Happy New Year Pontyclun

Happy New Year Pontyclun

Café 50

Café 50 is a café run by Pontyclun Community Council as a social centre for older people. It offers affordable and freshly cooked midday meals and has a continuous programme of social activities to serve every interest.

Over Christmas, Café 50 had a much needed re-paint. It now looks as fresh and as inviting as when it was first opened in 1995. The repainting was undertaken by the Probation Service who provided people fulfilling Community Safety Orders. My thanks to them and to Julius Roszkowski, the Council’s Chief Officer for organising the partnership with the Probation Service. Several community councillors volunteered their time over Christmas to get the Café ready for its re-opening.

PICTURE 

The range of activities at Café 50 includes

·         A Weekly Quiz organised by Cllr Gwyn Jackson

·         A monthly Film Club organised by Cllr Mike Davies

·         A weekly social group for families living with Dementia organised by Sabrina Cartlidge with Cllr Margaret Griffiths, Cllr Ann Jackson and other volunteers

·         A weekly Craft Group – Welcome Friends

·         Mature Movers

·         Armchair Yoga

·         Indoor Curling

·         Yarnmongers

·         Cantorion Pontyclun

·         Macmillan Support Group

Café 50 is by organised by Tara Davies who works part time for the Community Council in a post part funded by RCT Council.

If you are interested in have lunch at Café 50 or joining any of the groups, you can contact Tara 01443 238500 or e-mail cafe50@pontyclun-cc.gov.wales

Pontyclun U3A

Back in 2015 when we were first developing Café 50 we wrote about the University of the Third Age in the Diary inviting local people to meet and form a group – the rest is history! Pontyclun U3A is now at the centre of Pontyclun life. Anyone not in full time employment can enjoy any of its sociable learning groups which include:

·         Walking

·         History

·         Play reading

·         Music appreciation

·         Drawing

·         Spanish

·         Welsh

·         Book reading

·         Petanque

·         Gardening

·         Bird Watching

Most of these groups meet at Café 50. You can learn more about these groups through this website https://www.pontyclun.net/u3a. Or you can ring the Café 50 Coordinator, Tara Davies on 01443 238500.

History of Café 50

I believe that Pontyclun Community Council is the only Community Council in Wales to run a social and dining facility like Café 50. How did this happen?

It was back in 2014 that RCT Council announced its intention to close half of all its libraries and day centres across the county borough. The UK Government had already set out on its programme of deep austerity. The global banking system had teetered on the edge of collapse in 2008 due the banks’ reckless and unregulated lending policies. Governments across the Globe intervened to bail out the banks and the UK Government, after 2010, was determined to cover the cost through savage cuts in public services – even though the banks had a programme of repayment. RCT Council set out to protect its schools and its social services but all other budgets were cut by 50%. The end result was that either Pontyclun Library or Pontyclun Day Centre had to go.

Pontyclun Community Council, with RCT Cllrs Margaret and Paul Griffiths, intervened with a plan to run the Day Centre, renamed Café 50. We saved the Day Centre and transformed the contribution that it makes to the town of Pontyclun.

Pontyclun Community Venues

We are very fortunate to have a range of venues which serve the interests of our very active community. They include the Community Centre, the Rugby Club, Bethel Baptist Church, St Paul’s Church.

Pontyclun Athletic Club has a special place which is not well understood. It is in a very real sense owned by the people of Pontyclun having been gifted to trustees by Godfrey Clark in 1910. The trustees are charged with running the club in the interests of the people of Pontyclun.

Maintaining these venues is a challenge for all the volunteers involved. The Community Council seeks to work with all such volunteers so that we can support each other and coordinate our efforts. If there is space available we can be sharing that information and inform groups who are looking for such space.

Community Council Budget

The Community Council at its meeting on 8 January 2020 agreed its budget for the coming financial year. The Council plans to spend £122.100 in the coming year – 2.7% more than this year which largely reflects increases in staff costs. This budget will result in the average Pontyclun household being charged £34.79 towards the Council’s costs.

