FOLLOWING a motorcycle accident on June 30, 1989, at the age of 18, Richard ‘Richie’ Powell became paralysed from the chest down. He took up sports when he spent a year at the in Cardiff, as the TW3 Spinal unit had a sports club. He represented Great Britain at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in the. the men’s 100m and 200m. He has taken part in the 1994 Commonwealth Games and the 1998 IPC World Championships. He is a popular local athlete, musician and fundraiser who now lives in Trimsaran, Carmarthenshire. Richie will be representing the newly formed Llanelli First Party who aim to have a voice for people of the Llanelli area in Carmarthen’s County Hall. We began by asking Richie why he was getting involved in local politics.
He said : “It is because of the amount of work I have done over the past 25 years in disabled and able body sports. I have been to a lot of different countries and experienced a lot of cultures. I believe that I have a lot to bring to the local community. I am an ambassador for disabled sport in Wales and I am an active coach. These are just some of the skills I can bring to my work in the community.” Given that the County Council are on the brink of transferring assets like parks and playgrounds with uncertainty remaining over whether or not they will remain open at all, we asked Richie for his thoughts. He said : “I see so many cases of people trying to start up in sport and I want to help people by sharing my experiences and knowledge. Grass roots sport is where it all starts. I deal with a lot of athletes but without these youngsters coming through we would not have any elite athletes. “ The Olympic Legacy has remained in London. There isn’t much sign of it in Trimsaran. It was a great event and it opened people’s eyes to sport but there is a serious lack of facilities in this area. If you want to train in the winter you have to go to Cardiff.” Richie grew up like most children playing sport wherever he could. He says that that is no longer possible as the streets and roads are not as safe as they once were. We asked Richie what could be done to help children get involved and stay involved in sport.
He said : “ Within a year or so of the torch passing through Wales with all the celebrations and the hope we are now hearing the County Council saying that they are making cuts to sports grounds and to children’s services and services for the disabled. “ You can’t just go and kick the ball on the streets like you used too. The roads are far too dangerous. Parks are such important places for the people of Carmarthenshire. We have had support for disabled people in the U.K. Over the years but since the Conservatives came in they have wielded the axe and there is no empathy from them. “ People need to make a stand and speak out about the lack of access to public buildings, the state of the pavements and the roads even in the town centres. We need to get children back into doing something. Getting them from in front of the TV and off the Xbox and getting fit. “ There is very little representation of disabled people in Carmarthenshire County Council. I work for a company providing for disabled people and I have a wealth of knowledge about the needs of disabled people.” The Herald asked Richie what issues he would be focusing on if he were to be elected as a County Councillor for Trimsaran. He said : “I am not just focusing on disability issues.
“ I want to focus on affordable housing, tackling drug and alcohol related issues and making sure that the people of Trimsaran and Carmarthenshire get a fair share of any pot that is available for community use. “ We can’t keep asking parents to dig deep in their pockets when we see so many people in power taking the cream from the top. We don’t have the representation for the Llanelli side of Carmarthenshire. How can an executive board member who visits Llanelli once a year know anything about the needs of the people East of Carmarthen town. Richie has led a very interesting and varied life having overcome many obstacles and he is upbeat about his future and the future for Carmarthenshire. He told The Herald : “People have given me so much over the years and I just want to give something back. “ I would be a strong voice for the county and a strong voice for Trimsaran. I will be standing for County Councillor at the next election and I am beginning my campaign now. If anyone would like to contact me with any issues I am more than happy to talk with them. “ We can’t just sit around with things staying as they are for the next 5 years. Just because someone has been a County Councillor for so many years, it doesn’t mean that they should take the people for granted. “ I will be launching a very strong challenge in Trimsaran and I hope the people will back me.” Summing up his passion for representing the people of Carmarthenshire he said : “I want to represent the people of Trimsaran and the Llanelli area. I want to air their concerns and needs in County Hall as I believe they are being sold short at the moment. “ I have represented Wales in athletics at the Commonwealth Games and Great Britain in the Paralympics and I have a keen interest in all sports. “ As such I am appalled at Carmarthenshire County Council stating that they can’t afford to maintain the County’s parks, playgrounds and playing fields anymore. Theses areas are crucial for current and future generations, especially in times of austerity and the growing problem of childhood obesity. “ It is vital we keep these areas to enhance the wellbeing of our communities.”
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