#pontardawe — Public Fediverse posts

PONTARDAWE: Mary Hopkin to receive Welsh Music Inspiration Award, 58 years after ‘Those Were The Days’

Mary Hopkin, who went from recording Welsh-language songs for a local label to the top of the UK charts with Those Were The Days, is to receive one of Welsh music’s highest honours tonight.

The Pontardawe-raised singer has been named the winner of the Welsh Music Inspiration Award, 58 years after the single that made her a star.

Hopkin said: “I’m very grateful for this honour. I don’t feel worthy at all of achieving it, but thank you, everyone. It’s wonderful.”

Her daughter Jessica Lee Morgan, with whom she recorded the 2023 duets album Two Hearts, will accept the award on her behalf.

The Welsh Music Prize says the award recognises people whose impact goes beyond record sales and chart success: those who have shaped Welsh culture, championed creativity and left a lasting mark on the generations that followed.

It will be presented at tonight’s ceremony at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, hosted by Siân Eleri and broadcast live on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru, with performances from the shortlisted artists Adjua, Gwenifer Raymond, Local and Dafydd Owain.

From Opportunity Knocks to Apple Records

Hopkin’s break came on ITV’s Opportunity Knocks in 1968, where the model Twiggy spotted her and recommended her to Paul McCartney. She became one of the first artists signed to Apple Records, the label founded by The Beatles.

McCartney produced her debut single. Those Were The Days topped the UK charts, reached number two in the United States and has sold more than eight million copies worldwide, according to the Welsh Music Prize.

The only record standing between it and the top of the American chart was The Beatles’ own Hey Jude. Jimi Hendrix, Brian Wilson and Eric Clapton were among the guests when her McCartney-produced debut album Postcard was launched in 1969.

She represented the United Kingdom at the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest with Knock Knock, Who’s There?, finishing second, sang backing vocals on David Bowie’s Low and provided vocals for Vangelis’s soundtrack to Blade Runner in 1982. Organisers also cite a Grammy nomination.

‘Her voice gives a gravitas to every thing she sings’

Ralph McTell, who toured with Hopkin in 1972, said her gift went beyond technique. “It’s not just her tonality and musical accuracy, it’s also her ability to understand and get to the emotional heart of the song,” he said.

He added: “Her voice gives a gravitas to every thing she sings and she gives everything a personal commitment, as if she wrote the song herself. She richly deserves this honour.”

Yusuf/Cat Stevens, whose song The Wind Hopkin covered, said: “Mary has one of those rare voices that carries a natural purity and innocence. Her voice has affected people’s lives. It is good to see her remarkable contribution to music recognised and celebrated.”

A family affair

Hopkin has kept writing and recording through the decades, often with her son Morgan Visconti and her daughter.

Jessica Lee Morgan said: “Our mother has raised us with the highest respect for music, a quality which she took for granted in her Welsh upbringing. She even inspired our American father, Tony Visconti, to learn Welsh.”

She added: “It’s never been about the fame, image or business, only the music. I’m delighted to be invited to represent her and accept this award on her behalf.”

Previous winners include bassist Pino Palladino (2025), hip hop pioneers Eric Martin and DJ Jaffa (2024), folk protest singer Dafydd Iwan (2023), The Alarm’s Mike Peters (2022), David R. Edwards and Pat Morgan of Datblygu (2021), folk music historians Meredydd Evans and Phylis Kinney (2019) and Welsh-language singer-songwriter Meic Stevens (2018).

The Welsh Music Prize is supported by the Welsh Government through Creative Wales and by Cardiff Council, and tonight’s ceremony opens Llais Festival as part of Cardiff Music City Festival.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

‘Those Were The Days’ Welsh singer Mary Hopkin to release album of duets with daughter
Two Hearts, the 2023 album Hopkin wrote and recorded with Jessica Lee Morgan.

Music
All our music coverage, from gigs to the Welsh charts.

Pontardawe
The latest news from Pontardawe and the Swansea Valley.

PONTARDAWE: Crash survivor Cian, 11, plans to walk up Pen y Fan 10 times in 24 hours

Cian Evans from Pontardawe was two when a car crash killed his mum, Rebecca, and his unborn sister, Cari. Rebecca was eight months pregnant, his dad, Alex, said.

This month the 11-year-old and his dad plan to walk up and down Pen y Fan 10 times in 24 hours. They will do it during Baby Loss Awareness Week, the week that remembers babies lost in pregnancy and infancy.

On Friday night, the fundraising Cian has done for the people who helped him won him the Young Fundraiser award at the Child of Wales Awards.

The ceremony at Swansea Building Society Arena marked the awards’ fifth anniversary, with 700 guests.

Fractured skull, collapsed lung and two broken legs at the age of two

The crash happened in 2016. Cian fractured his skull, his lung collapsed and he broke both legs, and the awards say he also suffered multiple facial injuries.

He spent five days at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital, whose staff his dad calls “absolutely brilliant”.

Alex is in no doubt what saved his son. “Without Noah’s Ark and the Wales Air Ambulance, I don’t think he’d be with us today,” he said.

Nine years on, he still needs physical and emotional support, the awards say.

£10,000 for Harry’s Fund, the charity that gave him counselling

Years later, bereavement counselling came from Harry’s Fund, a charity that supports children and families affected by trauma.

He took on the Welsh Three Peaks because the charity had helped him, Cian said, and “I just wanted to give something back to them”.

Last year he and his dad climbed Yr Wyddfa, Cadair Idris and Pen y Fan, raising £10,000 for Harry’s Fund, the awards say.

Cadair Idris was the hardest of the three because of the heat, he recalled. After that, “we did Pen y Fan and then we went home and slept”.

Before that he raised £1,500 for the Wales Air Ambulance by walking 100km in the Walk Wales challenge, according to the awards.

For Alex, giving back was the point. It was “really important to us that we were able to do something to give back to them so they could continue their services”, he said.

“A lot of people are going through the same things as me”

Cian knows other children are where he was, without the help he had. “I understand that a lot of people are going through the same things as me and they don’t have the support that I did,” he said.

In February he won the Young Person award at the St David Awards, Wales’ national honours.

Friday’s award left him “really happy and excited”, he said. “I also feel very proud of myself, because I don’t do the fundraising for things to come back to me, but they always do come back.”

10 times up Pen y Fan in 24 hours, and no training yet

Baby Loss Awareness Week runs from 9 to 15 October. It ends with a Wave of Light on the 15th, when families light a candle at 7pm for the babies they have lost.

Cian and his dad have one snag, Alex admitted: “We haven’t trained yet.”

BBC Morning Live presenter Gethin Jones hosted the awards for a fifth year. This year the night raised money for Wales Air Ambulance and the mental health charity Big Moose.

Neath dad John Jenkins, who carried his daughter Leah to the top of Pen y Fan, also won on the night.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Max Boyce and local heroes celebrated at St David Awards
Cian among the local winners at Wales’ national honours in February.

NEATH: Dad ran 27 miles to Pen y Fan, carried his daughter to the top, then ran home
John Jenkins, another Child of Wales winner this year.

CHILD OF WALES: Doctors told her mum she might be paralysed. Gracie, seven, has now raised £65,000 for the crew who saved her
The seven-year-old who raised £65,000 for Wales Air Ambulance after a collision left her with a collapsed lung.

More on the Child of Wales Awards
Every story from the awards for Wales’ young people.

PONTARDAWE: Town’s metals firm opens £2.5m plant that makes parts for jet engines

A Pontardawe firm that has been making specialist metal parts in the Swansea Valley since 1969 has opened a £2.5m facility it says will protect skilled local jobs — and let the town make components most of Britain has to buy from abroad.

Wall Colmonoy, which employs close to 200 people on the Alloy Industrial Estate, has opened the new plant at its European headquarters in the town.

The kit lets the firm make large, extremely pure metal parts — the kind used in aircraft engines and military equipment.

It does this by shaping the metal in a sealed, airless chamber. Keeping air away as the metal is poured stops it picking up impurities, which leaves the finished part far cleaner and stronger.

That matters because parts in a jet engine have to survive enormous heat and stress without failing. The cleaner the metal, the more they can be trusted to hold up.

The plant can cast parts weighing up to 200kg — and the firm says the furnace at its heart is one of the biggest of its kind available in the UK.

Until now, that sort of work has mostly been done by a small number of giant manufacturers, often overseas. The firm says its new plant means more of it can now be done here.

The facility was built with backing from two UK government defence programmes and developed alongside the engine maker Rolls-Royce.

It is the same operation the firm was building when it was shortlisted for two Swansea Bay Business Awards earlier this year.

The plant also uses what the firm calls “digital twin” technology — a computer model of the whole casting process. It lets engineers test and fine-tune a part on screen before any metal is poured, cutting waste and saving time.

The firm says it can also melt down old aircraft parts and turn them into new high-grade metal, which it says is a greener way of working.

Rob Davies, managing director of Wall Colmonoy, said the investment was “a significant step forward for our UK operations and for the wider manufacturing sector”.

He said it would let the company make advanced parts for aircraft and defence while keeping more of that skilled work in Britain.

