Pontyclun Happy Easter

 We hope that you will enjoy meeting up with some family and friends over this Easter period. We all want to stay safe and at the moment this means limiting our gatherings to four people from 2 households in a garden or public space

Violence against women

Violence against women  is sadly with us constantly. During march Sarah Everard was kidnapped and murdered. A woman is killed every 3 days in the UK. Many women live in homes where they are subjected to physical and mental abuse. Other women are abused online and in public spaces by men who respond to their inadequacies by intimidating women. Women, men and trans people all contribute to our communities. We all contribute in different ways and we should respect each other. Whenever we see women being abused, we need to stand up and object. We all have a voice.

COVID and young people

This year has been stressful for young people of all ages who have not been able to socialise with their friends. In Rhondda Cynon Taf, Eye to Eye is a young people's counselling service based at Bryncelynnog school in Beddau. Eye to Eye provides free and confidential counselling to young people aged 10 to 25 in schools, in the community and online. There are occasions when it is difficult to cope with a problem on your own and talking may help. You can contact Eye to Eye on 01443 202940 or by email at info@eyetoeye.wales

The Children and Adolescent Mental Health team in Rhondda Cynon Taf is able to help those children and young people with more severe, complex and enduring emotional and behavioural mental health issues. You can contact CAMHS on 01443 443008 and they are open 9am to 9.30pm

COVID and Re-entry syndrome

As we look forward to a return to "normal". it will create its own anxieties. We may want to return to the hairdresser or to visit some of the shops which have been closed. However, some of us will feel anxious about meeting people once again. We may choose to take small steps at any one time as we get used to being with people once more. We will want to quietly support our friends who might be anxious. To control our fears, we need to slow down and breathe deeply. If this isn't working, contact your GP who may refer you to mental health services.

Margaret Griffiths, Councillors

Happy New Year - a year for hope!

We hope you were able to have a safe Christmas celebrating with some of your family; and if you were on your own, we hope it was peaceful. 

Unfortunately, this January we are in lockdown again; but the great news is that the Pontyclun Surgery has started a programme of vaccinations. If you are over 80 you may already have had your first vaccination and if you have not, contact the surgery. If you are unsure about having the vaccination, remember that we all need to have the vaccination in order to keep us all safe. You will be protecting your children and grandchildren.

Can we imagine returning to a sociable and safe life? Let’s keep hoping.

Christmas in Pontyclun

Pontyclun had a festive feel during December with the sparkling street lights, festively decorated shop windows and the fantastic Christmas tree that many of you helped to decorate.

Apply for your right to free school meals

Because of COVID, some of you may lose your job. If you have children, don’t forget to apply for free school meals. This not only helps your family finances, but the school your children attends receive a small grant depending upon the number of children who are in receipt of free school meals. If your child is not able to attend school, you may be eligible for vouchers. Go to this link in order to apply: https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/ENhoolsandLearnin/Resident/Scg/Freeschoolmeals.aspx.

The Strategic plan for Rhondda Cynon Taf.

During this next year, Rhondda Cynon Taff Council will be consulting on a new local development plan. The development plan is the strategic document for our council area which sets out locations for new houses, industry, business sites etc. Look out for the consultation. We will keep you updated.

Already there are land owners around Pontyclun who are preparing their fields with the intention of submitting them as candidate sites. Trees are being felled, access into fields is being made bigger and service pipes are being laid. We are challenging this activity.

Community Council News

Pontyclun Community Council has 11 volunteer members, none of whom receives payment. It still meets monthly on Zoom. With our part-time staff, we organised the Christmas lights and tree. We are preparing for next year’s flower displays. The Community Council maintains 25 miles of public footpaths in our wonderful countryside. It maintains Pontyclun Park and Ivor Woods as much valued local facilities. We provide the public car park and toilets. If Covid subsides, we will in the next year resume our organisation of both a Summer Festival and the Christmas Festival as well as re-opening Café 50 as a venue for daily meals and numerous social groups. The Community Council has agreed to set a budget of £128,105 for next year and this will cost the average Pontyclun household £36 as part of your Council Tax bill

Happy Christmas Pontyclun

 

Happy Christmas to all residents and visitors to Pontyclun

We all know that this Christmas is going to be different to other years. Despite all the challenges facing us, we feel sure that with love and care for each other we can still have a very merry Christmas..

We continue to live with the restrictions that Welsh Government are asking us to observe. We are being asked not just to stay within the law but to do all that we should to keep ourselves, our families and friends safe. Sadly most people get covid from those they love most, their friends and families. We protect our families by always limiting our contacts with others – keeping to a ‘bubble’ of just two households who can meet together indoors. The bubble must stay unchanged.  If we meet people at a social distance in cafes or pubs, we should meet as a group of no more than four people, making sure that we leave our contact details. Our elderly relatives need to be protected from family members who have a wide range of social contacts; perhaps in work, school or college.

