FUNDRAISING CONCERT: Action group BLAST (Blaenavon Leisure and Swimming Troubleshooters) are arranging a fundraising concert, to take place on Saturday, April 5.

Taking part in the concert will be Blaenavon Male Voice Choir, Blaenavon Ladies Choir and Blaenavon Town Band.

The concert will be held in Blaenavon Workmen's Hall, starting at 7pm. The tickets are priced at £6 and £4 (Concessions).

If you would like tickets, please call in at the BLAST shop, 72 Broad Street, Blaenavon, or at Blaenavon Workmen's Hall, or contact BLAST committee members.

THANK YOU, YOUNG PEOPLE: Members of BLAST would like to thank all the young people who took part recently n the Youth Extravaganza' at Blaenavon Workmen's Hall, on Saturday, February 23.

It was a great success, with sixty young people taking to the stage; There were dancers, singers and instrumentalists, who were all pupils of St Alban's School, Pontypool, and they gave a wonderful performance.

The pupils were performing in Blaenavon before going on tour to Barcelona, in Spain, at Easter.

The sum of £617 was raised from this event, which was a very enjoyable evening for everyone present.

I'm told that it was also very pleasing to see so many young people in the audience supporting their friends and relatives.

Thank you to everyone involved.

ANNUAL LECTURE: The annual lecture at Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon, takes place this Saturday, March 15, at 2.30pm.

Dr Bill Jones, from Cardiff University, will be giving a talk about Welsh miners who worked in the American coalfields during the nineteenth century.

This is a free event, so for further details telephone 01495 790311, or contact bigpit@amgeuddfacymru. ac.uk or www.amgueddfacymru. ac.uk DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: Blaenavon World Heritage committee are presently planning the annual World Heritage Day, which will be held on Saturday, June 28.

SWICA (South Wales Inter-cultural Community Arts), artists will again be working with local schoolchildren to make costumes for the Heritage Parade, and committee members are currently exploring some new ideas to make this year's event successful and memorable.

More details will be given as soon as possible, but keep the date free and make sure you come along and join in the fun.

GARN LAKES OPEN DAY: The annual Garn Lakes Country Fayre will be held on Sunday, June 29.

This open day is a very popular event and grows in number every year.

Full details of everything being planned will be given in a later column.

Do remember the date, so that you can enjoy a day out in this lovely area of our town.

IMPACT CLOSURE: For six years there has been an Impact Coffee and Card shop in Broad Street, Blaenavon.

The shop was a lovely, friendly, spotlessly clean cafe, managed very ably by Mrs Carol Jenkins and her assistant Paul Harris, and relief assistant Helen Paynton.

There was always a warm welcome for locals and visitors alike, and the cafe established a clientele of many regular customers.

Therefore, it was a shock to the staff and the community of Blaenavon when Impact was suddenly closed down, on Wednesday, February 27, last.

Carol and staff were employed by Instant Muscle Ltd, and it would appear from enquiries made, that the company has gone into administration, and all employees have been made redundant.

I would like to say how sorry our town is to have lost this popular little coffee shop, and for the manner in which the staff were told of its closure.

Good luck for the future to Carol, Paul and Helen, and thank you for the way you served us all.