Fairyland Project

Fairyland residents have adopted an old flower bed on the estate kindly donated by NPT Homes. The project, funded by Keep Wales Tidy through Outcomes funding, included planting a Maple Crimson King tree, 100 native daffodil bulbs and a commemorative plaque ensuring that young lives from the estate will always be remembered.

Kathryn Britton from Keep Wales Tidy said:
“It’s great to support such a community led project as this one. The residents in Fairyland are very pro-active within their community and a pleasure to work with.”
The community came together to plant the tree and bulbs as a tribute to popular neighbours, friends and family members who have sadly passed away. Forward 4 Fairyland Residents & Tenants’ Association has worked closely with Keep Wales Tidy, NPT Homes and Communities First so the estate can have a permanent memorial to loved ones.

Forward 4 Fairyland spokesperson said:
"This tree and plaque is a fitting tribute to those that we have lost in recent years. All were big personalities on our estate and are missed dearly.
This area is now somewhere where we can all visit and remember the people that are no longer with us.”

Ross Williams, Tenant Empowerment Officer at NPT Homes added:
“We were pleased to be able to agree to the request from Forward 4 Fairyland to allow them to plant a memorial tree on our land.
We are delighted that the people of Fairyland have come together by planting a tree as a lasting reminder of what their loved ones brought to the community.”
A community waste amnesty was also held on the same day removing nearly a tone of unwanted household items and furniture.

Pendrill Project

Half Term In Pendril Street



What did the young people get up to during half term in Neath East? In Pendrill Street they got down and dirty to help with a rear lane cleanup. Residents from Cecil Street, Alice Street and Ethel Street joined forces to cleanup a long abused lane targeted for fly-tipping and anti social behavior.

With support from Keep Wales Tidy and the Neath East Communities First teams nearly 4 tonnes of rubbish was removed from the lane, gardens and Clifford Street. Used needles were removed thus eliminating the threat of injury to residents, pets and wildlife; old furniture was taken away and a general litter pick of the area was undertaken.

Tyrone Coleman, chair of Cecil Street Friends and Neighbours Alliance who is trying to clean-up the area, raise awareness and improve the general feeling of well being to the residents living in the locale said, “By keeping the streets clean, tidying up and adding nice touches like hanging baskets it improves the image of the area and makes residents feel more secure, safer and happier in their own environments.”

The next date for activities in the area is January 17th when we are holding a ‘Clean Our Lane Campaign’ day; a whole day of events is planned including workshops on Recycling Awareness, Graffiti Removal, Responsible Waste Disposal, 2 more skips and the grading of the lane. Residents are invited to interact with the teams, learn more about what’s going on in the area and meet new people; refreshments will be available along with knowledgeable officers to help assist and offer advice on many environmental issues.

An A Level student from Gorseinon College has created a photo diary of the day, so please take time to browse through it and get a feel for exactly what goes on during a Keep Wales Tidy Cleanup!

DIARY DATE:

Tuesday January 17th 10.30am ‘Clean Up Our Lane Campaign’ in Pendrill Street

NEAT Meeting

Neath Environmental Action Team meeting will be held at 2pm on Wednesday 16th November in King Edward House, Neath.

If you have any environmental issues you would like to discuss you are very welcome. New members are always greeted with delight and it is an excellent forum to discuss all things environmental.

Alternatively you can contact Kathryn Britton on 07776 188 613 to pass on your views

Progress at Blaenymaes Youth Club

Red Cross First Aid Training Course 18th January 2012

A general First Aid Training session will be held in the Melin Advice Centre, Briton Ferry Road, Neath SA11 1AP at 9am on Wednesday 18th January 2012

Training is provided free of charge to delegates from Communities First areas or volunteers engaging with the Outcomes project

A light lunchtime snack will be provided free of charge

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis

For delegates outside of the Neath Port Talbot area dedicated sessions can be held within your own communities at a later date if numbers are suffice.

Please contact me to secure your places on this interesting and accredited course

A new and exciting project has begun in Blaenymaes Youth Club. The unused garden to the rear of the property on Portmead Avenue has started its transformation from a bare and untouched grassland to a community garden where the youth club members could grow their own flowers & vegetables, as well as have a place to go and have picnics and barbeques.