The firm makes alloys, castings and precision parts used in aircraft, cars, defence and energy, and exports most of what it makes in Pontardawe around the world.

It says the new plant will protect skilled jobs at the site and create fresh opportunities in engineering.

The launch follows a run of investment at the Swansea Valley site, including £4.5m the firm put into new metal powders and a high-tech lab, and an earlier expansion helped by Welsh Government funding in 2021.

Wall Colmonoy, the European arm of an American family business, has been in Pontardawe for nearly 60 years and remains one of the area’s best-known industrial employers.

The firm says it has plenty of work lined up and expects the new plant to become an increasingly important part of what it does.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Pontardawe engineering firm up for two major business awards
Wall Colmonoy shortlisted for Manufacturer of the Year and Innovative Business of the Year.

Swansea Bay firms expand with funding boost
Wall Colmonoy among two firms backed by Welsh Government support in 2021.

Swansea Bay’s best businesses scoop top gongs
More than 400 guests packed Brangwyn Hall for the 2026 Swansea Bay Business Awards.

GODRE’RGRAIG: Council responds as campaigners question how tip above demolished school was recorded

On the last day of the summer term in 2019, the children of Godre’rgraig Primary School came back from a school trip to find television crews outside and a letter waiting for them. Their school was closing — immediately.

The reason was the risk of a landslide. A disused tip on the hillside above the school, left over from an old quarry, had been identified by engineers as a potential danger.

The pupils never went back. They were moved into temporary classrooms in Pontardawe. More than six years later, they remain there. The school building itself was later demolished.

In Wales, few things are taken more seriously than a tip above a school. In 1966, a colliery waste tip above Aberfan — around 30 miles from Godre’rgraig — slid down the mountainside onto Pantglas Junior School, killing 116 children and 28 adults.

That disaster still shapes how tip safety is treated across the south Wales valleys. The Aberfan tip was made of colliery (coal) spoil; the tip above Godre’rgraig is recorded as sandstone quarry spoil — a different material — but the instinct to act fast when a school sits below a hillside tip runs deep.

Now a campaign group, Save Our Schools, has been asking detailed questions about how the Godre’rgraig tip was recorded and classified over the years — and Neath Port Talbot Council has responded to a series of those questions put to it by Swansea Bay News.

It is important to separate two things at the outset.

The first is whether there was a genuine danger to the school. On that, the engineering reports the council has pointed to are clear.

The consultancy Earth Science Partnership, which assessed the site, rated the risk of a landslide hitting the school as “medium” in 2019, requiring action to reduce it.

Later work found the quarry spoil tip to be “marginally stable” — below the standard expected for modern engineering “given the high risk to life if failure were to occur”.

By 2024, the firm’s most recent assessment recorded “clear ground movement towards the school”, and said the tip “may be Actively Unstable”, with monitoring instruments detecting continuous or intermittent movement.

The tip has since been given the Welsh Government’s interim “Category D” rating — a tip with the potential to impact public safety, inspected at least twice a year.

So the documented concern about the site is real, and the reports do not suggest the school could simply have stayed open.

The campaign group’s questions are about something different: how the tip’s official boundary and classification were recorded, and whether that information featured fully in years of council decisions.

At the centre is a boundary — the line on the national tip register that defines how much of the hillside the tip covers.

The campaigners say that in 2021 the tip was recorded on the national register as a much smaller, quarry-confined area than the wider hillside footprint shown in earlier mapping — and that this smaller boundary has not been altered since.

Yet they argue this smaller recorded boundary then “was absent” from the council’s subsequent decision-making, including the December 2022 cabinet decision that approved the school’s demolition, which they say referred to the larger area.

Why does the size of the recorded boundary matter? Not, on the evidence of the engineers’ reports, because it changes the danger to the school — that risk comes from the spoil directly upslope, whichever way the boundary is drawn.

But how a tip is recorded and classified does affect which official safety regime and funding it falls under. Neath Port Talbot has secured £3.6m to inspect and maintain more than 620 former tips — and the council’s own correspondence in 2021 noted that quarry spoil tips fell outside certain grant funding available for coal tips.

And it goes to a question of transparency: whether councillors and residents were working from the most up-to-date official record when key decisions were taken. That is the heart of what the campaigners are asking.

When Swansea Bay News reported in May that the council had launched a public coal-tip information hub, the council said the Welsh Government would revise the tip’s boundary this autumn.

The campaigners asked what that revision actually represented, if a smaller boundary had already been recorded in 2021.

In its response, the council said the autumn revision is the formal recording of the boundary established by Earth Science Partnership in 2021, and confirmed it formally asked the Welsh Government to update the map for the site, known as L44A, in October 2025.

On the 2021 submission, the council said the original boundary it sent to the Welsh Government was for a single tip area, called L44, which the government later split into four separate tips — part of an “ongoing process” of defining the boundaries of more than 2,500 tips across Wales.

It pointed to a caveat on the map data stating that tip boundaries are based on a data-capture method and that “100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed”.

Asked how the 2021 boundary informed decisions up to the demolition, the council was direct. “The boundary used in all council decisions was based on the boundary that was established by Earth Science Partnership in 2021 following their onsite investigation works,” it said, “and the WG map is due to be updated in Autumn 2026 to reflect this.”

The campaign group has also questioned how the tip was classified. The distinction between coal spoil and sandstone quarry spoil matters because the two are treated differently under the landmark coal tip safety law that came into force in Wales last year, paving the way for a dedicated authority to manage disused tips.

The campaigners point to a Welsh Government email from September 2022 which, they say, asked the council to provide reports to support changing the site — and two others — from sandstone to coal, noting the tips could not enter the coal-tip regime “without adequate evidence that they are coal”. They say the Welsh Government later confirmed it held no record of that evidence being supplied.

Asked about the reclassification request, the council did not directly confirm the exchange. It said the matter was part of an “ongoing process” of defining tip boundaries, and that the Welsh Government “were shown extracts during a meeting from the Earth Science Partnership Report (which were made public) in 2021”. The council added that “these reports show the presence of both Coal and Quarry spoil in the make up of the Spoil Tip”.

On the campaigners’ broader concerns about transparency, the council said the consultancy’s reports dating back to August 2019 have been publicly available on its website, and that officers and the firm have answered “numerous questions” about their contents.

The questions sit within a longer, painful saga for the community.

A plan to merge Godre’rgraig with two other schools into a single site in Pontardawe was rejected in 2023 after a High Court ruling found the council had failed to properly assess the impact on Welsh-medium education.

Pupils have remained in temporary classrooms throughout. Last year, the First Minister was accused by Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams of giving a “shameful” answer over the long wait for a replacement school.

The most recent national data has, if anything, moved the site towards greater caution: last autumn, new figures reclassified three tips at Godre’rgraig to Category D, the highest risk level.

For the campaigners, the central question remains why — if a smaller boundary was recorded nationally in 2021 — the wider hillside interpretation continued to feature in decisions for years afterwards.

The council’s position is that the working boundary throughout was the 2021 Earth Science Partnership assessment, with the national map now set to be formally updated this autumn.

Swansea Bay News will continue to follow the story.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Minister agrees to visit Godre’r Graig school after six years in portacabins
Pupils have spent more than six years learning in temporary classrooms.

Safety works to begin at Cwmgwrach coal tip to reduce landslip risk
Part of a Welsh Government-funded programme to reduce tip movement risk.

Welsh Government plans supervisory authority to oversee coal tip safety
How the new national tip-safety regime was first set out.

MORRISONS DAILY: Supermarket giant announces 100 convenience store closures blaming government costs — we’ve identified the south-west Wales stores that could be affected

Five convenience stores in south-west Wales could be among 100 Morrisons Daily outlets set to close across the UK — with hundreds of jobs at risk nationally and communities in Trimsaran, Pontardawe, Neyland, Pembroke and Tenby potentially facing the loss of their local shop.

Morrisons confirmed the planned closures on Friday, saying the affected stores had been loss-making for years despite attempts to turn them around — and that rising costs driven by government policy had made the situation worse.

Morrisons has not confirmed which specific stores are proposed for closure. However, using Morrisons’ own store finder, Swansea Bay News has identified five wholly-owned Morrisons Daily stores in south-west Wales — meaning they are in the pool of around 1,000 company-owned stores from which the 100 closures will be drawn:

Morrisons Daily, Heol Morlais, Trimsaran

Morrisons Daily, Herbert Street, Pontardawe

Morrisons Daily, High Street, Neyland

Morrisons Daily, Upper Lamphey Road, Pembroke

Morrisons Daily, New Hedges, Tenby

With around 1,000 wholly-owned stores nationally and 100 proposed for closure, the vast majority will remain open. Other Morrisons Daily stores in south-west Wales run by franchisees are not affected by the announcement.

All five of the local wholly-owned stores were originally part of Morrisons’ £190 million rescue purchase of the McColl’s convenience chain from administration in 2022, and subsequently rebranded as Morrisons Daily.

The 100 proposed closures represent around one in ten of Morrisons’ wholly-owned convenience estate — a significant reduction in the company’s directly operated network, even as it pursues aggressive franchise growth.

