Happy New Year
Despite all the serious difficulties facing the British
economy – Pontyclun remains a great place to live and work. We have a vibrant
town centre with cafes, restaurants, pubs, a gallery and a wide range of shops.
When other High Streets are declining, ours continues to prosper. We have a magnificent
countryside of fields and woods and hills all shaped by our network of rivers and
streams including the Ely, Clun, Dwrgi, the Melyn and Felin Fach.
We would like more trains, better roads and cycle ways but
we enjoy our access to Cardiff, the coast and the motorway.
More than anything else we have the wonderful people of
Pontyclun who recognise the value of solidarity and collective action - supporting
each other through a wide range of social and sporting clubs and organisations.
Your Community
Council
The role of Pontyclun Community Council is to be at the
heart of your community, supporting you in the support that you give each other
In 2018 the average Pontyclun family paid £32 towards the
£132,000 expenditure of Pontyclun
Community Council. What did we do with your money? –
·
We own and manage Ivor Woods and the Car Park in Heol yr Orsaf
We provide Pontyclun Park which includes the children’s
play area, the Multi Us Games Area and the volunteer- led Community Garden.
·
We organised ‘Picnic in the Park’ when all of
Pontyclun was invited to come together for fun and games.
·
We maintained all the miles of public
footpaths in our area and organised our first
Walking Festival when we were all
invited to explore our beautiful walking routes through Groes Faen, Mwyndy, Miskin, Pontyclun, Brynsadler and
Talygarn.
·
·
We provide Café 50 which as well as providing
lunches is providing to be an exciting hub for dozens of social groups to come
together – fitness groups, a quiz group, a support group for families living
with memory loss, craft and knitting groups; and, through the voluntary efforts
of our own Pontyclun University of the Third Age we have every cooperative
learning group imaginable. Café 50 hosted a number of Afternoon Teas and
Christmas Lunches, all with entertainment.
·
We provide a beautiful range of summer flowers
on the High Street, at the Station, on the Clun Bridge in Miskin and Groes Faen
– providing enjoyments and adding to Pontyclun’s visitors.
·
We organised a Planetarium at Pontyclun Rugby
Club when hundreds of local primary schools children were able the experience
the excitement of the night sky.
·
We organised a series of events to commemorate
1918 and the end of the First World War including a public lecture, children’s
choirs, a walk through a hundred years of Pontyclun, an afternoon tea, a lunch
with 1918 recipes, ‘Music, Poems and Pints and the Athletic Club’.
·
We work with Pontyclun Environment Group to
litter pick and manage our riverside walks
·
We provided Pontyclun’s Christmas Lights which
are admired across South Wales and help bring business to the Town Centre
·
Working with the Macmillan Fundraising Group,
the Pontyclun Primary PTA and the Pontyclun Athletic Club we helped organise
the Pontyclun Christmas Festival where we were supported by the Llantrisant
Folk Club, Cantorian Pontyclun and the
Ukeladies. Both Cllrs Martin Ashford and
Gwyn Jackson gave plausible impressions of the real Santa Claus who visited the
Grotto. Cllrs Martin Ashford and Mike Davies were among the musicians who
created a rocking sensation from Miskin to Maesyfelin. Cllr Neil Holley
provided the exceptional sound system.
·
Thanks
to Community Councillors
All Pontyclun Community Councillors are
unpaid volunteers who have put in place our programme of events by working with
all other volunteers in Pontyclun. My
thanks to Martin, Mike, Marg, Neil, Anne, Gwyn, Karan, Alison and Carole.
Thanks
to Community Council Staff
Our staff are largely part time and we
could not do without them. Thanks to Julius, Darren, Ray, Karen, Tara and Nula
Thanks
to the People of Pontyclun
The Community Council only succeeds when we
work in partnership with the people of Pontyclun. I thank everyone of you.
Our costs are increasing because of
inflation and wage costs. In the next few weeks the Council will need to decide
whether to increase our council tax by around £2 a year per household or cut
our activities. I would welcome your views on this decision.
I would also welcome any suggestions on activities that we should add
to our programme or take away.
Happy New Year
Paul Griffiths
Chair, Pontyclun Community Council
