th, 11am – 4pm……..Recycled Creativity
• Easter at Trysordy…….Saturday April 3rd, 10am – 12 midday………..Easter Pop-up Puppets
• Greyfriars Shopping Centre, Carmarthen relaunch………Thursday April 8th, 11am – 3pm……………. Merlin Themed Activities
• Child Safety Fun Day, Newcastle Emlyn Leisure Centre…….Tuesday April 13th, 10am – 4pm…..  Recycled Creativity
• May Day at Trysordy…….Saturday May 1st, 10am – 12 midday………May Day Themed Activities
• Buddha Day (Wesek) at Trysordy………Saturday May 22nd, 10am – 12 midday.

They are all FREE…..just drop-in.
The activities are part of a year long programme of 26 workshops (organised by Trysordy) for parents and children; that link creativity, sustainable living and cultural education.  The programme is part funded by a Lottery “Awards for All” grant. Donations are encouraged and children under 11 need to be accompanied by an adult.

Our large meeting room can now be used for Birthday events, designed around whatever suits you. So, you can either hire just the room and bring in everything you need to make a special ocassion….or alternatively ask us to provide a range of services which could include:

•  a facilitator to provide group or individual making activities, using scrap and arts/craft materials, based around your chosen theme
• scrap and arts/craft materials for making activities on your own
• materials to make up your own alternative “alternative party bags”
• a caterer to provide a buffet
• or even a storyteller.

Just give us a ring and see if we can help.

Come and Make a colourful costume that swirls as you dance, to mark the Festival of Colour, Holi . It is open to anyone, but children under 11 must be accompanied by an adult. The event is part funded by a Lottery “Awards for All” grant; linking creativity, culture, sustainability and community development. FREE 10am until 12 midday.

Come and Make your own Chinese lantern out of tissue and willow , to celebrate the end of the Chinese New Year Festival….. on Saturday February 27th, 10am -12 midday, at Trysordy

Anyone can come along to either workshop at Trysordy in Johnstown; but children under 11 should be accompanied by an adult. The activity is FREE, but if you have a good time, a small donation would be welcome to help cover some of the costs. The activity is part of a year long programme of 26 workshops (organised by Trysordy) for parents and children; that links creativity, sustainable living and cultural education. The programme is part funded by a Lottery “Awards for All” grant.

Celebrating St Dwynwen………Saturday, January 30th, 10am  – 12 midday
Come and make cards, gifts and decorations out of recycled materials.

Jewish New Year of the Trees……….Saturday, February 6th, 10am – 12 midday
Come and help create a willow “Tree of Life” to mark this tradition.

Anyone can come along to either workshop at Trysordy in Johnstown; but children under 11 should be accompanied by an adult. The activity is FREE, but if you have a good time, a small donation would be welcome to help cover some of the costs. The activity is part of a year long programme of 26 workshops (organised by Trysordy) for parents and children; that links creativity, sustainable living and cultural education. The programme is part funded by a Lottery “Awards for All” grant.

Saturday December 19th, 10am – 3pm
Greyfriars Shoping Centre, Carmarthen.

Trysordy will run a FREE, Creative Workshop……. “Make Christmas Angels”, out of recycled materials……. in the Greyfriars Shopping Centre, Carmarthen (indoors, next door to Argos). Just drop-in! Everyone’s welcome, but children under 11 should be accompanied by an adult.

Saturday December 12th, 10am – 3pm

Greyfriars Shoping Centre, Carmarthen.

Trysordy will run a FREE, Creative Workshop……. “Make your own Christmas  Cards”, out of recycled materials……. in the Greyfriars Shopping Centre, Carmarthen (indoors, next door to Argos).

Just drop-in! Everyone’s welcome, but children under 11 should be accompanied by an adult.

Wednesday December 9th, 10am – 4pm

Carmarthen Community Education Centre, (behind the library)

Trysordy will be participating in this FREE Event along with other not-for-profit and charitable organisations. The purpose is to share ideas for a Christmas that is less money minded, more sutainable and loads of fun….. a place for getting affordable, practical ideas for homemade and recycled decorations and gifts.

Here’s just a few ideas for which we have some great materials:………Spiders ……Spiders in webs……Halloween pumpkin faces……Bats…..Broomsticks….. Cats……Masks….Witches hats……..Trick or Treat boxes.