A Morrisons spokesperson said: “The performance of all company owned stores across our Convenience business is subject to continuous review. This process has identified a number of stores, which were part of the McColl’s acquisition, whose performance has been challenged for a number of years and which are loss making, despite remedial action.”

The policy choices Morrisons cited include increases to employer National Insurance contributions and rises to the national living wage — both of which came into force in April and have been blamed by retailers across the UK for pushing up operating costs.

Staff at the affected stores have been told they are at risk of redundancy, with a consultation set to begin shortly. Morrisons said it would try to find alternative roles for impacted workers elsewhere in the business — in supermarket, logistics and manufacturing operations.

The store closures are just the latest in a string of asset disposals and cutbacks. In 2024, Morrisons sold all 337 of its petrol stations to Motor Fuel Group in a £2.5 billion deal — a move specifically designed to reduce the debt pile built up since the chain’s £10 billion takeover by private equity firm Clayton Dubilier and Rice. The same firm owns both Morrisons and MFG.

Despite reducing its net debt by 46% from a 2022 peak to £3.2 billion, the chain still recorded annual losses of £318 million in the year to October.

The news also comes after Morrisons announced the closure of 52 cafés and 17 convenience stores last year, and just weeks after revealing that around 200 jobs were at risk at its Bradford headquarters.

Despite the closures, Morrisons insisted its convenience business remained a growth priority. It currently runs around 1,700 Morrisons Daily stores — including roughly 700 franchise locations — and opened more than 120 new franchise stores last year.

The company said it planned to open hundreds more franchise outlets in the coming years, with the vast majority of future openings set to be franchise-operated rather than company-owned.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Morrisons to sell all 337 petrol stations in deal worth £2.5bn
Morrisons sold its entire forecourt estate to Motor Fuel Group as it looked to reduce debt from its private equity takeover.

CARE AWARD: Mumbles and Pontardawe care homes named in Wales Top 20 — rated by residents and their families

Two care homes in south west Wales have been named among the top 20 in Wales — recognised not by inspectors or regulators, but by the people who matter most: the residents themselves, and the families who placed their loved ones in their care.

Brynfield Manor in Newton, Mumbles and Cwm Cartref in Pontardawe have both been included in the carehome.co.uk Top 20 Care Homes in Wales awards for 2026, placing them among the highest-rated homes out of more than 1,000 care facilities across the country.

The accolade is based entirely on independent reviews submitted by residents and their friends and relatives, covering areas including quality of care, staffing, dignity, cleanliness, food, activities, management and value for money. More than 127,000 reviews were submitted to the platform between February 2024 and January 2026 to determine this year’s winners.

For Cwm Cartref, it is the second consecutive year the home has appeared in the top 20. Home manager Frency Francis said the recognition was particularly meaningful because of where it came from. “This award is incredibly special to us because it’s based on the honest feedback of our residents and their families,” she said. “Our ethos is simple — we put our residents at the heart of everything we do. Every member of our team works with compassion, pride, and genuine care, and this recognition shows just how much their efforts mean to the people who live here.”

At Brynfield Manor, director Jason Banfield paid tribute to his team — and in particular to dementia champion Mandy Russ, who he credits with shaping the home’s culture. “The staff at Brynfield are extraordinary — highly trained, wholly committed, and the home hasn’t relied on agency staff for nearly a decade,” he said. “Their continuity and expertise ensure that every resident is not only cared for but truly known, respected, and cherished.”

Amanda Hopkins, reviews manager at carehome.co.uk, said the awards were designed to give families real confidence at one of the most difficult moments they face. “Looking for a care home for a loved one can be incredibly time-consuming and emotionally draining,” she said. “You’re not just choosing a building — you’re choosing a home where your mum, dad or loved one will live, be cared for and feel safe, and it can feel like a huge responsibility.”

With almost one in five people in the UK now aged 65 or over, and that figure expected to rise significantly in the coming decades, the demand for high-quality, trustworthy care continues to grow. Awards based on first-hand experience from residents and families are increasingly seen as a more meaningful measure of quality than formal inspection ratings alone.

carehome.co.uk lists all registered care homes across the UK and provides verified reviews, inspection ratings and transparent fee information. It also operates a free expert care helpline for families navigating the search for a suitable home.

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CARMARTHEN: Glangwili Hospital faces £82m repair backlog as Wales-wide NHS maintenance bill nears £1bn
The Wales-wide bill for urgent NHS repairs has risen 71% in four years to nearly £1bn.

More health and care news from Swansea Bay News
The latest health and care stories from across south west Wales.

ARREST MADE: Teenager held over Ysgol Maesydderwen threats that sparked school shutdown

Dyfed Powys Police confirmed that the teenager, from Pontardawe, was taken into police custody on suspicion of sending digital communications conveying threats of death or serious harm, with the intent to cause fear.

His arrest follows an intense investigation by Dyfed Powys Police into the alarming messages that led to the Ystradgynlais school being shut down on February 27 and 28, according to the force.

The threats had a “profound impact” on pupils, parents, and staff, causing widespread disruption and anxiety, Dyfed Powys Police stated.

Powys Superintendent Gareth Grant extended his gratitude to the community for their support and patience during the challenging period.

“I’d firstly like to thank the parents, teachers, staff and the wider community, for the support and patience you have shown whilst we have carried out our enquiries in relation to this incident,” Superintendent Grant said.

He acknowledged the severe emotional toll the incident had taken, stating: “I understand this will have had a profound impact.”

Superintendent Grant also moved to reassure residents, confirming that Neighbourhood officers would maintain a visible presence in the area.

“Our Neighbourhood officers will maintain a local presence for reassurance, and we will continue to work with our local secondary schools, and partners, to ensure our local community are supported,” he added.

The school had previously been forced to close for a second day after a fresh threat emerged just hours after the initial incident.

Parents and guardians had been left scrambling for childcare arrangements as the school remained shut, with many expressing their concern over the safety of their children.

The arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation, and Dyfed Powys Police expressed hope it would bring a sense of relief to the worried community.

Dyfed Powys Police have urged anyone with further information to contact them on 101, reiterating their commitment to supporting the community.

Max Boyce and local heroes celebrated at St David Awards

Welsh legend Max Boyce MBE and Wales’ most-capped footballer Jess Fishlock MBE were celebrated at the 2026 St David Awards, sharing the spotlight with a remarkable group of winners from communities across South West Wales.

Now in its 13th year, the awards celebrate the extraordinary achievements of people from all walks of life.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “It has been a privilege to honour all of this year’s winners who make me even more proud to be Welsh. They are an inspiration to us all.”

Here are the winners from the Swansea Bay region and beyond:

Young Person Award: Cian Evans

Cian Evans from Pontardawe received the Young Person Award for his incredible fundraising efforts in the face of unimaginable tragedy. After surviving a devastating car crash that killed his mother and unborn sister, Cian has raised thousands of pounds for the Wales Air Ambulance, which helped save his life. His resilience and determination have been described as an inspiration.

Bravery Award: The Teachers of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman

Liz Hopkin, Fiona Elias, and Darrel Campbell were jointly awarded the Bravery award for their heroic actions during the terrifying knife attack at the Carmarthenshire school in April 2024. The three staff members put themselves in harm’s way to protect pupils, with Liz Hopkin sustaining multiple stab wounds while continuing to act decisively.

Community Champion Award: Faith in Families

Swansea-based charity Faith in Families won the Community Champion award. The judges recognised their incredible work supporting some of the city’s most deprived neighbourhoods through their Community Cwtches and the launch of Cwtch Mawr, Wales’ first Multibank, which has distributed over a million essential items to families in need.

Innovation, Science and Technology Award: Professor Joanne Davies

Professor Joanne Davies, Head of Simulation at Swansea University, won the Innovation, Science and Technology award. Her work in transforming medical training in Wales through cutting-edge simulation was praised for improving patient safety and preparing clinicians for real-world pressures.

Public Service Award: Dr Tipswalo Day

Dr Tipswalo Day, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Glangwili General Hospital in Carmarthen, was awarded the Public Service award for her pioneering work to reduce stillbirths and birth-related brain injuries. She also founded Race Matters in Maternity, Wales’ first conference tackling inequalities in maternal care.

Other Winners

• Culture Award: Max Boyce MBE
• Sport Award: Jess Fishlock MBE
• Business Award: de Novo Solutions
• Environment Champion Award: Deorfa Cynrig Hatchery
• Volunteering Award: Brian Jones
• First Minister’s Special Award: Henry Engelhardt CBE and Diane Briere de l’Isle Engelhardt OBE

Pontardawe Arts Centre to host new drama inspired by forgotten Welsh folk songs recorded in a workhouse

Pontardawe is one of just 13 venues across Wales chosen to host Ledi’r Wyrcws (The Lady of the Workhouse), a new production uncovering the remarkable true story behind one of Wales’s most important folk‑song collections.

The drama, written by author and academic Jerry Hunter, explores the unlikely relationship between Lady Amy Parry‑Williams — wife of renowned scholar and poet T. H. Parry‑Williams — and a woman living in a workhouse in the 1950s, where Amy recorded traditional songs that were on the brink of disappearing forever.