The main feature of the garden will be a timber framed greenhouse with plastic bottles used as a replacement to glass, where they youth club can grow flowers and vegetables from seed, which can then be planted in the garden area.

It was decided to carry out the project during activity weeks that the youth club would be holding in order to increase the likelihood of volunteers turning up to help. The work began on the 22nd of August with the installation of the 4 corner posts which would form the main structure of the greenhouse.

A further 4 activity days were held from the 30th of August to the 2nd of September, where the main transformation of the garden would begin. The planters, and outer structure of the greenhouse were built on the 30/31st, and on the 1st & 2nd of September, the garden began to take shape, as can been seen in the photographs.

The project is now on hold as the group need to collect the 1500 plastic bottles in order for the greenhouse to be completed. This will hopefully be done over the next few months, so that the greenhouse will be ready to be used in the spring.

Trees will also be planted in the garden over the next month or so in order to further enhance the appearance of the garden, and to add additional security along the fence line.

FIRST AID TRAINING

We are pleased to offer all our volunteers an opportunity to attend a one day basic first aid training course. This will look at many practical solutions to potential mishaps when out and about undertaking general environmental projects such as:

• Twisted and sprained ankle/muscles
• Minor cuts, bruises and bleeds
• CPR

This training will be delivered in your own communities and will offer you the opportunity to receive helpful hints and tips which you should find useful in both your daily and volunteering activities.

If you are interested in attending please contact Kathryn Britton on email at kathryn.britton@keepwalestidy.org or call me on my mobile 07776 188 613 so I can ascertain numbers and book the most suitable venues for yourselves. All attendees will receive a certificate and have the opportunity to meet new and exciting people undertaking similar projects to them.

DON’T DELAY CALL TODAY!

Pillgwenlly Launch Event

We had a great day in Newport getting to know the community and finding out how they want to improve their area. One 92 year old resident really wants to see the young people clearing up after themselves! She dosen't like all their rubbish being left behind. Another bone of contention was pet owners not picking up their doggy deposits after walking their pets!

If you've got an idea for an environmental project in the Pill area please get in touch at one of the contact details listed on this site.

Neath North Community Skip

During the Neath North launch event many residents from Leonard Street enquired how they could get rid of items if they had no transport to the local civic amenity site. With that in mind I set about organising a community skip event where residents are invited to utilise the skip to dispose of unwanted items responsibly.

On arriving I thought we were in for a quiet day, how wrong could you be? Residents bought out an eclectic mix of items including bricks, rubble, furniture, rabbit hutch, desk chair, trampoline, gaming chair, prams, bicycles, broken patio furniture even an old toilet - in fact everything including a kitchen sink!

In no time at all the entire skip was filled and residents were thanking me enthusiastically for this initiative. We left Leonard Street knowing that we had improved the environments of over 25 households and a full skip was en-route for recycling at the local site in Briton Ferry.

Lime Kiln Woods - Pictures

Lime Kiln Woods Litter Pick - Brackla

I was really excited to be invited to participate in this interesting event in Brackla. The woodland has unfortunately seen a decline in its maintenance and is in dire need of some care and attention. I joined forces with the Brackla Communities First team and their environment group to assist local residents in a cleanup.
Early that morning Bridgend CBC had cut a path directly into the heart of the woods giving easier access and their operatives continued thinning out overgrown areas throughout the day. Local residents and their children were later joined by Western & Wales and Link housing officers to remove 21 bags of rubbish 2 tyres, plastic pond liner, fibreglass piping and numerous other items of furniture and unwanted household objects that had been dumped there over time.
By the end of the afternoon, access was hugely improved and the woods looked 100% better thanks to the tenacity of the volunteers attending.

EXCITING NEWS - The site is being considered for a community tree house for a Sky 1 TV series which will make the whole area a fantastic community asset to be used by local residents all year round. The site was chosen by SKY TV, because of the environmental work already undertaken by the local community, so a huge well done to everyone involved in all the improvements to the woods and keep up the good work.

