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small copper butterfly

hover fly

spindle berries

caterpillars in silk tent

hover fly

The Group was formed in 1988 and has been active since in protecting and enhancing this nature reserve by planting trees, constructing paths and putting in seats. The Group aims to respond to the needs of the community and  encourage local people and children to appreciate and care for  the local environment.

On this page we tell you about our  current and recent activities. To find out where the nature reserve is, what wildlife is found on site, what other activities the Group undertakes, the interactions  with local schools, the links to other local or national organisations involved with the Group, click on the links in the green column. If you want more information on any aspect of the project  contact  Anne Bryan

2008

20^th Anniversary of the Group

The Group was founded in February 1988, has been operating for 20 years. In the last year Cwmtalwg has gained three awards: notably the Green Pennant Award from the Civic Trust for the fourth year running, This is a national award that recognises high quality green spaces in England and Wales that are managed by voluntary and community groups. The judge’s report noted that ‘it was one of the best community projects that I have had the pleasure to visit’. He also wrote that the local community should be proud of the efforts of the Group and noted ‘what is so remarkable is that they have continued to maintain the same energy and progress for nearly twenty years’.  The judge made a number of other points and the Group and the Council will be implementing some suggested improvements.

The Group also won two awards from the Vale of Glamorgan Show: First Prize in the woodland classes for the best project to encourage public access, recreation and interpretation of woodlands and Second Prize in the in Biodiversity class 2, projects by voluntary Groups or industrial or commercial businesses, including farms, which create, improve or manage sites for wildlife in the Vale of Glamorgan.

 2007

Hedge Laying Event

 This was done with BTCV Forest Farm as a training event with a grant from Niace. between January 16th and 19th. Some planting up was later done by pupils of Barry Comprehensive school. The pictures below show the stages in the process of hedge-laying

Before Instructor Tony McGurk cutting a sapling so that a tongue of bark is left to connect it to the roots The sapling after  the mainstem has been cut so that water will drain off. The hedge thinned down and selected stems being laid the partly laid hedge with stakes ready to hammer in   hammering in hazel stakes which were cut from the nearby wood Anne Bryan Cwmtalwg, and Jonathan Singleton, BTCV, with Jane Hutt, Welsh  Assembly member for the Vale of Glamorgan who came to admire the work   Boys from Barry Comprehensive school ready to plant whips to thicken up parts of the hedge

 2006

The Group won the Long Term Effort Category in the final of the Keep Wales Tidy Awards

The KWT awards were presented at the Wales Millennium Centre on Wednesday 29th November 2006 by Carwyn Jones AM, Minister of the Environment, Planning and Countryside. As winners of the Long Tern Effort category the Group received a cheque for £500 and  the Rhiannon Bevan Award. This was given in memory of the work of the late Chairman of Keep Wales Tidy, and is a wooden sculpture made from part of the yew tree which grows in Strata Florida Abbey in mid Wales, on the grave of the welsh poet, Dafydd ap Gwilym. The tree was struck by a bolt of lightening some years ago and part of the ancient yew was shattered.

Above: Group members with John Bevan, who presented the Award in memory of his wife, Rhiannon.

Above: All winners with their trophies and certificates

 Improvements to the project 2005 onwards

 In the few years the Group has i worked with young people to paint a mural,  Following a talk at the school by Group secretary Anne Bryan  volunteers from year 7 of the Barry Boys Comprehensive School came and worked at the project. Boys from the school have contributed regularly since the Group started in 1988 and so one of the latest volunteers represented the school at the award ceremony. The Group has also improved access for the disabled and for mothers with buggies, thanks to a grant from Awards for All Wales. The existing path has been diverted so that people no longer need to go up and down steps. This is the second Grant that the Group has been received from Awards for All. Last year a grant was used to build a ramp and handrail to replace steps at the Usk Way end of this path, so the whole length of the path through the wood at Severn Avenue is now much more accessible for people with mobility problems and for parents with pushchairs.

The work  was done by volunteers: Group members cleared brambles and scrub from the site and the path was laid by volunteers from BTCV Fforest Farm, Cardiff.  The path was formally opened by one of the BTCV volunteers, Andrew Roberts, a student at Pencoed College. He was assisted by Group member Don Mackenzie, who first had the idea for the path diversion.

The Group would like to thank Awards for All for the grant and also the BTCV volunteers for their hard work. This improvement will make a real difference to the community. Group Secretary Anne Bryan said, “The process of obtaining the grant was quick and easy, I would definitely recommend the Awards for All Wales Grant Programme. For further Information on Awards for All Wales or to obtain an application pack call 01686 611 740 or visit www.awardsforall.org.uk

Above: opening of the new path in May 2006 by Andrew Roberts and Group Member Don Mackenzie

Above: Boys from Barry Comprehensive school at the woods

August 2005 - a mural  transforms the scene

The project to paint a mural on the sports changing rooms at the Severn Avenue fields  has been a great success thanks to the hard work of ten young people and the artist Emma Baird-Murray, who was assisted by artist Dave Symons. Emma worked on the designs over four days with young people at Area 41 Youth club and the mural was painted over four days the following week. The fields are used by the Barry Bluebirds Club so two of the sides had a football theme and the other two sides a nature theme to celebrate the Cwmtalwg Local Nature Reserve which adjoins the fields. Members of the Cwmtalwg Group and Area 41 youth workers also helped with the painting, and people of all generations enjoyed working together on the project.

 On the last day of the project, 18 August, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Janice Charles and her consort Holly Charles came to present certificates to the ten young people who had taken part. Councillor Charles praised the young people for the wonderful result that they had achieved. Parents, friends and other members of the community also came to the presentation and to a picnic organised by the Cwmtalwg Woodlands Residents Group. After the picnic a crowd of young people enjoyed an energetic game of baseball supervised by the youth workers from Area 41 club.

 A dog walker remarked, ‘the shed was something I passed as quickly as possible, now it makes me feel good to come and look at something so bright and cheerful.’

 The project was organised jointly by the Cwmtalwg Woodlands Residents Group, Area 41 youth workers and the Barry Bluebirds Football Club and was funded by a Kick Start Grant from the Vale Centre for Voluntary Services.  

          -the original decorations

  The artists put finishing touches to the mural

Work parties
These are held on Sunday mornings 10 am to 12.00 . Meet opposite the Cwmtalwg Pub on Severn Avenue.  For information on date of the next work party  contact Anne