£19,408 Awarded to support Hirwaun Village Green Improvements
We are delighted to announce an award of £19,408 towards improvement works and community activity at Hirwaun Village Green.
The funding will support enhanced access, signage, information boards, and ongoing maintenance activity on the Village Green. The project will help celebrate the area’s rich industrial heritage while encouraging greater community use and volunteer involvement.
Hirwaun Village Green is a unique and significant community asset. Spanning around 30 acres on the former Hirwaun Ironworks and Gloucester Wagon Works site, the land has been used by local residents for informal recreation for almost 70 years. In 2009, following a public inquiry, the site was successfully registered as a village green, protecting it for community use for future generations.
The project is being led by Hirwaun and Penderyn Community Council in partnership with local groups including Action for Hirwaun and Hirwaun Historical Society. Together, they will continue to improve and maintain access to the site, support volunteer-led maintenance activities, and develop interpretation boards highlighting the history of the area.
The funding recognises the strong community commitment shown over many years through activities such as litter picking, vegetation management, and path clearance — all helping to preserve and enhance this important green space.
The project will deliver long-term benefits for the whole community by improving recreational access, encouraging volunteering, strengthening local heritage awareness, and supporting the continued protection and use of Hirwaun Village Green.
“We are delighted to report work is progressing well regarding the Hirwaun Village Green improvements. The proposed pathways, including the stairway to Pwllyn, have now been completed, making the Village Green much more accessible.
The second phase of the improvements will include the provision and siting of much needed signage and information boards, providing both direction and information regarding the history, the main focal points of the Village Green and the diverse variety of flora and fauna found within it.
These improvements have been the result of collaboration involving several village groups, namely, Hirwaun and Penderyn Community Council, Action for Hirwaun and Hirwaun Historical Society and through grant funding provided by Pen y Cymmoedd Wind Farm Community Fund, for which we are very grateful.” – Hirwaun Village Green
The Fund was established by energy company Vattenfall to benefit the communities hosting the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm across the upper Neath, Afan, Rhondda and Cynon Valleys. It exists to support local people, groups and organisations to invest in themselves, their ideas and their communities.
The Community Fund has a substantial annual budget that is index-linked, meaning it increases in line with inflation. As an example, this equated to around £2.5 million in 2025. The Fund will continue to support communities until 2043, creating long-term opportunities for growth, resilience and positive change.
The Fund is managed by an independent, locally based not-for-profit Community Interest Company. It is overseen by a Board of Directors with strong local connections and delivered by a small but dedicated staff team with extensive community engagement experience. We are here to help ensure the Fund delivers on the vision and priorities of local communities.
Over the next 10 years, the Fund is focusing on investment in people, places and businesses — helping the Valleys to thrive, driving bold ideas, supporting transformation and creating lasting impact for current and future generations.