New mobile youth centre takes to the streets
The council’s Youth Support and Community Safety Partnership teams have been working together to launch a new mobile youth centre, bringing youth support services to communities across the county borough.
Funded by the ‘Safer Streets’ initiative, the brightly coloured mobile unit, which has a digital screen, comfy seating, heating, and refreshments for young people will be setting off around the county borough from the 20 November.
The mobile unit will initially focus on the areas of Bridgend town centre, Pyle, Maesteg and Sarn to offer young people a secure place where they can spend time and interact with professionally qualified youth workers.
Working in partnership with colleagues at South Wales Police, the mobile centre will travel to identified ‘hot spot’ areas of anti-social behaviour as well as reaching out to communities where young people have limited or no access to youth services.
Please visit the council website to read more about our new mobile youth centre.
Social Care Recruitment Fair: Jobs that make a difference
Have you ever thought about working in social care, but maybe had questions before wanting to take the first step?
If so, the council’s Social Care team will be at Sarn Community Hub, Merfield Close on 21 November, between 5 and 7pm to help answer your questions.
The council offers ongoing professional support, continued training, opportunities to gain qualifications and career progression.
Applicants don’t necessarily need qualifications, or a driving licence and the council are interested to hear from school and college leavers, people returning to employment and those that are semi-retired.
Please visit the council website to find out more about the jobs we have on offer.
Dance for Parkinson’s comes to Porthcawl
Awen are working with National Dance Company Wales to offer a Dance for Parkinson’s taster session at Awel y Mor Community Centre (Porthcawl) on 19 November at 3.15pm.
Dance has been proven to develop confidence and strength, whilst temporarily relieving some participants of Parkinson’s symptoms in everyday life.
The free session is supported by the council’s Super-Agers project.
More information is available on the National Dance Company Wales website.
Maesteg Town Christmas Parade
The Maesteg Town Council Christmas Parade will return on Saturday 2 December 2023, and you can join in the festivities from 4.30pm with a Christmas light switch on during the celebrations.
Santa’s Grotto will also be open on the 2 and 3 December – you can write your letter to Santa and post it to the Elves at the North Pole Mail Room. Check if you’ve made the naughty or nice list and spread some Christmas cheer with the whole family.
For more information on Christmas events in a town near you, visit the council website.
Free town centre car parking for Christmas shoppers
Bridgend County Borough Council has confirmed that free parking will remain available at two council-maintained town centre car parks to support traders and encourage people to shop local during the Christmas period.
Drivers will be able to continue to park for free for the first three hours at the Rhiw multi-storey car park in Bridgend, and between noon and 3pm at John Street in Porthcawl.
With free parking also available at the Llynfi Road multi-storey in Maesteg and the Penprysg Road car park in Pencoed.
Give the gift of joy this Christmas by supporting the Santa Appeal
People across Bridgend County Borough are being asked to help bring a smile to a vulnerable child or young person this Christmas by donating to this year’s Santa Appeal.
Our Social Services and Wellbeing department is once again supporting the annual appeal for toys and gifts for those who may not otherwise receive a gift on Christmas morning.
Cash donations are preferred for the purchase of suitable presents for children and young people from birth to 21 years of age. Making a donation is simple, you can give online at Awen’s Just Giving page or our partners at Halo Leisure centres and swimming pools can also take cash and card donations on their tills.
If you’d prefer to give a gift donation, please deliver your new gift, which must be unwrapped in a gift bag to the following designated drop-off points:
- Bridgend County Borough Council, Civic Offices, Angel Street, Bridgend
- Aberkenfig Library
- Betws Library
- Maesteg Library
- Bridgend Library
- Pencoed Library
- Porthcawl Library
- Pyle Library/Life Centre
- Sarn Library
Library opening hours can be found on the Awen website.
Volunteers will once again sort the gifts into appropriate age groups and wrap them ready for delivery to the homes of children and young people across the county borough.
The closing date for the Santa Appeal is Monday 4 December 2023. Please visit our website for more information about donating to this worthy cause.
Consultation launched to shape council’s new Engagement and Participation Strategy
Bridgend County Borough Council have recently launched a consultation to help shape how the council engages with residents about a range of important matters that affect communities right across the county borough.
A draft Participation and Engagement Strategy has been developed to outline the steps that will be taken by the council to keep residents well-informed about all services whilst also consulting with them prior to making any key decisions.
This strategy will not only look to improve existing engagement methods but will also identify new and emerging ways to engage with as many people as possible.
Currently, the council engages with residents through a variety of channels such as:
Council Website
Social Media
My Account
A varied range of bulletins
Consultations/Questionnaires/In person engagement sessions
Customer Services
Engagement with elected members
The council also have a Citizens Panel which is made up of a group of people who live in Bridgend County Borough and are regularly consulted on services run by the council. Members of the panel can receive up to three surveys per year on a range of topics, services, and issues, as well as receiving regular newsletters to keep them updated.
Another key element of the plan is to ensure that engagement is inclusive across the diverse make up of all local communities in the area. This will be achieved by maintaining and gaining partnerships with key stakeholder groups within the community.
Cllr Rhys Goode, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Regeneration, said: “We recognise that meaningful engagement with residents and a diverse range of key stakeholder groups is crucial to building trusting relationships within our local communities.
“This new plan will ensure that we engage in the most strategic way possible to make sure that we maximise input from key stakeholders on a range of topics.
“Consultation and Engagement also forms a key part of our ‘Delivering Together’ Corporate Plan 2023–28 and regular engagement will help to make sure that we continue to deliver and the meet the needs of communities right across the county borough.”
Residents can share their thoughts on the new strategy on the council’s website. Please note that all participants are advised to read the strategy before sharing their thoughts.
Task force publishes new information on coal tip safety
New information has been issued by the Coal Tip Safety Task Force to keep local communities informed about former industrial mining sites located throughout Wales.
Over the last few years, partnership work has been taking place between local councils, Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales, and the Coal Authority to develop a greater understanding of the number of disused coal tips, where they are located, and who might own them now.
The Task Force has used this information to establish a new interactive map which residents can now access showing the location data for all category C and D disused coal tips in Wales.
Cllr John Spanswick, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, said: “It is important to note that the A-D categories do not indicate the safety level of a site, but rather the level of monitoring that is required due to the serious impact that would follow in the event of a collapse, slide or slip.
“I can further assure residents that even before the new national testing criteria was agreed and rolled out, former mining sites in Bridgend County Borough were already subject to regular inspection and maintenance.
“As demonstrated by the recent announcement that Welsh Government has provided Bridgend County Borough Council with £520,000 to replace and improve drainage channels at a former colliery located near Nantymoel in the Ogmore Valley, we take this responsibility very seriously, and will continue to do so.”
Give blood and save lives
Appointments are available at:
- 20 November- Sainsbury’s- Sarn (CF32 9ST)
- 29 November- Bridgend Masonic Hall (CF31 2AP)
- 7 December- Asda Bridgend (CF31 3AU)
Please be advised that if you have recently had a Covid-19 vaccination, then you must wait two days before making a blood donation.