Powys Localities Initiative / Menter Ardaloedd Powys
Covid 19 has hit hard over the last couple of years. It has impacted us all personally and played havoc with the clubs, activities and services that are fundamental parts of community life. As part of the process of building back better, the Localities Initiative is an opportunity to ask questions about what we need in our communities to make them healthy, supportive, rich and varied places to live and work, both now and into the future.
The Localities Initiative works across the 13 Locality Networks in Powys. These networks have been set up provide a forum for discussion about local needs and to promote collaboration in the development of services that meet those needs. This page is a place to continue those discussions between network meetings, and to connect with other localities across the county.
You can also read case studies on some of the projects which have received investment from the Localities Initiative project, funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.
Dros y ddwy flynedd diwethaf, mae Covid-19 wedi cael effaith enfawr. Mae wedi cael effaith ar bob un ohonom ar lefel bersonol, ac wedi dinistrio clybiau, gweithgareddau a gwasanaethau sy’n rhan sylfaenol o fywyd cymunedol. Fel rhan o’r broses o ‘ail-adeiladu’n well’, mae’r Fenter Ardaloedd yn gyfle i ofyn cwestiynau am yr hyn sydd ei angen ar ein cymunedau i sicrhau eu bod yn iach, yn gefnogol, ac yn fannau cyfoethog ac amrywiol i fyw a gweithio ynddynt, nawr ac yn y dyfodol.
Mae’r Fenter Ardaloedd yn gweithio ar draws 13 o Rwydweithiau Ardal ledled Powys. Sefydlwyd y rhwydweithiau hyn er mwyn darparu fforwm ar gyfer trafodaethau ynghylch anghenion lleol ac i hyrwyddo cydweithio wrth ddatblygu gwasanaethau sy’n bodloni’r anghenion hynny. Mae'r dudalen hon yn lle i barhau â'r trafodaethau hynny rhwng cyfarfodydd rhwydwaith, ac i gysylltu ag ardaloedd eraill ar draws y sir.
Gallwch hefyd ddarllen astudiaethau achos ar rai o'r prosiectau sydd wedi derbyn buddsoddiad gan y prosiect Localities Initiative, sydd wedi'i ariannu gan Lywodraeth y DU drwy Gronfa Adfywio Cymunedol y DU.
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Knighton Youth Work Project
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Why? / Pam?
Our aim was to restart the Youth Service in Knighton and District through:
- Mapping existing provision
- Setting up a Steering Group of local stakeholders (parent and young people’s representative; Churches Together (Cytûn), Town Council, Community Centre and Powys County Council
- Establishing a group of part time youth workers to consult with young people and deliver taster sessions using safe and professional methods and ensuring that risk assessments are undertaken.
- Collating consultation responses.
- With the Steering Group, developing a business plan for 3 years
What? / Beth?
We have appointed youth workers and established a Steering Group. The youth workers have consulted with young people through a variety of activities and a weekly drop in. The interventions have been very successful, we now have 60 young people on our register and up to 40 attend the weekly drop in. We have completed the consultation with young people and their parents and have completed a business plan. We have established a steering group jointly between Knighton Town Council and the Knighton Community Centre, this is chaired by the Reverend Petra Goodband. We are continuing to provide the service weekly and have obtained short term funding to enable us to continue until December 2022. Our main achievements have been:
- Attracting and retaining a large number of young people.
- Providing well structured and planned activities that engage young people.
- Demonstrating the need in the community.
- Achieving working together with PAVO and with 3 organisations in Knighton.
- Improving the town ethos by providing services for a neglected group.
- Giving employment opportunities that have helped staff to progress to other jobs.
Where? / Ble?
Knighton and District Community Centre and other venues in town
Who? / Pwy?
Contact: ruthforrester@btopenworld.com
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'artbeat Brecon
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Why? / Pam?
Community engagement through music.
What? / Beth?
Using the well-tested and evidence based Lifemusic Method 'artbeat Brecon aims to bring together a disparate and wide range of community groups to explore the value and efficacy of group music making to promote mental and physical well-being, social cohesion, team building and leadership skills. We have formed a social enterprise company and are currently contacting potential partners for participation in four taster sessions to be held at Theatr Brycheiniog during October. Responses so far have been uniformly positive and we have already had productive meetings with some of the key 'gatekeepers' and supportive partners in the project including Brecon MIND, The Brecon Story, Powys People First, Brecon Cathedral and Theatr Brycheiniog. The next phase will be to populate the taster workshops and begin writing the feasibility study. We are also intending to have a short film made which will provide an evidential spur for the next phase of the project in 2023.
Where? / Ble?
The project is Brecon based
Who? / Pwy?
So far we have been in touch with around two dozen community organisations and around the same number of individuals. People can get in touch through a Facebook page 'artbeat Brecon where full details of the project are listed and a website is under construction and should be online within a week - www.artbeatbrecon.com. People can also find information on www.lifemusic.co.uk and can contact us directly via rod@lifemusic.co.uk
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Pickleball for All
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Why? / Pam?
Our aim is to facilitate the aerobic social non contact sport that is Pickleball
What? / Beth?
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the Western World and particularly suitable for youngsters and mature people. It gives non-contact aerobic exercise that is fun and social.