The Community Council budget will cover the costs of Café 50, the town centre car park, Pontyclun Park, Ivor Woods, summer flowers and Christmas lights, maintenance of public footpaths, the Christmas Festival, Picnic in the Park.

The Community Council receives no money from the Welsh Government. All its community councillors are volunteers who choose not to receive any payments.

Looking forward to events in the Autumn and Winter at Pontyclun

Pontyclun Christmas Festival

Saturday 23 November

Put this date in your diaries. From 2 pm till 8 pm the only place for you and your family will be  Pontyclun Athletic Club.

This will be the best Christmas Festival any town in Wales has ever enjoyed.

The volunteers of our wonderful Macmillan Fundraising Group will be organising a Christmas Market inside the Athletic Club from 2 pm to 6 pm. Every craft trader who has goods of quality and affordability will be there.  Any Christmas shopping anguish will be replaced by a friendly smile and a festive hug. Forget the soul-less, friend-less internet, come to the Athletic Club. Our High Street shops will also be open during the Festival.

Father Christmas will want to meet every child.

Outside the Club the Community Council will be providing a marquee and stage. All our Primary School choirs will ensure that our talented children bring the festive season to life. Pat and Ned of Llantrisant Folk Club will entertain and provide a twmpath. There will be choirs, folk and rock bands galore. This is a music festival to end all.

There will be food stalls for every taste and fairground rides along with our many community groups.

Pontyclun’s famous Christmas lights and tree, the best of any small town in Wales, provided by the Community Council, will be turned on with a launch by the cast of Pontyclun Pantomime at Giles Gallery.

Trains for Christmas

Most days I catch the commuter train to and from Cardiff. It is a truly awful experience. I stand for each journey squashed embarrassingly hard against my travelling companions. Some say it is a ‘cattle truck’ but that is unfair on our farmers who comply with EU regulations that offer better care for animals than there is for rail passengers. Thousands of potential rail users give up the train and clog up the motorway instead.

A year ago a new company was formed to provide our train service: Transport for Wales. It promised an initial upgrade of our trains by the end of 2019. The dreadful ‘pacer trains’ – often described as nasty old buses on tracks – will be replaced

A replacement fleet of trains has now been purchased for the Pontyclun line. The new trains will increase the capacity per train by 40%. The trains are now in Cardiff being adapted for the line and drivers are being re-trained. Let us hope they are in operation by Christmas. When they arrive we will applaud Transport for Wales and then continue our campaign for a minimum of two stopping trains an hour.

Thanks for the Flowers

Community Council staff, Darren and Ray, plant, water and feed all our flower beds in the town centre, the station and Groes Faen. As in every other year the flowers have been a cause of pride and joy – attracting people to Pontyclun and its town centre. Darren and Ray also maintain our 20 miles of public rights of way, Pontyclun Park and Ivor Woods. It has been a busy summer. This is part of the service you gain for your annual average payment of £33 to the Community Council.

Walking Rugby

On 4 September Pontyclun Rugby Club and Pontyclun Community Council hosted a very successful walking rugby festival with visiting teams from the Rhondda, Ynysybwl, Newport and Cardiff. The last time I was in a team with JPR Williams was probably on the playing fields of Bridgend Grammar School in 1966. Our playing paths diverged in the meantime.

The team are always looking for new players, new or ex-players; male or female. Just come along to a training session at Pontyclun park on Mondays at 6.30pm or Wednesdays at 10am

Owain Glyndwr

I am writing on 16 September and I have been told that this is Owain Glyndwr Day. Glyndwr led the Welsh revolt against the rule of the English King, Henry 1V, between 1400 and 1415. By 1404 most of Wales, including Pontyclun, and much of midlands of England were controlled by Glyndwr.

Owain was part of the Welsh gentry, owning lordships in north Wales. Living in London he was favoured by the court of Richard 11 and doing very nicely. The coup by Henry IV in 1399 threatened Owain’s wealth and title and so he started the revolt. Initially he was remarkably successful, building alliances with Scotland, Ireland and France; but his defeat and death came in 1415.

