PRESS RELEASE Issued: 25 June 2014 ‘Hidden gem’ country park among Merthyr projects awarded £50,000 Three Merthyr Tydfil projects - including the town’s ‘hidden gem’ of a country park - have been awarded more than £50,000 to help them expand and create and secure jobs. Volunteers working at reclaimed former colliery site Parc Taf Bargoed, social enterprise support programme Merthyr Enterprise Centre, and hub of the community St Davids Hall are receiving the support from SEWCED. Volunteer group Friends of Parc Taf Bargoed has been awarded £15,000 towards its Sport in the Community project feasibility study, which aims to improve the football facilities of the lower valley by providing a 3G pitch - the surface of which will allow much higher usage than a conventional grass pitch and enable many more people to take part in active sport. This development is only one of several strands the Friends are working on to protect and develop the park The other principal one is a community-owned hydroelectric plant the profits from which should help to secure the future of the wardens on the Park, said Friends Chair Paul Kent. Set in the beautiful Taf Bargoed Valley, the 50-hectare park was once the site of three mines - Trelewis Drift, Deep Navigation and Taf Merthyr. An extensive land reclamation scheme has seen it transformed into a haven for wildlife, with new habitats such as wetland areas offering a range of heritage and environmental activities such as bird watching, pond dipping, bug identification and bat walks. The park has facilities for fishing, cycling, walking and horse riding and is the home of Aberfan Canoe Club, Parc Taf Bargoed Anglers’ Club and the Welsh International Climbing Centre. Investment of £321,000 Big Lottery funding and £350,000 from the Heads of the Valleys Programme helped to transform an existing pavilion into a Heritage, Environment and Visitor Centre, and in 2011, the facility won a prestigious UK Green Flag Award for its excellent use of green space, well-maintained facilities and high standard of safety and security. The Friends of Parc Taf Bargoed is a group of local volunteers and clubs involved in a number of projects in the park, including a fitness trail, artworks, signage and interpretation, clean-up activities and maintenance. They also liaise with Taf Bargoed Communities First to organise the annual Big V Community Festival. The Sport in the Community project is intended to see the two local football clubs -Trelewis and Treharris – using the 3G pitch and grandstands, with the facilities available to other groups and used for training seven days a week, compared to only once a week or so for a grass pitch. • Merthyr Enterprise Centre is the working name for a joint initiative between Tydfil Training, business support providers Taste of Enterprise and Merthyr and the Valleys Mind aimed at helping people to set up their own businesses. The consortium has been awarded £15,000 towards annual rental of an office in High Street and £10,000 towards the salary of a front-of-house officer to co-ordinate the work of the project. The three organisations will work with a range of other groups including Merthyr Tydfil College and Business Wales to ensure their fledgling entrepreneurs are supported every step of the way in their quest for success. “We want to hear from individuals with just the spark of an idea and will act as a broker in signposting them to all the right people for advice,” said Tydfil Training Chief Executive Paul Gray. The consortium is aiming to recruit its new officer in time for the planned opening of the enterprise centre in June. • St David’s Hall is to receive £13,200 towards the salary of a part-time facilities manager and extending the hours of support staff. Constructed in 1852 and originally a boys’ junior school, the building has been used as a hall and community centre since 1935. While rooms at the front of the building and lower ground floor are used by a range of local groups - such as Merthyr Ladies’ Choir, Guides, Workers’ Educational Association and the Dic Penderyn Society - the main hall and stage area was closed off several years ago after the ceiling collapsed following the theft of lead from the roof. Because it is a Grade II Listed building, falling within the Pontmorlais Regeneration Area, the hall has also been given an award from The Heritage Lottery Fund’s Townscape Heritage Initiative towards full refurbishment. The restoration work is due to start in June, with completion scheduled for September. “To date, the hall has been managed by volunteer trustees,” said Treasurer David Owen. “While they have done a remarkable job in keeping the building open over the last 80 years, the fully restored facilities require a more professional set-up to promote them, secure the building and to work with the hall users and in partnership with other town centre venues.” Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Cabinet Member for Chief Executive Services, Councillor Phil Williams, said: “The SEWCED funding will be invaluable in helping to further develop one of the town’s hidden gems - Parc Taf Bargoed - and the hub of the community, St David’s Church Hall. “It will also boost the economy by enabling Merthyr Enterprise Centre to help aspiring entrepreneurs achieve their potential. This is all part of the work towards making Merthyr Tydfil a place people enjoy visiting and living in.”
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 15:48:20 +0000
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