From November 1st to Christmas, we will also open on Fridays between 10am and 1pm
The full scrapstore opening hours for this period will be:
Tuesdays        10 am   -   5 pm
Thursdays      10 am   -  6.30 pm
Friday              10 am   -  1 pm
Saturday        10 am    – 1 pm

Trysordy will run a creative workshop making Dancing Skeletons on sticks (Human, Animal or Fantasy Creatures) as well as Skull Paper Chains; on Saturday October 31st, from 10am to 12 midday, at their  headquarters in Johnstown. This particular workshop is to celebrate the Mexican Day of the Dead, and will be run by Maggie Fearn and Dani Lees-Smith.

Anyone can come along, but children under 11 should be accompanied by an adult. The Skull Paper Chains activity is most suited to toddlers. The workshop is free, but small donations are welcome to help cover costs. The activity is part of a year long programme of 26 workshops for parents and children; that links creativity, sustainable living and cultural education.  The programme is part funded by a Lottery ”Awards for All” grant.

To mark the tradition of Diwali (festival of lights), please drop in to make Diyas (small clay pots for oil lights & candles) and Rangoli (floor patterns) on Saturday October 17th, 10am – 12pm; at our headquarters in Johnstown, Carmarthen. To find out what Diwali is about, click on to http://www.diwalifestival.org/

Anyone can come along, but children under 11 should be accompanied by an adult. The activity is FREE, but if you have a good time, a small donation would be welcome to help cover some of the costs. The activity is part of a year long programme of 26 workshops (organised by Trysordy) for parents and children; that links creativity, sustainable living and cultural education.  The programme is part funded by a Lottery “Awards for All” grant

As from week beginning September 21st, the Scrapstore part of Trysordy will extend its Opening Hours.The new Opening Hours for Tuesday will be 10.00 am  to  5.00pm. This is an experiment which we hope will make it easier for more people to come and buy materials. Opening Hours on Thursday and Saturday will remain the same.

Please drop in to make a KITE on Saturday September 26th, 10am – 12 midday ; at our headquarters in Johnstown, Carmarthen. There are distinctive eastern and western traditions of kite flying as a festive autumn event. In the British Isles, Kites are flown to celebrate Michaelmas, The Feast of St Michael, which coincides with traditional harvest fare.

Anyone can come along, but children under 11should be accompanied by an adult. The activity is FREE, but if you have a good time, a small donation would be welcome to help cover some of the costs. The activity is part of a year long programme of 26 workshops (organised by Trysordy) for parents and children; that links creativity, sustainable living and cultural education.  The programme is part funded by a Lottery “Awards for All” grant.

Please drop in to the joint Trysordy/Oxfam stand at the Merlin Festival……to make costumes, hats, crowns, shields and swords; on Saturday August 8th, 10am – 2 pm; in the Guildall Square, Carmarthen. Anyone can join in, but children under 8 should be accompanied by an adult. The activity is FREE 

 The activity is part of a year long programme of 26 workshops (organised by Trysordy) for parents and children; that links creativity, sustainable living and cultural education. The whole programme is part funded by a Lottery “Awards for All” grant. This particular saturday’s workshop is part funded by Carmarthenshire County Council. Oxfam and Trysordy are working in partnership to encourage recycling in the community through Creativity

Drop in to make a yogurt pot saxophone, a cardboard tube drum, or a baked bean tin shaker………on Saturday August 1st, 10am – 12.30pm; in the Market Hall Fishguard, at entrance to the Farmers Market. Anyone can come along, but children under 8 should be accompanied by an adult. The activity is FREE, but if you have a good time, a small donation would be welcome to help cover some of the costs.

With the generous support of the Fishguard Farmers Market, the activity is part of a year long programme of 26 workshops for parents and children that links creativity, sustainable living and cultural education. The programme is part funded by a Lottery “Awards for All” grant.

The workshop leaders are Rachel Hargrave and Pete Stacey, who are well known to lovers of world music and jazz in West Wales for their performances with Mojas. Pete and Rachel regularly lead music workshops in a range of styles including African drumming and jazz.

Trysordy is once again running a 4 hour non-stop, free range, fun-filled, creative-making workshop at the Heart of the Dragon Festival, in Newcastle Emlyn on Saturday July 4th.