Planned Projects in Blaenymaes & Penlan

Phil Davies in Blaenymaes and Penlan has been busy planning events to commence during the school holidays. Some of the projects the community hope to tackle in Blaenymaes and Penlan include:

Blaenymaes
• Cleanups in preparation for the SPARK fun days and other events during the holidays
• Creating a garden in Youth Centre with raised beds, recycled plastic bottle greenhouse, portable planters for homes & public areas and a willow arch/dome planting
• Church Garden Improvement
• Planting over 500 trees for the Penllergare Valley Woods project
Penlan
• Gardd Blodyn – Garden improvement work
• Penlan Methodist Church grounds
• Residents will be re-planting the front area at the Penderry Road shops.
• At the South Penlan community centre an area for growing vegetables & flowers will be created for community use and the possibility to build a greenhouse will be explored
• Re-planting of the St Claires Roundabout
• North Penlan Community centre – Activities with youth service, litterpicks, clean-ups etc
• Community re-planting at the Crwys Terrace shop front area
• Litter picks and flytipping clearance at the Tudno & Emrys estate

Phil is busy working with the communities First teams, youth service and residents to finalise dates for all these projects. If you are interested in getting involved or volunteering please contact Phil on 07824 504 807 or Philip.davies@keepwalestidy.org for more information

Neath East Community Camera Pictures

To view the pictures from the Neath East community camera before shots please click on the link above.

Some projects they hope to tackle are unemptied dog fouling bins, an overgrown walkway and community garden. Keep a close eye on this blog for their next update.

Residents from the Fairyland estate nominated a community area to benefit from some of the Outcomes funding. Previously identified as a space for a flower bed the resident’s hopes are to turn an unused circular bed into a colourful area with a crimson maple tree as the focal point. NPT Homes have kindly given permission to use the area which will eventually be dedicated to precious young lives lost from the estate in recent years.
Fairyland has a very pro-active residents group on the estate and this project will be an environmental improvement for both the estate and the community. The recreational site is already well used by residents of all ages and is a space where children get together to play and parents get together to socialise. The tree will inject colour into a drab and colourless landscape and provide a permanent memory of those who have tragically passed away early in their lives.

The weather was sunny and so was the disposition of the residents who joined us to fill a skip with nearly 2 tonnes of rubbish in Neath North on Wednesday 27th July. A lovely couple completely emptied their rear yard and were looking forward to using it for a family BBQ at the weekend! They kindly kept us well supplied with tea and kit-kat’s throughout the morning and beguiled us with their memories of how the street used to be before the flyover was installed!
A variety of articles were also swapped on the day, including a desk chair, bicycle and wood for garage shelves! The best form of recycling is to reuse items as this reduces the amount of energy required to recycle or re-make the item and also reduces the amount of raw materials required.
If you live in Neath North or East and would like a community skip in your area please contact Kathryn Britton on 07776 188 613 or kathryn.britton@keepwalestidy.org

Blooming Bowen Street!

Bowen Street residents association have been taking full advantage of recent sunny summer days and it shows in the garden which is looking beautiful and in full bloom!

Melin Junior School

Busy in Neath East

Melin Junior School have been busy taking advantage of the summer sunshine!
Melin Junior School undertook 4 cleanups in 2 local parks after contacting Keep Wales Tidy asking how they could improve their environments. Four classes of various ages cleaned up Melin Park and Bowen Street Park and the surrounding areas. Over 40 bags of litter was removed during the 2 day activities along with a variety of interesting household objects!

Diary Dates for Neath Town Centre Projects

JULY
22.07.11 10-3 Anti Smoking Litter Campaign Windsor Road

AUGUST
11.08.11 11-3 Community Skip & Rear Lane Cleanup Leonard Street
11.08.11 10am Unveiling of New Youth Litter Champions for Neath Town Centre area Angel Square
12.08.11 10-3 Anti Smoking Litter Campaign The Parade

SEPTEMBER
20.09.11 Graffiti Removal along the Canal Bank Neath Canal
20.09.11 Anti Dog Fouling Campaign Neath Canal
21.09.11 Rear Lane Clean Up Osborne Street/Elias Street
30.09.11 Anti Fast Food Litter Campaign Windsor Road

OCTOBER
13.10.11 Clean –Up and bulb planting Castle Square
17th – 21st Oct Planter Adoption The Parade
TBA Partnership Canal Bank Clean-Up Neath Canal
TBA Anti Dog Fouling Campaign Neath Canal Banks