Faced with unlawful and unrestrained rulers of England; Owain Glyndwr worked to create political unions across what is now the United Kingdom and Europe. Ring any bells! 

Community garden Green Flag and other memories

Pontyclun Community Garden

Our own community garden  in Pontyclun Park has been awarded the prestigious ‘Green Flag’ by Keep Wales Tidy.

The Green Flag Award is the international mark of a quality park or green space. The Community Award is in recognition of the contribution of the many volunteers who have created and developed our community garden.

The volunteers, led by Lisa Williams, are all wonderful. They created the growing beds and each year they plant the shrubs which we can all enjoy and the vegetables  we can take home for our dinner. The volunteers are supported by the Community Council which provides the Park and the space for the garden.

Terry Walton Celebrates Community Garden

The famous Rhondda allotment gardener and broadcaster, Terry Walton, came to meet our garden volunteers in celebration of the Green Park Award.

Terry is well known for his fascinating gardening stories on Radio 2 and other radio stations. He told us how his father first took him to the Rhondda allotment at the age of 4 years and how he gained his own first allotment at the age of 11. With over 60 years of gardening experience he gave us a lot of encouragement and advice, and some very funny stories.

Celebrating Edwina Godwin

Sadly, Edwina Godwin, the Chair of Governors for Pontyclun Primary School, died in July. Edwina spent her life adding to the quality of education in our schools, enriching the lives of young children, as a teacher, adviser and governor. Edwina made this lifelong contribution with charm and robust good humour. She was loved and admired by the parishioners of St Paul’s and St Anne’s. She was as a director of our Community Shop which has funded so many good causes in our community. Edwina has been active in the Soroptimist International which works to educate, empower and enable opportunities for women and girls. Edwina contributed to the lives of so many and will live on in our memory.

Table Top Sale

On Saturday, 28 September, Pontyclun Institute and Athletic Club are holding a Table Top Sale from Mid-day to 4 pm in aid of Parkinsons UK. If you wish to provide a stall ring Katherine on 0777 3232372.

Pontyclun Community Centre

Also on Saturday 28 September the Community Centre will be celebrating its 25^th birthday by unveiling a commemorative bench and providing musical entertainment. The Management Committee of this centre are a wonderful group of volunteers who illustrate the community spirit of Pontyclun. Year after year they manage, maintain and develop this crucial community facility; and we are all indebted to them.

The Community Centre has a fascinating history. There had been a social hall on this site since the time the Marquis of Bute owned the land. The Butes transferred the land to a commercial property developer, Western Groundrents, who offered the land for sale in 1961. Residents of Pontyclun raised a fund of £1100 in memory of our local GP, Gordon Jones, and used this fund to purchase the land and the hall. The residents nominated trustees who transferred the management of the hall to a Committee which continues to be elected annually. The trustees nominated the County Council as the ‘executive trustee’ which exercised the responsibilities of ownership. In 1994 the Council replaced the original social hall with the current community centre and day centre (which is now Café 50).

Pontyclun’s Council Housing

In July 1919, 100 years ago, Parliament passed the Act of the Housing Minister, Christopher Addison, which paved the way for the development of Council Housing. Take a walk up Heol y Coed and admire the quality of the original council housing which was developed by our local council as a result of this Act.

Millions of British people benefited from the period of council house development that followed. In the 1950’s I was privileged to be an original occupier of a ‘prefab’ in Sandfields, Aberavon. As my sisters and brother arrived, we became the first occupiers of a ‘Cornish house’ down by the beach. The large majority of these council houses were sold off, and not replaced, by the Thatcher Government in the 1980’s.

Evidence collected by the Welsh Government shows that half of the people who now enter the housing market cannot afford to buy a house – average house prices are over five times average annual earnings; and a deposit will be more than a year’s wages. If our children and grandchildren are going to continue living in Pontyclun,  then half of them will need to see the building of a new generation of council housing – and yet many residents might say ‘not in my back yard’!