There are no “racquet” clubs other than Tawe Pickleball Club in the locality. There is no opportunity to play aerobic racquet sport during normal working hours.
Following endorsement by PAVO and The Miners Welfare Hall at Ystradgynlais volunteers of the Club measured out and applied court marking tape to the floor in July and are now running a free weekly session on a Friday morning which helps to support the Friends of the Hall community cafe at the same time.
Although it was only possible to fit two shortened courts in the Hall, TPC sees this venture as an important project.
The venue is central, right next to the bus station and is the only place in the locality where adults and those not at school can currently access social sport during office hours.
The floor is very forgiving to older joints and is extremely convenient for those who do not access sport through the Leisure Centre.
TPC proudly hosted a visit from the “Healthy Lives Project” on September 2nd. Several members of that group live in Ystradgynlais and currently do not access any local sports facilities particularly as Glantawe Gulls swimming club has not restarted after lockdown.
Some players were able to take part in the session after travelling by public transport from Brecon to the bus station next door.
The Club continues to campaign for “the promotion of community participation in healthy recreation for the benefit of the inhabitants of Ystradgynlais and the surrounding areas through the provision of facilities for the playing of Pickleball' .
Where? / Ble?
Ystradgynlais Welfare Hall
Who? / Pwy?
Tawe Pickleball Club
www.facebook.com/groups/353542679351538/ -
Tyfu Llani
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The Tyfu Llanidloes feasibility study is exploring the idea of setting up a new local food initiative, the project could take a variety of forms and through this study we aim to find out which avenue would best serve our town, providing economic support for the business and people of Llanidloes. Through the study we aim to find out what businesses are already doing to promote local food and what more a community growing initiative could do to enhance and support this. We aim to find the gaps in the market of local foods and highlight on which level (if any) of the food production and distribution ladder to focus our attention.
What? / Beth?
Through this new endeavor to create a community-based, economic activity linking local food provision and well-being activities we want to build on the experience of the Trust and the wider community to increase the supply of local, quality produce and create new opportunities for people to get involved in meaningful actions.
We aim for this study to be an invaluable resource to our community that combines the history of local food production in our area, a display or current activity and an inspiring and proactive look at what can be achieved. We will create a model that can be used to develop new economic activity and accelerate our towns efforts toward sustainable and localised food production.
Through networking activities, workshops and surveys we can conducted so far there has been a lot of interest in working to create a variety of models for the project outcome, while it is exciting to explore the range of possibilities it has pushed us to really focus on what the best fit for our town would be. We have had success in finding people to share their knowledge as well as those keen to be a part of the project and our next steps are to work on forming our ideas in achievable and fleshed out models. We are also now planning further workshops to engage with community members to create the ground work for growing and well being activities.
Where? / Ble?
Llanidloes
Who? / Pwy?
Contact sammy@thehanginggardens.org for more information
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Montgomery Town Council Community Action Plan
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The aim of this project is to engage fully with the community and the many community organisations to build a 10 year action plan for the town of ways in which the town can be improved and organisations facilitated to work together
What? / Beth?
This is a three phase project.
Phase one is complete: initial community survey to identify how the community uses town facilities; the issues and possible solutions. Survey summary circulated to all community.
Phase Two now happening: Detailed face to face consultation events with general public and organisations focusing on eight key themes that emerged from Phase One plus base line surveys. On-going throughout September
Phase Three: draft action plan of short and long term goals and progress markers, To be circulated for comment to stakeholders.
Where / Ble?
Montgomery
Who? / Pwy?
Montgomery Town Council; community; community groups and organisations and partner organisations with whom the Council works e.g. Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust; Montgomery Energy Group.
Contact Chair of Council: jill.kibble@montgomery-wales.uk
Survey results linked to town website. www.montgomery-wales.uk
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Developing New Community Energy Groups in Powys
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Community owned energy schemes offer an abundance of opportunities for local residents to come together to act on climate change, tackle fuel poverty and raise funds for local projects. However, successful schemes need long term thinking and commitment and it can be difficult to know where to start! This project aims to support emerging community energy groups with skills, networking opportunities and professional support to help them get started.
What? / Beth?
Community energy specialists Sharenergy have been commissioned to offer support to several new groups in Powys .
An open workshop was held in August 2022 to give local groups the background knowledge they need to identify potential community energy projects in their area. 25 participants representing seven groups from across Powys attended. The workshop was held both in person and online, to give those not able to travel to Llandrindod the opportunity to attend.
Following the workshop, supported groups are looking at sites in their neighbourhoods which might be suitable for renewable energy projects. These will be assessed for feasibility by Sharenergy. A follow up workshop will bring groups back together to discuss the results of the feasibility studies and next steps.
Following the introductory workshop, several groups expressed interest in keeping in touch, to share knowledge and experiences. An online group has been set up to facilitate this and is open to anyone involved in, or interested in starting, community energy projects in Powys.
Where? / Ble?
Feasibility studies have been commissioned for groups in Llanwrtyd, Presteigne and Llanfyllin.
Who? / Pwy?
Contact flo.greaves@pavo.org.uk for more details.
Join the Powys Community Energy group here:
https://groups.google.com/a/pavo.org.uk/g/powys-community-energy-network.list
