First Aid Training

Two first aid courses have taken place across the Outcomes Areas with basic life saving skills being delivered to approximately thirty residents.

Christina Rossiter said, “I enjoyed the day and made new friends, I would now feel more confident to act if I was ever faced with a medical emergency.”

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.