Summer musings from Pontyclun

Tyle Garw and Pontyclun

The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales has proposed that the boundaries of the Community of Pontyclun are extended to include the approximately 700 residents of Tyle Garw who are currently served by Llanharry Community Council. This proposal is subject to further public consultation until mid September.

The existing community of Pontyclun, represented by the Pontyclun Community Council, includes Talygarn, Brynsdaler, Pontyclun, Ynys Ddu, Miskin, Mwyndy and Groes Faen. There are just over 8000 residents.

Pontyclun Community Council would offer a warm welcome to the residents of Tyle Garw if this proposal is implemented.

Pontyclun centre has many amenities which are used extensively by Tyle Garw residents: the primary school, nursery schools, the GP surgery, the dentist, the post office, the bank, the credit union, Café 50, Pontyclun Park, the Rugby and Football Clubs, the shops, restaurants and cafes.

For the financial year 2019-20 Pontyclun Community Council agreed a budget of £118,480. It charges the average Band D household £33.80 each year – compared to £75 in Llanharry, £64 in Llanharan and £41 in Llantrisant.

The services offered by Pontyclun Community Council include:

• -          Pontyclun Park
• -          Ivor woods
• -          Maintenance of public rights of way
• -          Maintenance of war memorial
• -          Café 50 and its wide range of social activities for older residents
• -          Summer flowers in Pontyclun, at the station, in Miskin and Groes Faen
• -          Christmas lights
• -          Summer Festival
• -          Christmas Festival
• -          Walks Festival
• -          Grants in support of local groups
• -          Encouraging visitors and promoting the local economy
• -          Putting pressure on those who have an impact on Pontyclun – Welsh Government, Transport for Wales, Cwm Taf Health Board, RCT Council

Pontyclun has always been eager to share its facilities and services with the residents of Tyle Garw and the changed boundary would give Tyle Garw residents a say in how Pontyclun develops – electing its own member to the Community Council.

Pontyclun Community Council would be eager to discuss with residents of Tyle Garw how it could extend its services to the Tyle Garw area – providing summer flowers and Christmas lights.

Pontyclun Community Council  will be surveying each household in Tyle Garw on the proposal to include Tyle Garw in the Pontyclun Community.

If you have a view, for or against, you can also contact me directly by e-mail or telephone.

With the inclusion of Tyle Garw, the Boundary Commission is recommending that Pontyclun has three, instead of two, representatives on RCT Council. My view is that there should be a RCT Councillor for each of the following three areas:

• -          Groes Faen and Mwyndy (all roads off Ffordd Cefn yr Hendy)
• -          Miskin, Hendy and Ynys Ddu
• -          Tyle Garw, Maesyfelin, Brynsadler and Talygarn.

Is giving in your Blood?

Ray Blank one of Pontyclun Community Council staff has just been given an award for making 350 blood donations over the last 20 years.

This is a fantastic achievement and will have saved many lives. We know that he is not the only person in our community who donates and volunteering like this is another way that we show how we are a caring community which looks after those who are in need.

I am in awe of Ray – I have not yet reached 100 donations.

If you would like to give blood, please contact the Welsh Blood Service on 01443 622000 and arrange to visit them at the Welsh Blood Service Centre near the Royal Glamorgan Hospital or at their mobile service which visits Pontyclun and Talbot Green.

Paul Griffiths

Chair, Pontyclun Community Council

Summer in Pontyclun

Picnic in the Park

June, so far, has been a bit cool and damp.

But on 8 June the Community Council worked with the whole of Pontyclun to create a little ray of sunshine when several hundred families came to enjoy the ‘Picnic in the Park’. I thank everyone who came to create this event which showed the truly friendly spirit of Pontyclun . Recently, I asked what made Pontyclun a successful town – this event provided a large part of the answer.

This picture shows the egg throwing competition organised by Cllr Carole Willis, and Ysgol GGG Llantrisant,  as part of a wide range of traditional family games.

