Rotary Ball in memory of Ernie Lawson

The annual Llanelli Rotary Club Ball is being dedicated to the memory of one of the club’s best loved members.

The ball, on Friday, March 23, has been renamed The Ernie Lawson Memorial Charity Ball.

“Ernie was a true local hero,” said Llanelli Rotary Club President Graham Williams.

“He embodied the spirit of the Rotary movement – service above self.

“He cared passionately about Llanelli and Llanelli people and his charitable works are the stuff of legend.”

Mr Williams said funds raised from this year’s ball would be split between Rotary charities and the Llanelli Sea Cadets.

He added: “Ernie was a passionate supporter of the Sea Cadets and his family have already expressed their appreciation for our decision to rename the ball in his memory.”

Mr Lawson, better known to all as Ernie, was a local hero in Llanelli for many of his 85 years. He died before Christmas.

Family man, businessman and entrepreneur, he led a rich and full life, contributing widely to various charitable causes.

Indeed, it was for his charitable work that he received the MBE in 1998.

In recent years, Mr Lawson had devoted himself to the care of his beloved wife Marion.

A retired JP, Mr Lawson was instrumental in helping to set up the Llanelli Sea Cadets.

Mr Lawson was a past president of Llanelli Rotary Club and a holder of the prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship award.

He was a vice-president of Cor Meibion Llanelli and a patron of the Llanelli Scarlets.

A proud champion of Llanelli, he started work in the town as a butcher, later establishing Lawson’s Cash and Carry and Lawson’s Frozen Foods.

In April of last year, he was one of a number of people honoured by Llanelli Sea Cadets in a boat naming ceremony.

This year’s ball will feature a three course meal, raffle, auction, a roving caricaturist in the shape of Llanelli cartoonist ‘Rog’ (Roger Bowles) and entertainment featuring the top Motown and Soul duo Soul Sensation.

Tickets are £35. For more information/table reservations contact Llanelli Rotary Club secretary Anthony Jones c/o TAD builders, Temple Works, Furnace, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, SA15 4HT, Telephone 01554 752884, Fax number

01554 745005. Email: anthony@tadbuilders.co.uk

Press release provided by Robert Lloyd