Regrettably, so many of Pontyclun’s Christmas events have been cancelled. The pantomime has been cancelled as well as the Macmillan Christmas Fair along with the Community Council festival of Christmas music and choirs. Cancellations also include so many school concerts, Christmas dinners, carol services and other events.

Pontyclun Community Council will be lighting up your lives with the lights across the road in Pontyclun, a Christmas tree outside Giles Gallery decorated by Stars made by our residents and local organisations and a Christmas tree in Groes Faen.

Pontyclun people continue to be innovative in a safe and caring way. On 28 November residents around Ffordd Cefn yr Hendy in Miskin organised a Christmas Fair by organising the sale of Christmas crafts on residents’ driveways. The Community Council organised support from Father Christmas and many elves – who all kept their distance

Pontyclun Remembers 2020

In recent years, three to four hundred people have been commemorating Remembrance Sunday at the War Memorial. This year because of COVID, the organisers decided that it was not possible to organise a Remembrance Service to which many people would want to attend and due to the location it would not be possible to ensure social distancing. However, the organisers, Denise Ellis and Mother Rosemary Hill coordinated production of a wonderful and emotional video with the help of members of the community and video editor Matthew Hackett. The video includes members of the community singing and  reciting Larence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’.  If you are interested in viewing it, go to You Tube and type in Pontyclun Remembers 2020 or follow this link here

A new Primary School for Pontyclun

At a recent meeting of the Cabinet of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, it was agreed to apply to Welsh Government for funding for building replacement primary schools in Pontyclun, Penygawsi and Llantwit Fardre. The Governors of the School and all the staff are delighted and excited that possibly within three years, the children of our community will have a modern school in which to learn. I have been pressing for the new Pontyclun school to be on the existing site. It is in the town centre and many pupils are able to walk to school. The Council has agreed to test the practicality of this site. There will be public consultation on the design and location of any new school.  We hope that this will take place sometime next year. 

 

RCT Cllr for Pontyclun, Margaret Griffiths 

Chair of Pontyclun Community Council, Cllr Paul Griffiths

September update

Oh Dear! Just as we write this article we are reflecting on the news that a spike in the cases of Coronavirus has caused a local lockdown in Pontyclun and the whole of RCT.

 

Our plans for the return of social groups in Café 50 have been suspended and once again we need to consider how we provide our range of council services.

 

Our hearts go out to all the families and businesses which will be affected.

 

We ask that everyone complies with the restrictions that have been announced. Other than for work or exceptional circumstances we stay within the county boundaries. Our pubs and restaurants close before 11 pm and social distance is maintained in all places. We should not meet anyone indoors, other than our own household, without good reason. We work from home wherever possible.

 

Whilst this is a great nuisance for us all. The decisions taken by RCT Council and the Welsh Government are intended to increase our control the virus. Let’s all do we can can and continue to support each other.

Paul Griffiths

Chair

Pontyclun Community Council

Buy local Shop local support your Community

Pontyclun Community Council has launched a “Buy local Shop local” campaign to encourage people to use our many and varied shops and businesses

Covid 19 has hit all communities hard and Pontyclun is no exception. Lockdown has meant that many of our local businesses have had to close temporarily and our shopping areas have been strangely quiet.

Things are now returning to normal with businesses back open and ready to welcome customers back.

We urge people to help support our local community by using our shops when you can. We have a great variety of shops providing a range of services from food to clothing, flowers to hairdressers. When these businesses do well we all benefit from them and our Community improves.

Councillor Gwyn Jacks on said “The Council is really proud of our community and the wide variety of shops and businesses that we have. We wish to encourage as many people as possible to support and help them to thrive and continue to serve us and our needs.

If we Buy local and Shop local then we all gain from the vibrant and energetic shops and the great spirit that builds in the heart of our Community”

More information about the range of businesses that can be found in Pontyclun can be found here

The Covid spring of 2020

2020 has been a very challenging year for the community of Pontyclun. Coronvirus has threatened us all and some families have lost loved ones. Many of us have been isolated in our homes. So much of what makes Pontyclun lively and exciting has been put in limbo. All our local groups, our sporting clubs, many of our businesses, our churches and chapels have suspended their activities.

But we are not defeated. Quietly, behind the scenes, the people of Pontyclun have worked hard to keep in touch with each other, support each other. Businesses have changed their plans and despite their difficulties they are returning, providing work and vitality to our town.

Local volunteers and local councillors have been working together to provide support – conversation, shopping, medicines – to our most vulnerable neighbours.