I thank the wide range of groups who contributed so much to this fantastic community event.

Pontyclun Environment Group

This wonderful group of Pontyclun residents do so much to support our local environment. They arrange litter picking days. They organise nature walks. They established and maintain the walk along the River Ely from Brynsadler  with hidden pebble beaches and some of the most natural woodland in Pontyclun. At the Picnic they helped children make bird feeders for their gardens.

You can contact the group through Sarah Jenkins; e-mail srj555@hotmail.co.uk

Pontyclun Road Runners

This group were brilliant contributors to Picnic in the Park. Many members came along to provide enjoyable run-based activities  for children – including the bean bag relay I remember from my primary school. There was a 1.5 k run around the rugby field. On the very same day Pontyclun Road Runners provided around thirty marshals for the Pontypridd Park Run.  You can join this group by visiting https://www.pontyclunroadrunners.co.uk/contact-us/

Pontyclun Community Garden

This is another inspiring group who contributed to the Picnic. These volunteers provide a community garden within Pontyclun Park. They have created attractive growing beds where they have cultivated vegetables, shrubs and flowers. Members of the public are invited to come pick the vegetables for free – so many people respond to this invitation with a gobsmacked “you must be kidding me”; but it is true. To join the garden group e-mail ‘pontyclungarden@gmail.com’.

Bethel Baptist Church

Church members provided a wonderful musical and melodic accompaniment to the Picnic. They also provided a lounge for those who needed a quiet moment.

Macmillan Fundraising Support

Our inspiring Macmillan Fundraising Support had a stall at the Picnic showing how Pontyclun is a community that wants to give to those in need as they fundraise for a new  care centre for with cancer – Y Bwthyn

Citrus Arts

Performers from Citrus Arts came along to share circus skills among the children at the Picnic.

Miskin Cricket Club

The ageless Keith Davies of Miskin Cricket Club came along to introduce bat and ball to the youngsters in the park.

Walking Rugby and Football

The ageless stars of Pontyclun walking rugby and football groups shared their skills with the children in the park; the children shared their pace and agility. You can join the walking rugby and football groups by contacting ‘cafe50@pontyclun-cc.gov.uk’.

Pontyclun Pentanque

The Petanque Players of Pontyclun came to share the game of petanque, boule to some of us, to the picnicers in the park.  You will find the Petanque players regularly at Pontyclun Rugby Club.

Jo Cox

We were inspired to introduce Pontyclun’s Picnic in the Park in 2018 by the events in memory of the  murdered MP, Jo Cox. Jo had always held that in every community “there is more that unites us than divides us”. She was killed for holding that belief. Our picnics have shown that in Pontyclun there is real joy in coming together on a summer’s day to meet our neighbours, introduce ourselves to each and enjoy the company of all others, no matter what their age or background.

In Defence of Politics

Jo was killed for being a politician. I have been elected politician since I became a a member of  Pontyclun Community Council in 2004. I have not experienced the threats of violence and abuse experienced by so many other politicians – but people often step back with dismay and puzzlement when I introduce myself as a councillor.

I was once a lecturer in politics, explaining  that politics was the process of resolving the differences of opinion and interest in any community. I would argue that democratic politics was the mark of civilisation as we seek to resolve those differences through dialogue, persuasion and compromise – rather than force and oppression. The politician seeks to be bridge, the person who forges compromise and decision amidst disagreement and division.

I fear for the future as democratic politics is denigrated, all politicians are demonised, the institutions of democratic government – be they local, central or European – are cast aside. The end result is fascism: the end of politics, the oppression of individuals and minorities.

Pontyclun’s  Picnic in the Park shows other ways forward: hope over fear, cooperation over competition, solidarity over division, togetherness over  separation. We showed that there is more that unites than divides us.

Paul Griffiths

Chair of Pontyclun Community Council

Summer events in Pontyclun

Picnic in the Park

On Saturday 8 June everyone in Pontyclun is invited to come to the Park – all members of the family, from toddler to teenager, dad to hen,hen mam-gu.

