Meadow Street Community and Coed Lleol - Small Woods Wales to Announce Partnership at Pontypridd Fun Day Event

Pontypridd Town Council • August 15, 2022

Meadow Street Community, a local community garden in Treforest managed by Pontypridd Town Council, has teamed-up with Coed Lleol, the Small Woods Association in Wales, to bring a range of outdoor, physical and social activities to Pontypridd. The aim of the collaboration is to improve health and wellbeing through woodland and nature-based activities and to help the Meadow Street Community grow further.

Thanks to funding from the Welsh Government’s Enabling Natural Resources and Well-being Scheme (ENRaW) Coed Lleol - Small Woods Wales is also supporting the Meadow Street site to develop into a community woodland hub and garden space, by funding the development of an all-weather structure to house activities and new and improved on-site facilities.

An Open Fun Day is being held on Thursday, 18th August between 11am and 3pm at the Meadow Street Community Garden where you can find out more about the plans and learn how you can get involved. Throughout the day, local people are invited to take part in a range of activities including: bug hunting, whittling, potting and planting, nature ID and more. The Meadow Street Community and Coed Lleol - Small Woods Wales teams will also be seeking ideas and suggestions on designs and styles of the new structures from everyone who attends.

Pontypridd Town Council Community Development Officer, Helen Williams says,

“We are delighted to join forces with Coed Lleol, the Small Woods Association in Wales to deliver this fantastic project for the people of Pontypridd. We hope to get the community inspired by nature and to give them opportunities to experience and value nature first-hand, on their doorsteps. Working together with Coed Lleol we are looking forward to developing Meadow Street even further with the opportunity to develop an all-weather low impact structure that will support woodland-based health and wellbeing activities, while also growing our community of fantastic volunteers, all of whom make Meadow Street the magical place that it is.”

Alison Moore, South Wales Coordinator, Coed Lleol - Small Woods Wales says,

“Working in partnership with Meadow Street and the enthusiastic team from Pontypridd Town Council involved with improving this location has been a fantastic opportunity for Coed Lleol to use a really special place, to engage local people in Pontypridd in a range of our woodland and outdoor health activities. Being able to support them to develop the site further, to become a Woodland Hub, through the ENRaW funded project, is such an exciting opportunity, we can’t wait to get the local community involved with moving this forward.”

Meadow Street Community is located along a busy footpath, connecting Hawthorn and Rhydyfelin to Treforest. The land lay unattended and overgrown for almost 8 years, before being re-acquired by Pontypridd Town Council. The site was devastated by the flooding following Storm Dennis in 2020, and at the beginning of 2021 work began in earnest to clear the space. The project is run by the Town Council and local volunteers, who are looking to add to their numbers and grow the community.

For further information and to book a place at the event, please contact Helen Williams, Community Development Officer, Pontypridd Town Council: helen.williams@pontypriddtowncouncil.gov.uk

or Alison Moore, South Wales Coordinator, Coed Lleol - Small Woods Wales:

alisonmoore@smallwoods.org

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Pontypridd Museum Awarded Funding for Major Renovation Projects

By Pontypridd Town Council • September 15, 2025

Pontypridd Museum has been awarded two Welsh Government grants to undertake major renovation projects on the site. The museum, which is managed by Pontypridd Town Council, will receive a total of £300k in funding attached to the Welsh Government’s Priorities for Culture programme. A grant of £150k will enable the restoration, conservation and digitisation of the museum’s largest object, the 1910 Conacher Pipe Organ, on permanent display in the former Welsh Baptist Tabernacl Chapel, now Pontypridd Museum. The organ was last fully overhauled in 1988 and is currently in a very poor state of repair and practically unplayable. The grant will allow the repair of all parts of the organ and introduce a digital control so that a recital can be recorded and played back to visitors without an organist being present. This currently happens in just a few of the world’s leading venues such as the Palau de la Música in Barcelona and in the UK the famous organs of Canterbury Cathedral and York Minster. Work will start on the project this Autumn with the aim of the organ being fully restored and operational by March 1, 2026, in time for the annual Mayor’s St David’s Day Concert. A further grant has been awarded to repair the leaking roof of the museum store and community rooms. The building repairs will protect the museum’s reserve collections, a key community asset and will enable the museum to sustain its role as a hub for wellbeing, creativity, and social cohesion through the continued use of the community rooms, which host a variety of free activities and are regularly used by local groups to host events and activities. The renovation of the outdoor space around the roof will revitalise the viewing platform for the world-famous Pontypridd Bridge, which also includes a picnic area and garden and the starting stone for Pontypridd’s Mab Trail , which celebrates Wales’ ancient myths and legends. Nigel Blackamore, Pontypridd Museum Business and Partnerships Manager said, 'The Conacher Pipe Organ is more than an instrument—it’s the beating heart of our museum and a living link to Pontypridd’s rich musical heritage. Restoring it will not only revive its powerful presence but also reconnect generations through sound, memory, and innovation. With the power of digital technology and the craftsmanship of expert organ builders, we’re ensuring this iconic object doesn’t fade into silence, but sings once again for our community and the world.' Pontypridd Town Council Leader, Cllr. Lynda Davies said, ‘The award of the Welsh Government grants is fantastic news for Pontypridd Museum and for Pontypridd. The renovation projects will allow the museum to continue hosting cultural, educational, and wellbeing activities and will strengthen its role as a vibrant hub for local heritage and community life. This builds on the work already ongoing at the museum, and forms part of Pontypridd Town Council’s extensive wider cultural projects and partnerships. Nigel and his team are doing fantastic work in revitalising and developing Pontypridd Museum, ensuring it remains a vital asset for our community.’ Work will begin on both projects this Autumn and updates will be posted to Pontypridd Town Council and Pontypridd Museum websites and social media.