Successful communities first projects

• Caerau Youth Project – This autumn has been a successful one for the talented youth of Caerau. The young people, all supported by Caerau Children & Young People’s Project and its Team Leader Jan Clarke, have enjoyed great success. Firstly at this year’s Bridgend Youth Service Film Awards with their acting and directing skills learned through the Superchannel Project, and then at the Youth Service Talent Show. Congratulations to all who took part in both fantastic events.

• BETWS - Working Together. The benefits of people working together are now having a physical impact on the hilltop village of Betws. Since the last quarter of 2002 to date Betws has benefited from in excess of £1,100,000. This includes work carried out at Betws Football Club, Betws LIFE Centre, work to be carried out on the retail premises at Y Wern, new play area and over £100,000 since September 2002 distributed to groups operating in Betws from the Communities First Trust Fund.

• Betws Tenants & Residents Association, Betws Club and Betws Focus Group are organising a Christmas Show for 4-11yr olds who live in Betws. The show will feature Chunkie Russell a family favourite at Folly Farm and Stanley the Snowman. The voluntary sector and local businesses worked together to bring this show to the area for the children of Betws. Keith Parry of Betws Club is a keen supporter of voluntary activity in Betws and is assisting in the distribution of tickets.

• Evanstown Clean up - Wednesday the 22nd of November 2006, was a very successful day for Communities First in Evanstown. Many people were involved in the clean up event that took place, resulting in hundreds of bin bags collected and a great deal of fly tipped rubbish being removed. Three skips were filled to overflowing; at least 3 trailers of large items and electrical goods were collected, and van-loads of rubbish were removed by the probation teams who also helped.

The clean up event follows the establishment of a committee named EVO (Evanstown Voluntary Organisation). EVO formed as a result of individual community members expressing their concerns about their local environment to Communities First, who then worked with them and other agencies in the group’s formation and development.