Please drop-in to the Trysordy marquee behind the Castle, 10am – 2.30 pm, to make something to wear or hold for the Dragon Procession through the town at 3pm. Children 5+ accompanied by parents/carers are invited to come and choose from a range of clean,safe scrap materials…….then with guidance from  facilitators, make something weird or wonderful. This activity is free! To see the the full Festival programme, which runs on until 10.30pm, click on http://www.heartofthedragonwales.org

It is with enormous gratitude and some sadness that we are saying goodbye to Sarah our Shop Manager, who is returning to College later this summer, to study full time. Sarah has played a huge part in setting up and running our scrapstore services. She will be sorely missed!

So, we are now embarking on finding her successor.

The successful applicant’s main responsibilities will be shop sales (mainly a wide range of clean safe materials businesses throw away, arts/craft supplies and hire equipment), shop displays and relations with members who use the shop. The post  is expected to grow beyond an 18 hour week as the organisation expands.

For an informal chat or application pack, contact Jonathan or Jenny on Tel:01267-231980 or email info@trysordy.org.uk  Closing date for applications is 1pm Monday June 29th

The Shop and Scrapstore will be open at the usual times, except for Easter Saturday when Trysordy will be closed for buying materials. The Office will be closed for enquiries  from April 9th, and will open again on April 20th.

(£9,360 – £12,480 p.a. for a flexible 20 hour week,)

It’s exciting and challenging times for Trysordy! As we begin to grow, it is really important that the quality of our services don’t slip. So, we have decided to take the plunge and employ a Centre Co-ordinator.The successful applicant’s main responsibility will be to develop, maintain and co-ordinate the day-to-day operational practices and systems, that enable the delivery of a range of services to a consistent high standard. The post is expected to grow beyond a 20 hour week as the organisation expands. For an informal chat or application pack, contact Jonathan or Wendy on Tel:01267-231980 or email info@trysordy.org.uk. Closing date for applications is Friday April 3rd 2009.

A ‘Scrappy Ideas’ course was held at Trysordy for the ‘Children’s Partnership’. This is a two day theoretical and practical course aimed at play workers, which explores play, creativity and the use of scrap materials. It is a ‘Playworks UK’ course accredited by Skills Active.

Trysordy is keen to deliver this course again in 2009 if there is a sufficient demand, so please let us know if you would like to join in.

We now stock Water-based Paint, Acrylic Paint, Glitter Paint, Pearl Paint, Paint, Glass Paint, Fluorescent Fabric Paint………Water-based block printing ink……..Chunky Paint Brushes, Synthetic Sable Paint Brushes, …..Washable Eco Glue, ……Air-dry Clay, Childrens’ Rainbow Coloured Clay……Plaster of Paris Bandage…… Children’s and Adult Scissors……. Dried Willow withies 3-7ft lengths……A4 and A3 Coloured Card (much of it recycled)……Coloured Feathers…..Chunky Chalks……Chunky hard to break Crayons…..Skeleton Leaves…..Masking Tape, Double Sided Tape, Silver Duck Tape…….Wooden Lolly sticks……Coloured Pipe Cleaners…..Glitter shakers….Masks to decorate……Googly Eyes. Other items will follow, and if you have trouble finding something locally, please do let us know and if possible we will try and stock it.

We’ve over 300 items available.(a comprehensive list of what we have in stock is on our website, together with pictures)…. and we now deal with over 40 business suppliers across Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. But we are always on the look out for more regular business suppliers. So if you think of a business near you that might have interesting, safe waste, please do let us know and we will make contact with them.

Kirsty Williams, Liberal democrat assembly member concerned with social enterprise paid a flying visit on November 10th. She had a special interest in the structure of Trysordy, how it got off the ground and how it was maintaining itself. She was interested in passing on ‘best practice’ to similar endeavours. Kirsty then visited the craft workshop and met probation clients and the SMART group.

There have been a variety of groups attending training sessions at Trysordy in order to develop and enhance personal creativity as a skill to be used in work, play, and volunteering situations. These were primarily practical sessions involving the choosing and using scrapstore materials.

Groups have included Homestart, whose volunteers attend as part of their training programme, primary school teachers, After School Club leaders and students from the School of Early Years Education at Trinity College.

Trysordy has been out and about at various events in the community, including:’s way into the parade, having been refurbished and animated by the carnival committee.