It is all free. You can bring your own picnic and, if you choose, leave your purse at home – although there will be food and drinks for sale.

There will be games, sports and family races. There will be a circus school and music. Every group in Pontyclun has been invited to run a stall so that we can all meet new people.

This picnic is organised by Pontyclun Community Council so that we can all enjoy each other’s company – knowing that there is always  more that unites than divides us.

The fun starts at 1 pm and will continue all afternoon. You will get a great welcome.

A Summer of Fetes and Festivals

Congratulations to Ysgol Llantrisant who ran a very successful ‘Gwyl’ on 18 May at the Rugby Club to get out summer off with a smile and a song.

Pontyclun Falcons

Congratulations to  Pontyclun’s women’s rugby team who reached the Welsh Super Final at the Principality Stadium on 10 May. They were matched against the might of Swansea, Davina versus Goliath. Pontyclun scored two magnificent tries on the hallowed turf but finally lost 33-12.

Congratulations also  Pontyclun’s men’s team who had a good season, finishing third in their league, ahead of such prestigious teams as Penarth and Penygraig.

Pontyclun Walking Rugby

Pontyclun’s walking rugby team were also at the Principality Stadium in the last month. They took part in the WRU’s first walking rugby tournament. Pontyclun won as many matches as they lost and caused a lot of interest by including local resident, JPR Williams, in their team. Also included were Community Councillors Anne and Gwyn Jackson, and Mike Davies.

Every Wednesday morning at 10 am you are all invited to join our walking rugby players in Pontyclun Park. There is an hour of rugby and an hour of football. This has been organised by a partnership between Pontyclun Community Council, Café 50 and Sport Wales.

 International Petanque

On 4/5 May Pontyclun hosted the 31st Celtic Challenge, the annual pétanque competition between Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

There two full days of intense competition which saw Scotland emerge as overall winners. Congratulations all the players who were made very welcome in Pontyclun with a tournament dinner taking place in Pontyclun Rugby Club which has done well to develop an international arena for Petanque.

I was so delighted to be invited to welcome the teams as Chair of Pontyclun Community Council that I wore the Council Chain for my first time. You may think I spoiled the effect by also wearing shorts and sandals.

I told our guests how we were a small town with a long history and a big heart.

  

Margaret was better dressed to provide a welcome from RCT Council.

We should all thank the local Petanque players and organisers who put Pontyclun on the international map.

Pontyclun storm the Principality Stadium - well almost!

Pontyclun Walking Rugby team play at the Principality Stadium

The WRU organised a Walking Rugby festival at the Principality Stadium on Monday 29th April 2019.

8 teams from South & Mid wales were invited to attend and Pontyclun as one of the first Walking Rugby teams in Wales was invited to play.

14 Intrepid players and our great coaches from Play Sport Wales made the short hop by train to Cardiff.

The budding starlets starting getting ready in the Home changing rooms with a short warm up on the pitch where photos were taken including with the 6 Nations and Triple crown trophies

Pontyclun with 6 Nations and Triple Crown Trophies

The 8 teams gathered and it was down the tunnel to music and lights to start the games. 

We knew it was serious when a set of qualified referees turned up for each match! One recalled refereeing a match at Pontyclun where he was punched by a player - from Builth Wells thank goodness so he had no hard feelings to us.

Pontyclun played teams from Cambian (Porth); Pontypridd; Ynysybwl and Treorchy.  The matches were played with a great spirit of fun.

Even with JPR on our side we did not achieve a clean sweep but it is fair to say every team came over for photos with us. Amazing what having a legend with you does to your popularity. 

After the matches there were medals for all, back to the Players lounge for refreshments then the serious action started in the bar!

We have now arranging more matches against Treorchy and Cardiff for this summer.

The team meets Wednesday mornings at 10am in Pontyclun Park. New players, are always welcome so come along and join

Behind the scenes in the stadium

Home changing room - where's Alun Wyn's space?

Lord Ellis Thomas issuing medals

Geraint John with JPR Keith and Gwyn