Community rallies round to support vandal-hit Flying Start centre

A local community has rallied round to support a childcare centre after it was targeted by vandals.

The Flying Start hub at Blackmill in the Ogmore Valley provides local families with high-quality childcare for children aged under four, help with early language development, health advice, access to parenting support and more.

But last month, children and young people were caught on CCTV at the hub tearing down gates, knocking holes through walls and destroying outdoor features created by young users of the centre such as bug hotels, a vegetable patch and flower gardens.

Now, the Blackmill community have shown their support for the hub with one local organisation, Bad Bikes, creating gardens and sensory areas alongside some of the children who use the centre.

Andy McKay from Bad Bikes, a charity for young people based in Blackmill, said: “When we heard about the damage at the Flying Start hub we undertook a site visit and noticed that there was an opportunity to plant some flowers and create a sensory type area for the children.

“We are really pleased with the positive response we had to our workshop. Adults with children and young people came together to plant flowers, herbs and shrubs in the new sensory area.

“A litter pick was also undertaken and a broken door re-hinged and hung by older young people. What we achieved was a couple of hours of productive fun with the addition of face painters, pizza and milkshakes.”

It has been fantastic to see the community response in Blackmill following the mindless spate of vandalism that has occurred at the Flying Start hub.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Bad Bikes for their efforts in co-ordinating such a positive response which will not only benefit the hub but also the children and young people in the Blackmill community.

Councillor Stuart Baldwin, Cabinet Member for Communities