Johnstown carnival – We took a selection of scrap materials and had a busy day helping carnival goers to make a variety of hats and skirts. Our blue willow dragon also found it

Llwynhendy integrated play centre – we took part in a series of outdoor and indoor play sessions for children, encouraging free creativity with scrap materials

Botanic Gardens – ‘Freaky Friday’ on 31st October was a very busy Halloween themed event aimed at families. Trysordy offered witch making, dream catcher and mask making workshops. Another event held in the gardens on 5th December was a Christmas tree decorating competition for Carmarthenshire schools, all with a recycling theme. Here 5 different schools took part in Trysordy’s ‘Christmas wreaths’ workshop.

Drefach Velindre Christmas Craft Fair – where we helped people to make their own Christmas cards with scrap materials we brought along from Trysordy.

Our partnership with the Dyfed Powys Probation Service continues to be a productive one. Twice a week people recovering from substance misuse meet at Trysordy to take part in a program that aims to help restructure their lives and increase life and vocational skills. Activities include major wood work projects .3 large circular wooden seats have now been built, one for Trysordy, one donated to Johnstown Primary school and one to Aalton House inclusion unit.

The relationship with Johnstown School continues to flourish. Clients on the program responding to a request to build a picket fence to enclose a memorial garden that is in development at the school.

Over the course of this year the allotment has developed from a bare corner of field into a productive vegetable garden complete with polytunnel and raised beds. Clients have created this garden from scratch with recycled materials sourced from Trysordy, sown the seeds, tended the plants, harvested the produce, then cooked and eaten the results.

An exciting project about to start is the building of a yurt from locally sourced wood, for use both at Trysordy and in the community. ( A yurt is a traditional Mongolian nomadic dwelling, shaped like a giant marshmallow!)

The new craft workshop and the kitchen, built thanks to a grant from the Drugs Intervention Program, have really come into their own.

The craft workshop has enabled us not only to be more ambitious with our probation service activities, but also to enable substantial craft projects with other groups, such as the Carmarthenshire Youth services.

The kitchen is used twice weekly to cook a communal lunch by clients on the drug rehabilitation program and is a vital resource at other times for Trysordy staff and volunteers. It has also started to be used by Carmarthenshire Youth Services to deliver basic cooking skills sessions.

This autumn we started work with a number of departments in Carmarthenshire Council Youth Services.

A group of year 9/10 pupils on the S.M.A.R.T. project (a wider curriculum programme for those not in formal education) spent six mornings in our new craft workshop making a mosaic topped table for their base at Dr MZ and a bird table for a local residential home.

‘

Youth First’ (a European Social Fund Programme to extend entitlement to young people aged 11-25) also brought a group who wanted to make something for the community. In a brainstorming session they decided to make brightly coloured tissue/willow sculptures for the sensory room in the unit at their school, (Queen Elizabeth High) and a bird table to put outside the window.

We are now actively looking to build up our excellent team of volunteers, particularly with work in our warehouse, the maintenance of our databases and the development of our website.

With our rapid growth also comes the need to have someone on board with more experience and expertise in financial planning and management, to guide us into making wise decisions. For more information, please contact Wendy or Jonathan.

Since opening the Scrapstore part of Trysordy at the end of October 2007, over 650 different members have joined. With so much interest in using our weird and wonderful materials, we’d love to hear about the exciting things you are making….and if you have instructions or pictures we’ll try to publicise them in future newsletters, on our website or in our shop.

In 2009, we will be trying to encourage more people from Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion to come along. We would be delighted to give free guided tours and presentations to any organisations who ask.

Thanks (again) to a grant from Carmarthenshire Childrens Partnership we arebuying an Acucut machine; a device which Members can use here at Trysordy, to cut out a variety of shapes from materials found in the Scrapstore…..for craft projects and decorations.

Thanks to a grant from Carmarthenshire Childrens Partnership we will be extending our free Lending Library over the next 2 months…. for teachers, carers and parents working with children. If there are books you feel we should include in it, please do let us know…books giving practical guidance on using a wide range of arts and crafts materials as well as environmental education issues; particularly the reuse of materials.

Scrap Packs have been recently developed as an extension of our ‘Bright Ideas’ activity leaflets and make ideal little gifts. They contain everything you need to make a particular creative project e.g. Christmas angels, pop–up puppets, block printing and dream catchers. They are sourced entirely from the scrapstore, including the packaging and are on sale for £1.50.