A forgotten workhouse and a cultural mystery

Hunter says the idea struck him after giving a talk in Denbigh, when a member of the audience pointed out an old building across the road — once a workhouse where Lady Parry‑Williams had captured some of her most treasured recordings.

He was stunned to learn that a workhouse was still operating in the 1950s, years after the founding of the NHS.

The revelation sparked a series of questions that form the backbone of the play: Who was the woman singing in the workhouse? Why was she there? And what conversations unfolded between two women from completely different worlds, united only by their love of Welsh culture?

Hunter said the story “immediately captured” his imagination, leading him to picture the pair spending a day together — one a respected academic’s wife, the other living in poverty — yet both preserving the same musical heritage.

Touring Wales — with a key stop in Pontardawe

The production stars Morfudd Hughes, Owen Arwyn and Judith Humphreys, and will tour Wales from 4 March to 2 April.

Pontardawe Arts Centre will host the show on 25 March, giving local audiences a rare chance to see a drama rooted in real Welsh history and cultural survival.

Full tour dates

04–05 March – Galeri Caernarfon 07 March – Twm o’r Nant 10 March – Theatr Clwyd 13 March – Theatr Derek Williams 17–18 March – Theatr Arad Goch 19 March – Yr Egin 20 March – Theatr Felinfach 24 March – Theatr Soar 25 March – Pontardawe Arts Centre 26 March – Yr Olwg 28 March – Llanover Hall 01 April – Neuadd Dwyfor 02 April – Pontio

Tickets and more information are available via Galeri Caernarfon: https://www.galericaernarfon.com/eng/ledirwyrcws.html

Pontardawe engineering firm up for two major Swansea Bay Business Awards

Wall Colmonoy, which employs nearly 200 people at its site on the Alloy Industrial Estate, is in the running for Manufacturer of the Year and Innovative Business of the Year at the Swansea Bay Business Awards 2026.

The firm produces specialist alloys, castings and precision‑engineered parts used in aerospace, automotive, defence, energy and oil and gas. Most of what it makes in Pontardawe is exported around the world.

The double nomination follows major investment at the site, including £4.5 million spent on new metal powders and a high‑tech lab to support advanced manufacturing and research.

The company has also pushed into new technology, including AI‑driven casting simulations and one of Europe’s largest vacuum precision investment casting foundries — a facility backed by Innovate UK and defence innovation programmes.

Managing Director Rob Davies said the recognition belongs to the workforce.

“These nominations are a testament to our workforce… their dedication, consistency and technical depth underpin the quality of our products and drive our innovation.”

Wall Colmonoy has been operating in Pontardawe since 1969 and remains one of the Swansea Valley’s most established industrial employers.

The Swansea Bay Business Awards take place on 30 January at Brangwyn Hall.

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Historic Ty Mawr restored into new homes for Pontardawe

Dating back to the 1800s, Ty Mawr is identified by Neath Port Talbot Council as a Building of Local Importance. It once formed part of the sprawling tinplate works owned by W. Gilbertson and Company, which at its peak provided employment for much of Pontardawe’s population and sustained families for generations.

Today, the rest of the site is occupied by Cwmtawe Comprehensive School, retail units and housing — leaving Ty Mawr as the sole surviving structure of the town’s industrial past.

Vacant since the late 2000s, and formerly used as an “Extra Care” facility, the building had fallen into disrepair. Now, thanks to housing association Pobl, working with T.A.D Builders Ltd. and supported by Welsh Government’s Social Housing Grant, the landmark has been carefully restored and extended.

New homes and sustainability

The project has created 12 modern, energy‑efficient apartments for social rent — six one‑bedroom and six two‑bedroom units. A new build element complements the refurbished two‑storey detached structure, with improved access from the highway and enhanced parking arrangements. Solar panels have been installed on the roof to boost sustainability.

Jo Brown, Project Manager for Pobl Group, said at the outset:

“This scheme is an excellent example of Pobl’s commitment to build general needs homes and bring existing buildings back into fruition. We look forward to working with T.A.D Builders Ltd, and all being well, working toward a completion date in Summer 2025.”

That completion has now been achieved, with residents beginning to move in.

Blending old and new

A spokesperson for Pobl said:

“Restoring such an old structure came with challenges — from insulating thick walls to retaining its unique character — but the result is a striking mix of old and new.

“We’re so pleased to welcome new residents to Ty Mawr and see this much‑loved building once again playing an important role in the heart of the community.”

Local heritage preserved

By regenerating Ty Mawr, Pobl say they have helped preserve the character of Pontardawe’s industrial past while addressing contemporary housing needs. The building’s legacy as part of the tinplate works endures — but now with a new role, providing homes and stability for today’s community.

#BuildingOfLocalImportance #construction #CwmtaweCommunitySchool #Pobl #Pontardawe #renovation #socialHousing #TADBuilders #tinplate #TyMawr #WGilbertsonAndCompany

https://www.cyclingeu.com/770349/briton-ferry-to-hawtrhorn/ Briton Ferry to Hawtrhorn #A465 #A48 #Bicycling #BicyclingUK #BicyclingUnitedKingdom #Biking #BikingUK #BikingUnitedKingdom #Bridgend #BritonFerry #Cardiff #CardiffBay #carmarthen #Clydach #Cowbridge #Cwmbran #Cycling #CyclingSwanseaUnitedKingdom #CyclingUk #CyclingUnitedKingdom #Drives #Fforestfach #Llanelli #Llansawel #M4 #Neath #Pentwyn #Pontardawe #Pontypool #PortTalbot #Porthcawl #rides #SA1 #Swansea #UK #UnitedKingdom #Wales #walks

Four Neath Port Talbot vape shops shut down in crackdown on illegal sales

A District Judge at Swansea Magistrates Court approved three‑month closure orders against:

• Vape Land, Commercial Road, Taibach
• Vape Zone, Queen Street, Neath
• Classic Vape, Station Road, Port Talbot
• Pontardawe Vape, James Street, Pontardawe

It is the second time in six months that Vape Land has been issued with a closure order.

Pattern of illegal sales

The court heard that test purchases and inspections over the past two years had repeatedly found counterfeit cigarettes, non‑tax‑paid tobacco and oversized or non‑compliant vapes on sale.

In September, joint inspections by South Wales Police, Neath Port Talbot Council Trading Standards and Waste Enforcement Officers led to seizures of vapes, leaf tobacco and cigarettes. Further complaints were also received about sales to under‑18s.

Despite being notified of the council’s intention to apply for closure orders, the owners of Vape Land, Vape Zone and Pontardawe Vape did not attend their hearings. Classic Vape’s new owner contested the application, but the judge accepted the council’s evidence that the business had changed hands repeatedly following inspections.

What Trading Standards do

Trading Standards teams work to protect consumers and communities by tackling illegal, unsafe or unfair trading practices. Their work includes:

• Carrying out test purchases to check if shops sell age‑restricted products like tobacco, alcohol or vapes to under‑18s
• Inspecting premises for counterfeit or non‑compliant goods
• Seizing unsafe or illegal products, including oversized or disposable vapes
• Taking enforcement action through the courts, including closure orders
• Advising businesses on compliance with consumer protection laws

Residents can report concerns about illegal sales to their local council’s Trading Standards team.

Wider crackdown

The closures come just days after Swansea Magistrates extended closure orders on vape shops in the city, underlining a wider regional clampdown on illegal sales.

Since June 2025, the sale of disposable single‑use vapes has been banned across the UK. The ban was introduced to tackle environmental concerns and to protect children and young people, with many illicit products found in child‑appealing packaging and flavours.

Council response

Cllr Cen Phillips, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, said:

“Trading Standards work hard at protecting the public and the vulnerable from illegal tobacco and vape sales. Considerable work has gone into obtaining these closure orders, and the team will continue to use the resources at their disposal to combat this illegal trade.”

He urged residents to report any information about illegal tobacco or vape sales to the council.

More on Trading Standards

From vape shop closures to counterfeit goods crackdowns, our Trading Standards coverage follows the teams working to protect communities across South West Wales.

Browse all Trading Standards stories →

#ClassicVape #CllrCenPhillips #counterfeitCigarettes #illegalTobacco #illegalVapes #Neath #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #Pontardawe #PontardaweVape #PortTalbot #QueenStreet #Taibach #TradingStandards #VapeLand

Minister agrees to visit Godre’r Graig school after six years in portacabins

Pupils at the school have been taught in temporary portacabins miles from their community since the original building was closed and demolished in 2019. Despite a funding application for a replacement school being submitted by Neath Port Talbot Council, no decision has yet been made — and Welsh Government officials are reportedly assessing the proposal as if it were for a brand-new school.

“This isn’t a new school — it already exists”

Raising the issue in the Senedd this week, Sioned Williams MS, who represents South Wales West, urged the Cabinet Secretary to meet with school leaders and “understand the exceptional context” of the application.

“What is of concern to me is the impact on the many learners at Godre’r Graig School who have never been educated in a permanent school building in their own community,” she said. “This isn’t a ‘new school’ — the school already exists.”

