Work begins on the first of four new £2.6m childcare hubs

Work has started on the first of four all-new Welsh medium childcare facilities planned for Bridgend County Borough.

A ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction was held earlier today (Friday 25 June) on land off the Isfryn Industrial Estate in Blackmill.

Designed to serve the Ogmore Valley by providing places for a total of 34 children aged up to five, the new Welsh-medium childcare hub will operate between 7am-7pm.

Once completed, it will feature new play space, quiet rooms, storage facilities, offices and a car parking area with room for up to seven vehicles.

With new landscaping to the front and side of the hub, soft play facilities will be installed as well as a canopy capable of providing children with shelter and shade.

The new Blackmill childcare hub symbolises the latest investment into Welsh-medium provision within Bridgend County Borough. We all want our children to have the very best start in life that we can possibly provide, and new, modern facilities such as this will help us to achieve that.

Congratulations and thanks are due to everyone who has played a part in helping us reach this pivotal moment – from Welsh Government and the local community council to our contractors, the project and design teams, and organisations such as Menter Bro Ogwr and the Welsh Language Steering Group.

This is going to be an outstanding facility for the people of the Ogmore Valley, and it is also going to be the first of its kind.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Leader Hywel Williams

Councillor Dhanisha Patel, Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Well-Being and Future Generations, added: “With plans in place to build additional hubs at Bettws, Bridgend and Porthcawl, this marks a £2.6 million investment into Welsh-medium provision, and I would like to acknowledge Welsh Government for providing the funding that has made this possible.

“Once work is complete, the hub here at Blackmill is going to offer a first-rate facility that will ably serve families who want their children educated through the medium of Welsh throughout the Ogmore Valley for many generations to come.

“It also demonstrates Bridgend County Borough Council’s ongoing commitment towards increasing the number of Welsh speakers in the county borough, and encouraging further growth of the Welsh language.”

The work on the Blackmill Welsh-medium childcare hub is expected to be completed by December 2021.