BIG LOTTERY WALES VISIT INVEST LOCAL CAERAU

Written By Elwyn Davies

The team from Big Lottery Wales came along to visit Invest Local projects in Caerau recently, and spent the day touring the many community projects in the area, meeting the people of Caerau and enjoying some fantastic hospitality.

On a whistle-stop tour of some of the amazing projects in the village, the team visited: Dyffryn Chapel, Caerau Credit Union, St Cynfelyn’s Church, Caerau Development Trust, Llynfi BMX track, Noddfa Community Project, Caerau Men’s Shed, Caerau Market Garden, Caerau Dragons Boxing Club, and Nantyffyllon Rugby Club.

Phil John is the Chair of Invest Local Caerau, and tells us about the experience:

“The whole day was amazing, the whole 'team' came together to embrace and provide our visitors (Sir Adrian Webb, John Rose and Catrin Jones from Big Lottery Wales, as well as Graham Benfield from BCT) with an overview of all the progress that has been achieved in such a short time through Invest Local Caerau. We had a wonderful, engaging and friendly atmosphere throughout the whole day.

“I felt that extremely proud of what we have achieved and shall continue to do, but without being dismissive of 'others' - I honestly feel there is one particularly 'very proud' moment, which epitomised what Invest Local really is all about. Shirley from the 'Friendship Group' at Dyffryn Chapel spoke eloquently about how the 'friends' helped both herself and her husband Ken through some difficult times, Ken having severe dementia. Shirley had lost Ken to this illness only a week prior to this visit, but really wanted to be part of the event.

“From conversations on the day with our guests and feedback after the event, it certainly seems that our visitors had a wonderfully enthralling and great day in our village of Caerau. The visit – highlighting the development of all the existing projects and the creation of new initiatives in the area – certainly shows that networking, planning, providing and working together to enhance our village and create opportunities will help us all here in Caerau to have a better quality of life.”

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