Ms Neagle confirmed she was “very happy to visit the school,” and acknowledged the wider impact of the situation on Welsh suppliers and families.

Community frustration grows over delays

The funding application is being considered under the Sustainable Communities for Learning Nine-Year Rolling Programme, but concerns have been raised about the criteria being applied. A letter from Welsh Government officials reportedly referenced the impact a “new school” could have on pupil numbers at neighbouring schools — but not the disruption already affecting Godre’r Graig pupils.

David Chadwick MP, Liberal Democrat Member for the area, has also written to the Cabinet Secretary urging urgent action:

“Five years after its closure, pupils are still being taught in temporary offsite portacabins. These facilities are not suitable for long-term education, and parents continue to raise concerns about uncomfortable temperatures and extended daily travel.”

He called for clarity on the timeline for reviewing the application, the criteria being used, and whether any interim support would be offered to improve current learning conditions.

Rejected super school plan still casts a shadow

The original proposal to merge schools in the Swansea Valley into a single “super school” was overwhelmingly rejected by the local community in 2021. Campaigners argued that the plan would strip three communities of their local primary schools, including Godre’r Graig.

With the demolition of the original building now complete, campaigners say the lack of a permanent replacement risks undermining the future of a successful school — and leaving a generation of learners without a stable, community-based education.

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#DavidChadwickMP #education #GodreRgraig #GodreRGraigPrimarySchool #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #newSchool #Pontardawe #portacabin #SionedWilliamsMS #SwanseaValley #WelshGovernment

Blockbusters come to Pontardawe as new cinema opens

First screenings announced

The redeveloped 74‑seat cinema launches with a trio of films:

• Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (PG)
• Dora: Magic Mermaid Adventures (U)
• TRON: Ares (12A)

Tickets are available now at pontardaweartscentre.com.

State‑of‑the‑art facilities

The venue now boasts cutting‑edge laser projection, immersive Dolby ATMOS surround sound, and comfortable seating, offering a high‑quality viewing experience in the heart of Pontardawe.

For the first time, audiences will be able to enjoy the latest blockbuster releases locally. The cinema will also host relaxed screenings designed to provide a calm and inclusive environment for people with a range of impairments.

Café bar and theatre upgrades

Visitors will also benefit from a new modern café bar, open to all, while the theatre itself has seen upgrades including new balcony seating, improved lighting and cosmetic enhancements.

The redevelopment builds on the centre’s varied programme of film, music, comedy and theatre, cementing its role as a cultural hub for the community.

Backed by major investment

The project was supported by the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme, Arts Council of Wales lottery funding, Neath Port Talbot Council’s capital programme, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Cllr Steve Hunt, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, said:

“This fantastic redevelopment means we can now screen the latest blockbuster films right here in Pontardawe. We’re incredibly grateful to the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Government for their support in making this vision a reality.”

Cllr Cen Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, added:

“High‑quality venues like this are vital for our town centres – they bring people in, support local businesses, and create a real sense of place.”

Dafydd Rhys, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Wales, said the £600,000 investment would “strengthen the cultural life of the community” and ensure the centre thrives as part of a vibrant arts landscape across Wales.

Cabinet Secretary Jayne Bryant said more than £1.2m of Transforming Towns funding had been invested, “strengthening the social and cultural fabric that makes our towns vibrant places where people want to live, work and visit.”

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#ArtsCouncilWales #bar #caféBar #caféBar #cafe #cinema #CllrCenPhillips #CllrSteveHunt #films #JayneBryantMS #movies #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #Pontardawe #PontardaweArtsCentre #TransformingTowns #UKSharedProsperityFund #WelshGovernment

New data reveals rising coal tip risk in Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot

Coal tip danger escalates in South West Wales

The risk rating has increased to the highest levels for five more coal tips in Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot, bringing the total number of high‑risk tips in these former mining communities to more than 80.

The newly classified tips include two in the Llynfi Valley above Caerau and Maesteg, and three in the Godre’r‑graig area of the Swansea Valley — the same community where a primary school was closed and later demolished because of fears a spoil tip could collapse.

Neath Port Talbot: Godre’r‑graig in the spotlight

Neath Port Talbot has 41 high‑risk coal tips in total. The latest update confirms that three tips at Godre’r‑graig have been reclassified to Category D, the highest risk level.

The reclassification comes just six years after Godre’r‑graig Primary School was evacuated and later demolished because of the threat from a spoil tip above the playground. Families in the village are still waiting for a permanent replacement school.

Other high‑risk tips in Neath Port Talbot are concentrated in the Afan Valley (Cymmer, Croeserw, Glyncorrwg), the Dulais Valley (Crynant, Seven Sisters, Onllwyn), and around Resolven and Blaengwrach.

📊 Table: Neath Port Talbot high‑risk tips

Bridgend: Valleys carry the heaviest burden

Bridgend has 42 high‑risk tips — the highest number in South West Wales. The Garw and Llynfi valleys carry the greatest concentration, with clusters above Pontycymmer, Blaengarw and Caerau.

Two tips in the Llynfi Valley were reclassified to Category D in the October 2025 update, adding to long‑standing concerns in communities where spoil heaps sit above homes and schools.

📊 Table: Bridgend high‑risk tips

Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire: lighter but not risk‑free

Further west, the numbers are smaller but the risks remain. Swansea has five Category C tips, spread across Cadle/Portmead (2), Pontardawe, Felindre and Loughor. None are currently rated at Category D, but all require annual inspections.

Neighbouring Carmarthenshire has just one Category C tip, located at Ammanford in the Amman Valley — the only high‑risk site in the county.

In Pembrokeshire, no Category C or D tips are recorded, reflecting the county’s different mining history.

The city and county have also faced other mining‑related legacies. In January 2021, homes in Clydach were flooded after water surged from old mine workings, underlining how the impact of coal is not confined to spoil tips alone.

📊 Table: Swansea & Carmarthenshire high‑risk tips

➡️ Pembrokeshire: No Category C or D tips recorded.

A legacy of tragedy and neglect

It is almost sixty years since the Aberfan disaster, when 116 children and 28 adults were killed as a coal tip collapsed onto a school and nearby homes.

Coalfield historian Ben Curtis said that while some tips were removed or made safe after Aberfan, the danger has never gone away.

“It is a potential problem that continues to remain for some of these tips to become unsafe over time, perhaps because of factors like the effects of climate change and increased rainfall,” he said.

For decades afterwards, little was known about the precise locations or conditions of Wales’ thousands of disused coal tips. That changed only after a landslip above Tylorstown in Rhondda Cynon Taf five years ago, which prompted the creation of a national register and new legislation to ensure tips were monitored and made safe.

Today, more than 2,500 disused coal tips have been identified across Wales, the majority of them in the south Wales coalfield. Of these, 360 are classed as Category C or D — the higher‑risk sites that must be inspected once or twice a year. Lower‑risk tips are categorised as A or B.

Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly remain the counties with the highest concentrations of Category C and D tips, each with more than 50. But the latest figures show that communities in Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea and Carmarthenshire are also living with dozens of high‑risk sites on their hillsides.

New dataset and map

The figures come from the latest update to the Welsh Government’s national coal tip database, published on 3 October. The database, first launched in 2023, is updated twice a year and is available through an interactive online map that allows residents to check the location and risk category of tips near their communities.

Coal Authority chief executive Lisa Pinney said managing tips on hillsides was key to reducing risk.

“Just under 300 are higher‑risk sites but that really just means that they need much more regular attention and inspection to make sure they stay safe. Any tip which is old mining material sitting on a hillside can pose a risk, obviously, but the key thing to their safety is to manage water and keep it away. And that’s why these inspections and maintenance are so important.”

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca‑Davies added:

“The regular updating of this national, publicly available data demonstrates our unwavering commitment to coal tip safety across Wales, and our absolute dedication to protecting people. I want to reassure people living near to where tips have moved categories that this means they will receive increased monitoring and management.”

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The highest annual spend to date includes millions earmarked for local sites.

Investment and legislation

The Welsh and UK governments say they have now committed more than £220m to coal tip safety, with £118m pledged by Westminster over three years and the remainder from Cardiff Bay. Officials say the funding is being used for inspections, maintenance and remediation works.

But ministers have also warned that the true cost of remediation could reach £500–600m over the next 10–15 years, far above the sums invested so far. In Neath Port Talbot alone, more than £6.3m has been earmarked for safety works, including drainage improvements at Cwmgwrach where one tip was recently upgraded to Category D.

A new law — the Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Act — received Royal Assent last month. It will establish a dedicated Disused Tips Authority in 2027 to oversee monitoring and management. The legislation builds on proposals first set out in 2022, when ministers argued that the old law was “no longer fit‑for‑purpose” and called for a supervisory body with enforcement powers and rights of access.

⚠️ What do coal tip categories mean?

Category D
Highest risk. Potential to endanger life or property. Inspected at least twice a year.

Category C
Significant risk. Potential to impact public safety. Inspected at least once a year.

Category A & B
Lower risk. A = very low, B = low. Inspected less frequently.

Why it matters: Category C and D tips are the focus of safety works and new legislation, as they pose the greatest potential danger to communities.

