Work starts on community garden in Ogmore Valley

Work has started on developing a community garden on the site of the former Berwyn Centre in Nantymoel.

The garden will contain a seating area, native tree planting and ornamental plants with plans in the pipeline to feature artwork commemorating Lynn the Leap’s famous jump in addition to the area’s mining heritage with a sculpture of a miner looking out to the Wyndham Colliery.

As part of the plans, Keep Wales Tidy have provided £25,000 of funding for the creation of a new Tiny Forest - a brand new project to plant 1,000 trees and establish a new outdoor classroom - funded by Welsh Government's National Forest programme.

Meanwhile a grant of £6,800 from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust will go towards the creation of a Miner and Dram sculpture, forming part of the design at the front of the garden.

Around £120,000 for the project has been made available via the Valleys Task Force Covid-19 recovery funding for town centres, providing an outdoor meeting place within Nantymoel.

Bridgend County Borough Council’s deputy leader Hywel Williams said: “We are very pleased to see work on the garden already underway which we hope will be of real value to the community, a place to relax and enjoy the outdoor space.

“The plans have been evolving over a period of time with a number of consultation events taking place in the community 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 have been working together to submit grant applications to help fund the project.”

A further grant from the Valleys Task Force Covid-19 recovery funding will be spent on the Ogmore Vale Washery site enabling improved infrastructure for walking, cycling, running and other forms of physical activity.