Funded Friends of Ferndale and Blaenllechau – £4,740 Micro Fund Grant
FEBRUARY 13th 2023
As well as the fun of the event and the community coming together, we supported this as this was a few groups and local businesses coming together to draw more people to town and to help people see what is available in their area and is we hope the first of many collaborative events in the area between local businesses and community groups” – Pen y Cymoedd
“The feedback from local shops has been great, lots of food venues sold out of food by the time the event came to a close. Families and children were delighted with the event and small gifts given to children.
The children’s choir drew in other communities within Rhondda where parents and grandparents were able to support the children. The dance group were fantastic and the venue was packed with supporters for the dancers. The club owner was pleased to have been able to accommodate them and help the community.
The event worked well to formulate partnership working between the local authority, local organisations and our retail sector. We were able to promote Ferndale in a positive light through this event.
What we learned:
- We need to build in more planning time and make sure we speak to local authority and other agencies sooner.
- To ask for support and involvement of local police to manage traffic.
- To find better ways of communicating plans especially with local shopkeepers etc as they would have liked to have been more involved in the planning and organising of the events, which will allow us to go from strength to strength.
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.