Communities still living with coal’s legacy

Across South West Wales, more than 90 high‑risk tips remain on hillsides above towns and villages. For residents in places like Godre’r‑graig and Caerau, the latest reclassifications are a reminder that the scars of coal mining are not just historical — they continue to shape daily life.

Campaigners say the figures underline the need for long‑term solutions, not just inspections. As one local activist put it: “We’ve lived with these tips for generations. Every reclassification is a reminder that the risk is still with us.”

The risks are not confined to spoil tips alone. In 2021, a burst mine shaft in Skewen caused catastrophic flooding, leading to a national mines safety summit. First Minister Mark Drakeford warned then that climate change and heavier rainfall would increase the likelihood of such incidents.

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#AfanValley #Ammanford #Blaengarw #Blaengwrach #Cadle #Caerau #coalTip #coalTipRisk #coalTipSafety #Croeserw #Crynant #Cwmgors #Cwmgwrach #Cymmer #DulaisValley #featured #Felindre #GarwValley #Glyncorrwg #GodreRgraig #HeolYCyw #HuwIrrancaDaviesMS #LlynfiValley #Loughor #Nantymoel #OgmoreVale #OgmoreValley #Onllwyn #Pontardawe #Pontycymmer #Portmead #SevenSisters #SwanseaValley #ValeOfNeath #WelshGovernment

“Shameful” answer from First Minister on replacement for demolished Swansea Valley school

School closed over landslide risk

Godre’r Graig Primary was shut in July 2019 after a geotechnical report identified a medium risk of landslide from a quarry spoil tip above the playground. Pupils were moved into portable classrooms near Cwmtawe Community School in Pontardawe, more than three miles away. The original building has since been demolished.

Neath Port Talbot Council has submitted an application to Welsh Government for funding to build a replacement school. But uncertainty over the bid, and how it is being assessed, has raised concerns among staff and parents about the school’s long‑term future.

Clash in the Senedd

Raising the issue in the Senedd on Tuesday (30 September), South Wales West MS Sioned Williams said correspondence seen by the school suggested the application was being treated as if it were for a brand‑new school, rather than a replacement forced by “the scars of our industrial legacy.”

In response, the First Minister said:

“Well, my understanding is that the Plaid council blocked the new school proposal, and that is something that you may want to reflect on.”

The remark referred to the previous Labour administration’s controversial “super school” plan, which would have merged Godre’r Graig with Alltwen and Llangiwg primaries on a new site at Parc Ynysderw, Pontardawe. That proposal was overturned by the council’s new rainbow coalition in 2022 following strong community opposition.

“Children deserved a better response”

Speaking afterwards, Ms Williams said:

“The children, staff and community of Godre’rgraig deserved a better response to their situation than that given by the First Minister today.

This building was closed through no fault of the school, its staff or its pupils but rather the scars of our industrial legacy – that are continuing to impact our children to this day.

It was shameful to see the First Minister play politics with the future of Godre’r Graig Primary School without even trying to answer my question about the need to recognise the exceptional circumstances that led to the school requiring a new building.”

She confirmed she will be writing to the First Minister to demand a “substantive response more befitting of her office.”

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• Three Swansea Valley schools could be replaced with one new one under latest council plans

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#coalTipSafety #CwmtaweCommunitySchool #ElunedMorganMS #FirstMinister #GodreRgraig #GodreRGraigPrimarySchool #landslide #landslideRisk #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #newSchool #PlaidCymru #Pontardawe #quarryTip #SionedWilliamsMS #superSchool #SwanseaValley #WelshGovernment #WelshLabour

Swansea Valley volunteers praised for keeping green spaces clean and beautiful

Keep Wales Tidy is celebrating the work of My Green Valley, a volunteer‑led organisation that has organised 78 community litter picks this summer alone, clocking up more than 300 hours and removing nearly 300 bags of rubbish.

Founded in 2019, the group has quickly become one of the most active clean‑up teams in south west Wales, covering parts of Neath Port Talbot and Clydach in Swansea. Their efforts have helped transform neglected areas, improve wildlife habitats and foster a renewed sense of pride in the community.

“They love where they live”

Steve Thomas, Secretary at My Green Valley, said:

“My Green Valley is a community organisation set up in 2019 to help keep our valley clean and free of litter. My Green Valley volunteers enjoy making a difference. They love where they live, being an active part of their community, and improving the environment.”

Phil Budd, Swansea Project Officer at Keep Wales Tidy, added:

“The work My Green Valley has done this summer is a brilliant example of community action at its best. Their commitment, consistency, and care for the environment have made a visible impact across the valley. It’s groups like this that show how local people can lead the way in protecting our shared spaces.”

Regular litter picks across the valley

The group runs regular litter picks in communities across the Swansea Valley, including:

• Pontardawe – every Sunday (Castle Hotel car park, 9am) and every Thursday (old Tawe Bridge near the Pontardawe Inn, 10am)
• Alltwen – every other Friday (black bin day, Triangle, 11.30am)
• Clydach – first Friday of the month (Forge Fach, 10am)
• Trebanos – first Sunday of the month (rugby field, 9am)
• Gwaun Cae Gurwen – last Sunday of the month (CK’s car park, 9am)
• Ystalyfera – regular sessions announced on social media

How to get involved

Keep Wales Tidy says there are lots of ways for people across Swansea to play their part. Residents can join a local community group like My Green Valley, or borrow free litter‑picking equipment from their nearest Litter Picking Hub to do a tidy‑up in their own time.

The hubs and community clean‑up activities are part of a nationwide initiative funded by the Welsh Government. More details are available at keepwalestidy.cymru/get-involved/volunteering.

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#Alltwen #Clydach #GwaunCaeGurwen #KeepWalesTidy #litter #litterPicking #MyGreenValley #Pontardawe #SwanseaValley #Trebanos #volunteering #Ystalyfera

Tears of joy as care home cook June serves up success

When June Tong took voluntary redundancy from her admin job during the pandemic, she thought she’d enjoy a slower pace of life. But just months into retirement, she was restless.

“My house was immaculate, my garden spotless — I had to find something else to do,” she laughed.

A part‑time kitchen assistant role at Dan Y Bryn care home in Pontardawe seemed like the perfect fit. Within weeks, she’d swapped jobs with a colleague and found herself running the kitchen.

Cooking from the heart

June, 61, trained in catering as a teenager but spent most of her working life in offices. Now, she’s one of three national finalists for the Excellence in Catering Award at the Wales Care Awards, which celebrate outstanding work in the care sector.

She’s known for going the extra mile — from themed takeaway nights served in newspaper or silver cartons, to a birthday cake iced in braille for a resident who is blind.

“I do all this because I enjoy making people happy,” she said. “To see the residents smiling is what I’m here to do — but to know people are noticing, that’s what makes this so special.”

More than a job

June still works her 24 contracted hours, but often comes in on her days off to help with arts, crafts and gardening.

“We must remember this is the residents’ home, and it’s our job to make it feel like their own,” she said. “Even if I just make one person happier, then I know I’ve done my best.”

Her colleagues say she’s a “winner in our eyes” whatever happens at the awards ceremony in Cardiff on Friday 17 October.

Janine Marouf, General Manager at Dan Y Bryn, said: “June goes above and beyond daily, putting love and care into the food she provides, and coming in out of hours to carry out activities and decorate the home for special events.”

Mario Kreft MBE, Chair of Care Forum Wales, said: “Every single one of our finalists is a winner. The Wales Care Awards recognise the remarkable and vitally important contribution people like June make every day.”

#awards #CareForumWales #careHome #DanYBrynCareHome #ExcellenceInCateringAward #featured #Pontardawe #WalesCareAwards

Council publishes findings of Pontardawe swimming pool feasibility study

Consultants are recommending a traditional build and forecasting running cost savings of around £279,000 a year compared to the old facility.

Neath Port Talbot Council will present the findings of a feasibility study into a replacement swimming pool for Pontardawe at its Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 3 September.

The study identifies a preferred location north of the existing Pontardawe Leisure Centre, on the site of the current tennis courts and a small play park. Consultants say this site offers the best operational advantages, allowing shared staffing and facilities with the leisure centre.

The proposed new pool would feature a six-lane, 25-metre pool with a learner pool, alongside a sauna and steam room. Because the pool would link directly to the existing leisure centre, no additional reception or studio space would be required, reducing overall costs.

Consultants also compared a lower-cost membrane-covered pool promoted by Swim England with a traditional build. The report recommends a traditional construction due to its longer design life and lower risk profile.

According to the feasibility study, the new facility could operate at around £279,000 less per year than the former pool, mainly due to energy efficiencies and shared staffing.

The total estimated build cost is £14.9 million. Efficiency savings could support approximately £4 million through prudential borrowing, leaving a £10.8 million funding shortfall with no external funding identified at this stage.

The former Pontardawe Swimming Pool was permanently closed in May 2024 after surveys confirmed it was unsafe, and the building has since been demolished. A Cabinet report at the time noted the closure had a “significant impact on Valley Communities”.

Cllr Cen Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism & Wellbeing, said:
“We commissioned the feasibility study because we understand how important swimming provision is to the people of Pontardawe and the surrounding area. The completion of the study is a step forward and it strengthens our ability to secure funding in the future.

