Jingle bells, Jingle Bells

Christmas Festival

Pontyclun’s Christmas Festival takes place at the Pontyclun Athletic Club on Saturday December 1^st. Please come along with all your family.

From midday there will be a Christmas Market inside the Athletic Club, organised by Pontyclun’s Macmillan Fundraising Group. Father Christmas and his elves will be inviting visits to his Grotto. There will be every stall imaginable at which you can buy all your Christmas gifts.

From 1 pm there will be an outside stage providing the best in Christmas music with the RCT Community Wind Band, the Ukeladies Band, Pontyclun Primary School, Cantorian Pontyclun, the cast of the Pontyclun Pantomime. Cllr Martin Ashford plays a gentleman with a big white beard and leads Pontyclun’s leading rock band. 

There will be fairground rides provided by Tommy Smith. There will be foodstalls to satisfy your hunger pangs.

At 5.30 pm Pontyclun’s Christmas lights will be turned on. The lights are provided by Floodlighting and Electrical Supplies – a firm with a national reputation which is based in Pontyclun.

This festival is funded and organised by Pontyclun Community Council.

Pontyclun Santa Fun Run

On Sunday December 16^th at 10.00 am there will be the Santa Fun Run beginning at Pontyclun Rugby Club. Do get there early to complete your registration and pay just £7 for a bacon roll, a hot drink and a medal for all participants. This is definitely for all comers – you can chose between a 5k run and a 3.5k walk. It is great fun and justifies a huge amount of Christmas excess.

Remembering 1918

Throughout the past month the Community Council has organised and supported a wide series of events to commemorate 1918 – a public concert and lecture, a walk past the homes of those most affected by the Great War, an Afternoon Tea supported by songs from the children of Pontyclun Primary School, a lunch with 1918 recipes, an art exhibition, an art and literature competition, a ‘music, poems and pints’ evening at the Athletic Club. The ‘Singing for the Brain’ group organised a lunch which was again supported by songs from the children of Pontyclun Primary School. 

This was all in addition to the very well attended memorial services on Armistice Day. 

My thanks to the large number of people who helped organise and support these memorable events.

Ysgol Llanhari

Ysgol Llanhari is a very successful Welsh medium school serving the community of Pontyclun. It is one of very few schools which can provide an education from the age of 3 years to 18 years. I have served on the Board of Governors for the past six years and this year I accepted the position of Chair. We are looking for new members of the Board of Governors. This is a fascinating role in which you can bring your experience and interest in Welsh medium education to the task of supporting and developing the work of the school. If you would like to join the Governors, please contact me.

Ysgol Llantrisant targets plastic

Community Councillor Karen Lane is the convenor of our Environment Working Group. She is working closely with the children of Ysgol Llantrisant. 

Last month she organised a meeting between the School’s Eco Council and the Community Council to discuss how we can all reduce our use of plastic. One of the children provided an impressive presentation of the terrible effects of plastic on wildlife. 

The Community Council along with the children of Ysgol Llantrisant will work with local traders in Pontyclun to reduce the use of plastic.

Firework Displays

Congratulations once again to Pontyclun Rugby Club who organised another magnificent bonfire and firework display for the whole town. Chairman, John Gilbert, has shared with us details of the huge amount of trained and coordinated volunteer effort that goes into ensuring a safe event.

We respect the fact that Miskin Scouts decided that they were not in a position to organise their event this year and we thank them for all their efforts over the years. Miskin Community Councillor, Mike Davies, has been in close communication with Miskin Scouts and has been assured that it was not a lack of support that led to the decision. 

For the future, the Community Council has decided that it would consider an application for support from any group that wishes in the future to organise a display at a suitable location in Miskin.  

Councillor Paul Griffiths

Chair

Pontyclun Community Council