Volunteers are always needed for Projects so anyone wishing to attend and support any of the above events are very welcome to do so. Times & dates are subject to change so please contact the Project Officers before attending any event on:
Kathryn Britton: 07776 188 613 kathryn.britton@keepwalestidy.org
Donna Roberts: 01639 640676 d.roberts1@npt.gov.uk

Neath Town Centre Launch Event

A very successful launch event was held in Neath Town Centre and attended by over 30 residents. All were keen to promote the town centre in a better light and had some fantastic ideas to improve the area.
Donna Roberts, Communities First and Kathryn Britton, Keep Wales Tidy were delighted that so many residents attended the event and they are currently drawing up a list of activities over the next few months to incorporate residents suggestions and wish list which will include:

PRIMARY OUTCOMES PROJECTS FOR NEATH TOWN CENTRE:
1. Clean up of hotspot rear lanes
2. Graffiti Removal
3. Target the Castle area and improve the flower beds
4. Multi agency cross border canal cleanup
5. In conjunction with local schools, adopt the planters in pedestrian areas

PRIMARY CAMPAIGNING PROJECTS:
1. Anti smoking litter, installation of smoking bins and distribution of stubbies
2. Fast Food Litter campaign
3. Anti dog fouling

SECONDARY OUTCOMES & PROJECTS WITH PARTNER ORGAINSATIONS:
• Utilise YOT and Probationers to undertake some of the cleanup jobs
• Undertake a feasibility study with the Renewal Area on installing hanging baskets in key locations
• Work with local skateboarders in Angel Square offering them a temporary solution, in return they will become litter champions. Neath Town Centre Communities First
• Undertake a feasibility study with the Renewal Area on street trees
• Undertake a joint Canal clean up with neighbouring Neath East communities first team

Events in Brackla Meadows

Outcome Project - Activities for Brackla Meadows

Anyone interested in volunteering at any of the listed activities please contact:
Brian Jones on 07824 504 819

Campaign Event: Monday 18th July from 3.00pm to 6.00pm .

Digging out beds: Tuesday 9th August 2011 from 11.00am to 3.00pm

Clean up event beside Welsh School: Thursday 11th August 2011 from 11.00am to 3.00pm

Digging out beds: Tuesday 16th August 2011 from 11.00am to 3.00pm

Digging out beds: Monday 22nd August 2011 from 11.00am to 2.00pm

Litter Pick Lime Kiln Area: Wednesday 24th August 2011 from 11.00am to 3.00pm

Flower planting: Tuesday 30th August 2011

Pictures from Creswell Road Mini Makeover

Creswell Road Mini Makeover

A sunny Sunday in May saw volunteers from NEAT and residents from Creswell Road undertake a mammoth cleanup of their street. Events kicked off at 9.30am with local contractors Clearway Cleaning Solutions arriving to clean the fascias, guttering, Upvc and doors of the participating properties. The volunteers had a lie in and met at 10am for a ‘Getting to Know You’ session followed by cleaning, sweeping, weeding, litter picking and graffiti removal. Local horticulturalist Russell Hope arrived at 11.30 to demonstrate the art of hanging basket planting and advised on the best plants to use. Residents got their hands dirty again by planting their own baskets to display in the communal areas of Creswell Road. Lunch was served at 1pm and everyone tucked into a delicious buffet. Afternoon sessions kicked off with a recycling seminar from Tidy Towns officer Kathryn Britton and the distribution of dog fouling bags, stubbies and recycling bags to the residents.
At the end of the day residents were proudly displaying their new hanging baskets brimming with flowers and plants and everyone knew who Shaun was! Shaun and his young family had moved to Creswell Road two years previously and had sent every resident a Christmas Card without fail. During the ‘Getting to Know You’ session the common theme was “Ah, so you are Shaun!”
By the time the weather broke and rain fell Creswell Road was looking cleaner, greener and tidier than it did at 9am and residents had got to know new neighbours they may otherwise never have spoken to.
This project was supported by Neath Port Talbot Renewal Areas, Neath North & East Communities First teams, NEAT – Neath Environmental Action Team and Keep Wales Tidy