“We will continue to explore all available avenues to secure the necessary funding.”

The full Cabinet report and feasibility study can be viewed on the Neath Port Talbot Council website.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

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Pontardawe swimming pool to close due to structural issues
Original closure announced in November 2022 after serious safety concerns identified.

#CllrCenPhillips #featured #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #Pontardawe #PontardaweSwimmingPool #swimmingPool

Plaid MS challenges LINK over Pontardawe banking hub snub

Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for South Wales West, Sioned Williams, has written to LINK — the UK’s cash access coordinator — to dispute its assessment that Pontardawe does not require additional cash services after Lloyds Bank closes its branch this November. LINK is funded by the UK’s banks and building societies to assess community needs and ensure access to cash across the country.

The closure of Lloyds will leave the entire Swansea Valley without a physical bank, prompting widespread concern. LINK’s original review concluded that existing cash access in Pontardawe was sufficient, despite calls from residents and businesses for a dedicated banking hub.

In response, Ms Williams has compiled a detailed evidence pack including letters from local businesses, charities, councillors, residents and Pontardawe Town FC, challenging the practicality of LINK’s verdict. She argues that the assessment fails to reflect the “facts on the ground”, citing the town’s reliance on cash-based trade, limited public transport links to Neath, and the broader impact on surrounding communities such as Rhos, Clydach, Gwaun-cae-Gurwen, Cwmllynfell and Ystalyfera.

While Lloyds has pledged to provide a Community Banker in Pontardawe, this service will be limited to fortnightly visits and will not handle transactions — a move Ms Williams says falls short of meeting local needs.

Sioned Williams said:

“When LINK assessed Pontardawe in the wake of the news that Lloyds Bank will close – the last bank in the Swansea Valley – they concluded that there were sufficient banking services nearby. This is a decision that I am still disputing after hearing the feelings aired in the public meeting I held, in ongoing conversations with residents and local businesses, and because this is my town and my bank.”

She added that many businesses operate on a cash-only basis and would be forced to close temporarily to travel to Neath for banking — a journey complicated by the infrequent 256 bus service, which runs fewer than ten times daily.

Sioned Williams said:

“While the people of Pontardawe and the wider area are under no illusions that financial services are changing, all they – and I – ask is that their request for a banking hub be given proper and full consideration with appropriate attention paid to the facts on the ground.”

The campaign to retain banking services in Pontardawe has gained momentum in recent months. In July, local MP Christina Rees wrote to the CEO of Lloyds Banking Group urging the bank to reconsider its decision to close the branch, citing the impact on vulnerable residents and small businesses. Ms Williams also previously criticised Lloyds’ response to community concerns as “deeply disappointing” and lacking in meaningful engagement.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

MP calls on Lloyds CEO to halt closure of Pontardawe branch
Christina Rees MP urges Lloyds to reconsider closure plans amid community backlash.

Senedd member speaks out on “deeply disappointing” Lloyds response on Pontardawe bank closure
Sioned Williams MS criticises lack of engagement and calls for better consultation.

#ATM #bankClosure #banking #cashpoint #Clydach #Cwmllynfell #GwaunCaeGurwen #Link #LloydsBank #Pontardawe #Rhos #SionedWilliamsMS #SwanseaValley #Ystalyfera

MP calls on Lloyds CEO to halt closure of Pontardawe branch

Speaking in Parliament, the Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP condemned the wave of bank closures across rural Wales. He described it as a betrayal of loyal customers who have been abandoned in the name of profit.

He criticised Lloyds CEO Charlie Nunn, who received a five point six million pound pay package last year while overseeing the closure of more than one hundred and forty branches including those in Presteigne, Ystradgynlais and Brecon, and now Pontardawe. David Chadwick MP accused him of disregarding and causing ‘misery’ to elderly and vulnerable people throughout his constituency.

Commenting, David Chadwick MP said: “Lloyds claims it is closing branches due to lack of footfall. Yet in Pontardawe the queues regularly run out the door. That is not a lack of demand. It is a deliberate choice to walk away from loyal customers.

“Charlie Nunn took home over five and a half million pounds last year. His customers in Pontardawe are being offered nothing more than a visit to community banker once a month. It is insulting, and it must be put right.

“The planned closure of the Lloyds branch in Pontardawe has sparked much local anger. With more than five hundred residents signing a petition asking for it to remain open.

“The closure would leave thousands of people in the Swansea Valley without access to in-person banking. These are people who have entrusted Lloyds with their life savings, who Lloyds have profited off for decades.

“The banks may have forgotten their customers in Wales, but I have not.

“That is why I am calling on Lloyds CEO, Charlie Nunn to reverse this decision and show some understanding of the harm these closures are causing.”

#bankClosure #DavidChadwickMP #LloydsBank #Pontardawe #WelshLiberalDemocrats

Over £6,000 to be paid by convicted fraudster found misusing disabled blue parking badge

Liam Pritchard of Pontardawe used the badge to park at Porthcawl’s John Street Car Park instead of paying for a parking ticket. 

Bridgend County Borough Council’s parking team said that its checks revealed the badge had been reported lost, was subsequently cancelled, and that the person misusing the badge was not the badge holder.

Mr Pritchard appeared at Swansea Magistrates Court on 27 May where he pleaded guilty to having a disabled blue badge in his possession for fraudulent use.

The magistrates, who remarked that it was a shame that Mr Pritchard had behaved in a way which led to him losing his good character, imposed a £816 fine, a victim surcharge of £326 and court costs of £5,080 – totalling £6,222 which is due to be paid by Mr Pritchard.

Cllr Hywel Williams, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, said: “The Blue Badge Scheme is designed to allow disabled residents to park closer to their destinations, thereby maintaining inclusivity and independence.  Inevitably, the misuse of blue badges means that people with disabilities may be prevented from parking in an accessible place.

“Our parking and fraud investigation teams are working collaboratively to raise awareness of this issue and to carry out intensive checks in a bid to deter the misuse of blue badges across the county borough.

“We really hope that this case demonstrates that the fraudulent use of blue badges will not be tolerated, and our teams are committed to addressing this problem.  We are working to support those residents who legitimately need blue badges to carry out their lives without car parking presenting an obstacle.”

#blueBadge #BridgendCountyBoroughCouncil #fraud #motoring #Pontardawe #Porthcawl

Pontardawe cancer survivor joins innovative follow-up care approach trial

Swansea Bay University health Board say that head and neck cancer patients would traditionally be seen in regular clinics for five years after being treated, using up NHS resources and often involving long journeys.

Now, though, some have the chance to be in charge of their own health by deciding when they want their clinic appointments.

They are being educated about the symptoms of recurring cancer and if they have concerns they are guaranteed an urgent appointment.

The Cancer Institute at Swansea’s Singleton Hospital is one of a number of UK centres taking part in a trial called PETNECK2.

The health board say that so far, 26 people being treated within Swansea Bay for head and neck cancer have been recruited, with more expected to follow before the trial closes around this time next year.

One of them is 64-year-old Merv Williams from Pontardawe (pictured top), who praised the “fantastic” treatment he had received following his cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2023.

“Joining the trial means I’m being proactive in my own healthcare,” said Mr Williams, who is originally from London. “Plus it helps others. If there are positives to come from this trial, I’d be wrong not to do it.”

Martin Rolles, consultant clinical oncologist at Singleton Hospital, said patients were randomised into two separate approaches.

“Half of them go on our standard follow-up, which is where we see them every few months for five years,” he said.

“Half of them, if they’re clear of cancer and clinically well 12 months after the end of their treatment, have a PET scan. If that’s negative, then instead of being followed up in clinic, it goes to patient-led follow up.

“This means they have some education and they’re then not seen routinely but they can phone up and access us directly at any stage if there is any concern.

“The reason this is important is because we use a lot of resources to see patients every few months for five years.

“And it’s a lot of time and effort for our patients, especially for those who are coming from a long distance. We treat patients from across West Wales, so some of them have a two-hour journey to clinic.”

Dr Rolles explained that, if the cancer was going to return, it would most likely do so during the first 12 months after treatment.

The rate of new cancers and recurrent disease after that, he said, was low and most patients were getting on well.

“There are probably around 300 head and neck cancer patients a year in South West Wales, around 200 of which have chemotherapy or radiotherapy,” he said.

“They are complex cases that require a lot of resource. So there’s 200 patients a year but we’re following them up for five years so there are actually many more patients in the system.”

Research nurse Nia Viney said patients consenting to the trial were provided with a phone app or explanatory booklet.

“We teach them what to look for, when to contact us, how to check their mouth,” she said. “They get contact details, or they can contact us directly through the app if they have a problem.”

The Cancer Institute was built following a £1 million charity appeal run in conjunction with the South Wales Evening Post, leading up to the opening of the South West Wales Cancer Centre (SWWCC) in 2004.

The SWWCC provides the infrastructure for the Institute’s research delivery team, together with cancer and haematology clinicians, to run various UK and global trials.

Funding from the Welsh Government, via Health and Care Research Wales, has supported the growth of cancer research within the health board where up to 30 trials can be running at any one time. 