Our local workers in social care and the health service have put themselves at risk daily to provide care to those most in need. We thank them

Our volunteer community councillors have continued to meet regularly on our tablets and computers. At the peak of the virus we needed to close down so much – Café 50 with its daily meals and daily activities, Pontyclun Park, the public toilets. We cancelled our annual ‘Picnic in the Park’.

But our staff, despite the restrictions on working together, have kept open our public footpaths and Ivor Woods and this has been so important as we have taken our daily exercise. They continued to collect litter and empty the bins. They have given us our usual floral displays in Pontyclun Miskin and Groes Faen. We thank them.

For the moment the virus has abated. Our businesses are re-opening.  We have the best of cafes, pubs and restaurants, shops and galleries – they deserve our support. We have re-opened the Park. Our sporting clubs are resuming some of their activities – they deserve our support. Our schools will re-open fully in September –our teachers have done a fantastic job in caring for the most needy children and providing lessons over home computers. We are all working within the suitably cautious guidance of the Welsh Government.

The virus has not disappeared. We must take care to stay safe. But the people of Pontyclun are truly remarkable. Working together, supporting each other we are re-making our marvellous community. Well done everyone.

Paul Griffiths

Chair, Pontyclun Community Council

Coronavirus support in our area

Coronavirus support in our area

These are strange times indeed with lockdowns and social distancing the norm. This does mean that many of our older and more vulnerable residents are particularly at risk from isolation and may not be able to access medicines or even food.

RCT Council has set up a number of Community Resilience Hubs to support those who have been advised by the UK and Welsh Governments to self-isolate - those who are aged over 70 years of age, have a pre-existing health conditions, are pregnant or are displaying symptoms of the virus.

A total of seven hubs will co-ordinate Council Staff, and Community Resilience Volunteers, alongside the third sector, to support between 10,000 & 15,000 vulnerable people who are now required to self-isolate for a period of at least 12 weeks. The Hubs will also support those who are aged over 70 years of age, have a pre-existing health condition, are pregnant or are displaying symptoms of the virus.

The following buildings will act as Community Resilience Hubs/Centres:

·         Aberdare Library

·         Llantrisant Library

·         Ferndale Library

·         Mountain Ash Library

·         Garth Olwg Library

·         Porth Library

·         Llys Cadwyn

Vulnerable residents

Vulnerable residents with serious underlying health conditions will have received a letter from the NHS by post and are directed to seek support from friends, family or neighbours for tasks including delivering food and medicine during this period in line with the advice set out in the letter.

If you do not have people who can help and support you, residents are advised to contact the Council on 01443 425020 or Request Non-Urgent Assistance here.

Please Note: If you require Critical Adult Social Care Support, please call 01443 425003 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or the Emergency Duty Team on 01443 743665 (outside of these hours).

Residents in these circumstances are advised that they will continue to get the healthcare they require during this period. Your GP practice and hospital care team know who is in this higher risk category and will be in touch if any changes are needed to your care.

Pharmacies

Please find below a list of chemists that will deliver medication

·         A&J Sheppard Pharmacy 1 Ty-Isaf, Pontyclun, CF72 9LJ 01443 225437
Anne Williams 22 Cowbridge Rd, Pontyclun CF72 9EE 01443 22431

·         Llanharan Pharmacy 3 The Square, Llanharan, Pontyclun CF72 9NR 01443 226223

·         Pontyclun Pharmacy Ltd 21-23 Cowbridge Rd, Pontyclun CF72 9EA 01443 224361

·         Talbot Pharmacy Heol Y Gyfraith, Talbot Green, Pontyclun CF72 8AJ 01443 226114

Food

We are aware this may result in some of our users needing alternative catering arrangements; RCT Meals on Wheels are still offering this service so you can contact them on Email: mealsonwheels@rctcbc.gov.uk or Tel: 01443 281140 (24 hour answering machine)

The Pontyclun deli is also offering frozen food delivery, you can contact them on 01443 225579.

Volunteers and Local support

The RCT Council is currently calling for volunteers to play a role in this community resilience support, working alongside Council Officers and the third sector

Margaret Griffiths our local RCT councillor is also coordinating a Community Friends scheme, that will provide assistance to people in isolation. If you would like to be a volunteer this please contact Margaret on 01443 229301

Residents seeking help and support from local people should contact Margaret Griffiths who can arrange for one of out nearly 100 volunteers to help you

Here’s the latest organisations providing support to people in Taff Ely and across RCT. Thanks to our colleagues at Interlink for putting this together.

http://www.interlinkrct.org.uk/…/Wellbeing-Bulletin-6-April…

For the latest up to date information visit RCTCBC.GOV.UK