Bryncynon Strategy

Description & History

The Strategy grew out of the Local Residents’ Association, who wanted to combat the difficulties caused by the loss of the coal mining industry. A series of grants enabled the appointment of the first community development worker in 1993 and in 1994 the refurbishment of 3 terraced houses to accommodate a training facility, offices, community café and youth drop-in centre, followed by refurbishment and extension of the health centre.

The trust takes a holistic approach to community development which includes lifelong learning, healthy living, building community spirit, developing the local economy and improving the local environment. Currently employs 25 people and about 6 volunteers. Recently, work has focused on the Healthy Living Agenda and supporting children, young people and families through various programmes.

The Strategy, a community based development trust, also runs 2 other buildings, a community premises offering low cost offices available for local businesses and ‘Growing Together’ a family centre (focusing on under-5s and their parents), it also has a plot of land near Abercynon known as Green Valley, the site previously hosted a variety of environmental programs using the Strategy’s ‘Green Team‘, the site is now leased to other organisations to work on their own environmental agendas.

Location and Area of Benefit

Bryncynon is situated in the Abercynon Ward in the Lower Cynon Valley and the primary area is approximately 2,700 households and takes into takes in the area of Ynysboeth, Tyntetown, Bryntirion, Nant y Fedw & Abercynon, but most services are offered out to anyone that wishes to attend, regardless of the area in which they live.

Main services, Enterprises and Activities

• Growing Together Family Centre – school holiday play schemes, parent and toddler group.
• Taffys Café and Catering service – community café in the strategy building, also offering catering service.
• “The Feel Good Factory” – Healthy Living Centre, various courses (fitness, smoking cessation, first aid, etc) and healthy living advice as well as training and careers guidance, providing low cost community space for functions for organisation and individuals.

Emerging & Proposed Future Developments

The trust acquired, refurbished and transformed the All Saints Church into a state of the art community asset and base for community enterprises called ‘The Feel Good Factory’, which was launched by The First Minister in October 2006. The conversion has created a large, high quality, multi-purpose building offering access to a wide range of activities, enterprises and services linked to health, community services and well-being.

The ‘Feel Good Factory’ provides a venue for health education and promotion, clinics, exercise and dance and healthy cooking classes. As part of its income generating strategy, a wide range of high quality conference, meeting and events rooms are available for hire.

The Centre is also a base for the Taffys Café and Catering service, as well as many advice surgeries, including, Job Clubs, Citizens Advice Bureaux, Community Nurse, Health Visitors, etc.

An innovative aspect is that the trust now owns and manages the building, but the church congregation can still access the refurbished facility for regular services as well as improved facilities for weddings, funerals and christenings.

Future Plans include sourcing another site to re-establish; After School Clubs & Youth Provisions for the area