And Swansea Bay is frequently among the top recruiters, most recently winning an award for recruiting to a prostate cancer trial.

That success has been replicated in PETNECK2, which saw Swansea Bay become the top recruiting site in the UK for December.

“We consider the trials that we take on and whether we have the patient population to suit the trial,” said Nia. “We put the resources into those trials. We always make sure we have the capacity to do it.

“For this particular trial we screen every head and neck clinic and approach all suitable patients to see if they would be interested. Obviously, some have said no.”

Nia said having Macmillan head and neck oncology clinical nurse specialist (CNS) Courtney Bell involved had been very helpful.

She added: “Working collaboratively with the CNS was very important within this trial and we needed to combine our skills.

“The patients have already developed a relationship with Courtney through treatment and that has been really helpful.”

Dr Rolles added: “The patients are generally enthusiastic about this. We haven’t found it too difficult to recruit.”

Mr Williams said he did not hesitate when he was asked if he wanted to join. He underwent gruelling treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for a throat tumour that had spread to his lymph nodes.

He completed the treatment in November 2023. He was declared NED, or no evidence of disease, in May 2024 and continued to have regular scans until January this year.

By this time, he said, the two-monthly hospital appointments were only to check his throat with an endoscope as scans had confirmed there was no sign of cancer anywhere else.

“I believe the trial is very positive,” said Mr Williams. “They mentioned it to me in November and I said I was up for it.

“The appointments cause a bit of strain on your lifestyle. You couldn’t book anything, and they were the cause of some anxiety.

“I’m doing it for myself, my family and my friends but also as a way of repaying the incredible care that has been bestowed on me.

“I genuinely want to help. I feel I am doing something positive as opposed to just being a patient and contributing to the whole cancer research environment.”

#Cancer #HeadAndNeckCancer #Pontardawe #SingletonHospital #SouthWestWalesCancerCentre #SwanseaBayNHS

Claims that ‘Swansea Valley forgotten again’ as area missed out of Welsh Government transport grant announcement

Neath Port Talbot Council has been awarded nearly £5.7 million through the Local Authority Transport Grants for 2025–26. This includes £990,000 for the Neath to Cimla Active Travel Route, £730,000 for carriageway improvements in Cymmer, £440,000 for the Neath Integrated Transport Hub, and £1.6 million for drainage improvements on Fabian Way. Further funding has been awarded for a range of road safety and training initiatives.

However, critics say that none of this funding has been directed towards the Swansea Valley, despite the area facing serious transport and economic challenges. While investment has been concentrated in Neath and Port Talbot – areas already benefitting from stronger transport links, including rail connectivity – the Swansea Valley, which has no direct rail services and limited infrastructure, has once again been left behind.

Although approximately £800,000 has been allocated for wider Active Travel and road safety schemes, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have argued that this does little to address the urgent need for meaningful infrastructure investment in the Swansea Valley.

David Chadwick MP (Brecon, Radnor, and Cwm Tawe) has called on the Welsh Labour Government to urgently rethink its priorities and deliver real investment to communities that have been consistently overlooked, warning that continued neglect of former industrial areas like the Swansea Valley will only deepen regional inequalities.

David Chadwick MP said: “Once again, the Welsh Labour Government have forgotten the Swansea Valley.”

“None of the almost £5 million awarded to Neath Port Talbot for transport projects has been earmarked for the Swansea Valley, an area with already inadequate transport links.”

“Although a small amount of funding has been allocated to wider initiatives such as ‘pedestrian training’, this does not come close to addressing the lack of serious investment in the Swansea Valley.”

“The people of Swansea Valley deserve more than being an afterthought. Over and over, the Welsh Labour Government promise fair funding across Wales. Yet the money flows straight to already well-connected areas with established transport and rail links, while communities like those in the Swansea Valley are left behind.”

“The Government must stop neglecting the Swansea Valley and commit to a fair and consistent transport strategy.”

#DavidChadwickMP #NeathPortTalbot #Pontardawe #SwanseaValley #Transport #WelshGovernment #WelshLiberalDemocrats #Ystalyfera

Swansea Valley quarry secures future with £1.4m funding

A stone quarry in the Black Mountains near Pontardawe and Ystalyfera has significantly expanded its operations thanks to a £1.45 million joint funding from HSBC UK and the Development Bank of Wales. 

Gwrhyd Quarry – which has been operational for over a decade – produces Gwrhyd Pennant sandstone used in significant Welsh landmarks, including the Swansea Arena, Senedd building in Cardiff Bay, and many more developments across South Wales. 

The funding has enabled the Walton family, who previously managed the operations of the quarry, to purchase Gwrhyd Quarry and take into full ownership. The business is also looking to invest in new machinery and infrastructure, as part of the quarry’s broader sustainability initiatives, which aim to make it the most sustainable quarry in the UK. 

Michael Walton, Director at Gwrhyd Quarry said: “This funding is a significant milestone for us. It not only secures the future of the quarry but also allows us to invest in sustainable practices such as investing in solar panels to power the site which will benefit the environment and our community. We are grateful for the support from HSBC UK.” 

Ben Youde, Relationship Manager at HSBC UK said: “Having worked with the team for the last two years, we are thrilled to support Gwrhyd Quarry in their journey toward growth. We look forward to seeing its continued success.” 

#Business #construction #GwrhydQuarry #Pontardawe #Quarry #SwanseaArena #Ystalyfera

A foggy day in South Wales for today's #StandingStoneSunday

Carn Llechart, a terrific cairn circle, its circle stones like flower petals. There's also a much earlier Neolithic chambered tomb and the hill has plentiful Bronze Age round cairns and ring cairns. Some visitors have reported paranormal goings-on and ghostly presences, but there was just pouring rain and fog on my visit (September 2011).

#TheModernAntiquarian #BronzeAge #Pontardawe

Canu fy Chwib/ playing my Whistle up y Gwachel!!! 🎶🎸🎻🪈🪗🪕 #Pontardawe

Sesh Fach Y Gwachel….Welsh Folk Night up y #Gwachel! 🎵🎹🎸 🥁🎻 #Pontardawe

Menter Iaith CNPT

Dewch i ymuno gyda ni yn y Sesh Nos Fawrth nesaf.

Come along and join us in the Sesh next Tuesday night.
🎻🎸🎵
#cymraeg #mentrauiaith #menteriaith #cerddoriaeth #digwyddiad #sesiwnwerin #pontardaweinn #pontardawe #npt

Noson Werin Cymraeg, lan Y Gwachel!
Welsh Folk Night up the Gwachel! 🎶🍺🎸🎻🪕🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🍺 #Pontardawe

Gwerin Noson at Y Gwachel!
Folk night at the Gwachel!! 🎸🎻🪕🎼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #Pontardawe

Heno!
Tonight!
🎻🎸🎵
#cymraeg #cerddoriaeth #sesiwnwerin #pontardaweinn #pontardawe #npt @Cymraeg @

Menter Iaith CNPT

Dydd Mawrth nesaf!
Next Tuesday!
🎻🎸🎵
#cymraeg #mentrauiaith #menteriaith #cerddoriaeth #miwsig #digwyddiad #sesiwnwerin #pontardaweinn #pontardawe #npt @Cymraeg
@mentrauiaith
@learncymraegABA
@PontardaweInn

Menter Iaith CNPT

Fory!
Tomorrow!
🎻🎸🎵
#cymraeg #mentrauiaith #menteriaith #cerddoriaeth #miwsig #digwyddiad #sesiwnwerin #pontardaweinn #pontardawe #npt @Cymraeg
@mentrauiaith
@learncymraegABA
@PontardaweInn
@AlawonGwerin

Menter Iaith CNPT

Fory!
Tomorrow!
🎻🎸🎵
#cymraeg #mentrauiaith #menteriaith #cerddoriaeth #miwsig #digwyddiad #sesiwnwerin #pontardaweinn #pontardawe #npt @Cymraeg
@MentrauI
@PontardaweInn
@Gwerin_Y_Gwyr
@AlawonGwerin

Noson Gwerin Cymraeg….Welsh Music Night at Y Gwachel!! 🪕🎻🎸🎹🎼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #Pontardawe

Menter Iaith CNPT
Fory!
Tomorrow!
🎻🎸🎵
#cymraeg #mentrauiaith #menteriaith #cerddoriaeth #miwsig #digwyddiad #sesiwnwerin #pontardaweinn #pontardawe #npt @Cymraeg
@mentrauiaith
@PontardaweInn
@learncymraegABA

Noson Gwerin Cymraeg yn Y Gwachel!

Welsh Folk Night in Y Gwachel! 🎸🎻🪕🎹🎼🍺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #Pontardawe

Sioned Williams, Member of the Senedd for South Wales West has called for the plans to replace #Alltwen, #Godre-graig and #Llangiwg Primary schools with a new ‘super school’ in #Pontardawe to be rejected.

https://swanseabaynews.com/2022/12/08/senedd-member-calls-for-pontardawe-super-school-plan-to-be-rejected/ #NeathPortTalbot #Education #Schools #PlaidCymru #Senedd