Plans revealed for new community garden

Plans have been revealed for a £150,000 community garden on the site of the former Berwyn Centre in Nantymoel.

The former workmen’s hall was demolished in 2013 after the council could not afford the multi-million pound repair bill to make it safe.

Now, plans are taking shape for the site to be transformed into a community garden with an outdoor stage and classroom area, a wildflower meadow and a sensory garden all included in the design.

As part of the garden, there will be a special area to celebrate the achievements of local heroes.

Meanwhile, the area’s mining heritage is due to be recognised with both an art feature depicting a miner looking out to the Wyndham Colliery and the outdoor stage having a backdrop inspired by the valley’s history.

Furthermore, Lynn the Leap’s famous jump is set to be commemorated with an art feature of the Olympic champion set in paving outside the community garden entrance.

We hope the new community garden will become a social area where shoppers and walkers can relax and chat. These plans are still in the early stages and subject to change as they go through the design process – we look forward to seeing the project progress with the help of all the community.

Bridgend County Borough Council’s deputy leader Hywel Williams

To date, there have been four public consultation events on the plans with a steering group involving a range of groups, from the local primary school and residents to the Ogmore Valley History group, overseeing the project.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Wales, the council’s Reach Rural Development and the centre’s trustees who are responsible for the land are working together to submit grant applications to help fund the project.

The plans were revealed during a special celebration event at the Nantymoel Boys and Girls Club Memorial Hall on Friday, February 28.

The event marked the end of a two-year project which has seen the development of the Ogmore Valley heritage hub and trail.

As part of the project, 12 interpretive information panels documenting the area’s past and highlighting places of interest and additional walking and cycling routes have been placed from Bryngarw Country Park, up the valley along the cycling and walking route to Nantymoel.

And a series of workshops have been held, involving sessions on bike maintenance and skills training from Sustrans Wales, public speaking and social media as well as a course on digitising materials for museums and libraries, and workshops to design a new mural for the centre.

A trip to the Glamorgan Archives was also arranged with training provided on handling, preserving and packaging archive material.

During the celebration event, children from Nantymoel Primary School performed some songs while stalls at the event included those by Age Connects Morgannwg, Welsh Water and Sustrans, which brought its smoothie bike.

The project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

The Heritage Lottery Fund was a funding partner in the project.

Cllr Williams said the Memorial Hall was a landmark building.

He said: “Everyone that lives in the valley has an affinity with the Mem, it just means so much to people. I used to come here when I was a boy.

“In the last few years it has been transformed, and with the help from volunteers, there’s now an opportunity to preserve the remarkable history of this area for the next 80 years.”

The building reopened last year after undergoing a £350,000 transformation to create a new community hub and heritage centre for the valley.

It now features a full-size sports hall, a community café, recreation rooms and meeting space.