This has been a very busy year and one in which the Partnership took a big step forward. We have to thank all who have been involved over the last year in helping with the huge decision to go ahead and take over the running of Canolfan y Bont. As a result we have responded to the community’s outcry and saved it from permanent closure. We thank all who have helped us in this venture particularly Gorseinon College (now Gower College) who continues to support us all the way and the Pontarddulais Town Council who provided the initial seed funding.

Canolfan y Bont
It took a large part of the year to negotiate the Lease with Gorseinon College at a ‘peppercorn rent’, which was finally signed in June. Following this was a concerted effort to set up all the technicalities of utilities, telephones, broadband, security etc before finally moving the Partnership office into the building on 20 September.

We had hoped to have a Manager in post to assist in ensuring that the building has a good business foundation, but this hasn’t materialised yet. Since starting up we have had to rely heavily on volunteers from the Partnership undertaking a range of ‘duties’ at the Centre. Bids to the Western Valleys SRA for capital funding has given us the opportunity in the first quarter of 2011 to install a stair lift to improve access to the upstairs rooms, renovate the outside store and install child safe flooring in the side yard.

A successful Open Day was held at the Centre in July to draw in potential users of the Centre and to gather information on the types of courses that people wanted. Over 100 people attended the event as well as some of the agencies that would become users of the centre. Building on the information gathered, we have engaged with various agencies that have delivered a range of courses in the Centre since September and set up others to start in the New Year:

  • Spanish – (DACE, Swansea University),
  • IT Workshops and Craft Taster Sessions – (Lifelong Learning, City & County of Swansea)
  • Digital photography – (University of Glamorgan via Communities 2.0 Project)
  • Digital Photography – (Sustainable Swansea – Swansea Telly Project under Communities 2.0).
  • Welsh Taster – (Swansea University Welsh for Adults).
  • Age Concern Advice & Information sessions – (Pontarddulais Age Concern as part of Keep Well This Winter Campaign).
  • Stress Awareness Workshop – (Swansea Carers Centre).

We are delighted that we have been able to dedicate one room for young people’s activities, and thank the Rural Youth Project/ Swansea Youth Service for taking responsibility for laying on this facility. Whilst it has not been possible to operate as a Youth Drop-In because of neighbour objections, the room is being used for Youth Group Work sessions, and we have seen a carpentry workshop and many sessions of DJ’ing and Music Production happening here. We look forward to ongoing use of this facility by young people.

We are working with the Wales Coop Centre and a local Social Enterprise with the aim of setting up Website Design Workshops in the New Year using the excellent IT facilities at the Centre.
We will continue to build links with more agencies to ensure greater use of the building and hence ensure its sustainability.

Railway Station Project
This year saw the completion of the first phase of the Railway Station enhancement project, which was a good example of partnership working between Our Partnership, Tidy Towns Initiative, City & County of Swansea NEAT and Parks Dept, Pontarddulais Comprehensive School and local community volunteers. The area has been transformed thanks to the efforts of all concerned, with pupils gaining an ASDAN qualification as a result. The Project was considered good enough to be shortlisted for a Sustainable Swansea Award.

Friends of Llandeilo Talybont Old Churchyard
The Friends have made huge progress in improving the churchyard, particularly on the perimeter wall. Working alongside a stonemason, the volunteers have managed to complete two walls of the churchyard which has involved considerable demolition and rebuilding of some sections,
re-pointing using limestone mortar and lime-washing. This has been made possible with a grant from CADW matched by loads of volunteer hours.
Interpretation Panels are being designed for the churchyard, to link in to St Fagans, and will offer visitors information about this Ancient Monument site. A capital grant from Western Valleys SRA will be used in the coming year to pay for this aspect of the project, together with an information leaflet for wide distribution.

Rights of Way
Our Footpaths Officer Selwyn Williams has continued to pursue issues relating to a number of rights of way in the area, fighting for the Community’s right to be able to continue to travel well established walks, despite considerable opposition from certain parties. We thank him for his persistence on our behalf. Of particular note is the path down to the old churchyard which is now subject to a Diversion proposal which will improve access to the old churchyard and the reopening of the path from ‘Siding Fach’ to the Cemetery.

Multi Use Games Area, Pontarddulais Comprehensive School
We are pleased that we finally achieved our longstanding aim of installing lighting at the MUGA to enable the young people to have an informal outdoor ‘drop in’ facility which is usable all year round, thanks to grants from Pontarddulais Town Council and National Grid. A small celebratory official ‘switch on’ event was held in November to mark this phase of improvement to that area.

Play Scheme
The Partnership was awarded a grant from the Swansea Play Fund again this year, to run holiday Play Schemes. Our Team of local Play Workers was out and about during School Holidays engaging children and young people in a range of self directed play, encouraging children to make decisions and be creative. The final week of the scheme will run in February 2011.

Rural Development Partnership
We have worked closely with the RDP and spent much time over the last year finalising grant bids for Business Plan 2. We have been successful in getting verbal approval for part funding of the Community Development Worker post, Canolfan y Bont, Railway Station Project Phase 2 and MUGA Phase 2. We await final confirmation of the grant but look forward to being able to deliver on these projects, subject to achieving the appropriate match funding. Funding continues to be a constant battle, which in the current economic climate we don’t expect to get any easier.

A word of caution, the Partnership has set higher goals for itself during the next year and these can only be achieved with higher levels of volunteer time and effort.