Students from Coleg Sir Gar in Llanelli studying Level 1 Art, Design and Media were responsible for putting the packs of ingredients together; an activity which will count towards gaining their Welsh Baccalaureate qualification.

Students from Coleg Sir in Llanelli studying the BTEC First Diploma in Art, Design and Media visited soon after, and came up their own ideas for new Scrap packs, which they then designed and developed themselves. This work will also count towards gaining their Welsh Baccalaureate qualification.

“David Pitt  (“The Crowman”) invites you to Trysordy for ”Here’s One You Made Earlier”, on Saturday November 1st 2008. Come and join a group of up to 10, playful, not-so-grown-ups for a day of creative making activities in a prepared space using quality materials, scrap and simple tools. Masks, hats, puppets and things that make silly noises will be on the agenda. Stories and gongs will also feature! David has been working with schools and family groups for nearly 15 years and has also made “things-that-they-made-earlier” for television. Price £60. For more information, including times and booking details, please click on “Events and Courses”.

You are warmly invited to our first Annual Open Day, on Saturday October 4th, from 10am to 4pm. This is an opportunity for you to drop in, look around, meet the directors and

• let us know what you think about Trysordy 
• suggest any improvements to our current services or new things you would like to see us doing
• hear about our up-and-coming plans
• learn how to make Artists’ Charcoal (DVD and practical demonstration)
• make something fun out of Scrap Materials to take home

Nature Games outside weather permitting.

Children are welcome, under accompanying parent or carer supervision. Free Light Refreshments will be provided.

We are thrilled that membership has now topped 400, roughly split between organisations and individuals or families. And thanks to recent multiswap events with other scrapstores hosted by Gloucester and Bristol, the variety of things we now offer has grown significantly. So much so that we have opened up a third display area. To get an idea what is now in stock, with colour pictures, click on “What you’ll find at Trysordy”.

Trysordy will host a Gaia Leadership Taster Workshop on Thursday September 25th……and it’s free!. The day will concentrate both on the inner work of the individual and coaching skills needed to play a part in the rapidly evolving conversation in society on environmental challenges and responses, as we make the monumental transition to a low-carbon economy. For more information, click on “Events and Courses”.

From September 16th onwards, you will be able to come in and buy materials at the following times:

• TUESDAYS         9.30am    -   12.30pm
• THURSDAYS      10.00am  -   6.30pm
• SATURDAYS      10.00am  -   1.00pm

Thanks (again) to a grant from Carmarthenshire Childrens Partnership, we have bought a Badge Maker. This is the first of a range of equipment we hope to acquire over the next 18 months for members to hire at minimal cost. Parachutes and Circus skills equipment will be next.

Thanks to a grant from Carmarthenshire Childrens Partnership we have started up a free Lending Libraries for all members. The books give practical guidance on using a wide range of arts and crafts materials and environmental education issues, particularly the reuse of materials. Some books are aimed at teachers developing their own resource.

material for teaching, others are for carers and parents to use directly with children. Up to 2 books may be taken out at a time, and may be held for 3 weeks.

Part of the wonder of working at Trysordy is being able to let your imagination run riot with the Scrap Materials and turn wild ideas into something real. Even if you have never done anything like it before …but you feel this is something you might enjoy doing for a few hours on a Thursday or Saturday, then we would love to hear from you.

2 teams of students from the Film and Media department at Lampeter University are each shooting 30 second advertisements that we hope will entice more people to visit Trysordy.The project is part of the students course work that will contribute toward their degrees. We hope to post both advertisements on this website soon for you to see.

A large circular wooden bench has been donated to the Primary School in Johnstown. The bench was made at Trysordy during private vocational training sessions by a number of fully supervised individuals serving Probation orders, as part of their rehabilitation programmes

From mid February, we will have a basic range of items; starting off with Water based Paint, Acrylic Paint, Paint Brushes, Glitter Paint. Kids Glue, Clay and Scissors. Other items will follow, and we will try and respond to requests from members when possible to stock items that they have trouble finding locally.

Sarah joined us in January to work on Thursdays and Saturdays. She is particularly involved in helping Members find and get ideas for using Scrap Materials, as well as managing volunteers to design and present Displays.

Since opening for members to join and buy scrap materials at the end of October 2007, over 160 different members have joined…..including students, families, schools, guides, nurseries, craftspeople and colleges. Quite a few have back again already, some more than once.