June 2010 Newsletter

  June 2010

Community Council

The Gwernymynydd Festival was hailed as a big success. A sunny day ensured the outdoor activities went with a swing, and children happily played on the Bouncy Castle. Also suitably helmeted and roped, they scrambled their way up a high climbing wall, an activity also enjoyed by dads and uncles. Over 20 vehicles showed up for the Classic Cars exhibition, and the ice cream and Buffalo Burgher vans also benefitted from the sunny day. Inside the Centre, more refreshments were served by Caffi Florence of Loggerheads. A power point rolling programme called “Gwernymynydd - a Village with a View’ ran continuously. In addition to pictures of past and present and a run-down on the Gwernymynydd Development Plan, it included a series of suggestions from young Youth Club members regarding improvements they would like to see in the village. Comments on these were invited from the public on a feed-back form. A Mountain Harmony quartet ‘Vocal X Change’ entertained the revellers, also a 22-strong choir from Gwernymynydd School. Head Teacher Ken Edgar said three ex-pupils Dominic, Katy and Emily had joined them for the occasion. £138 was raised from a raffle for Gwernymynydd Youth Club and Pam Bradshaw and Jane Owens are grateful to the many people who donated prizes. Newly re-elected M.P. David Hanson visited the Festival and was invited to cut the Village Centre birthday cake together with two Centre officials, Gwyn Morris and Keith Taylor. The Festival was organised to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Village Centre and the progress of the village Development Plan.

  One of the successes of the Festival was the Ideas & Opportunities Forum where people were invited to sign up to express an interest in a range of possible activities. As a direct result a women’s running group is being established under the leadership of Dawn Spence (ring Dawn on 01352 758890). A Reading Group has been set up (ring Jayne Borthwick on 01352 757356. Other initiatives are being launched as well and further details can be found in the Village Plan Bulletin. Already, Welsh classes are to be started in the Centre on Friday mornings. For further details ring Keith Taylor on 01352 757339.

 Chairman of the Community Council, Elwyn Owens said, “It was a very encouraging response and probably a serious lesson for the Council as there is much more interest in activities and events to promote a sense of community than presently proposed in our Village Plan”. At a subsequent meeting, Steering Group member John Seddon gave an excellent power point presentation of the suggestions submitted by the public in the Recommendations Section and Leader Chris Bradshaw especially praised the initiative of the young people and the Youth Club members for their keen co-operation.

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