Eight local residents have been officially appointed to a Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board to help decide how £20million of UK Government funding will be invested in Tredegar.
Pictured are some of the members of the Board today.
The area will receive money from the Pride in Place programme over the next 10 years. The aim is to fund projects and ideas that will regenerate and revitalise the area. The power is with local communities to decide how the money is best spent to benefit their town.
Also on the board is the local MP; a council representative and a town council representative, bringing the total to 12 representatives.
Rev’d Matt Davis chairs the board and is excited at the appointment of his new team.
Matt says:
“We had so many passionate people apply; we were completely overwhelmed by the response so thank you to everyone. It was incredibly hard to appoint just eight people. We now have a great board in place, to reflect the views and diversity of our communities and really take Pride in Place forward in Tredegar. To all those who weren’t appointed, we’re not letting your passion and enthusiasm get away, we’ll be encouraging you to be involved and have your say as plans progress.
“This funding could help turn good ideas into lasting change and build a confident, hopeful future for the town and I can’t wait to get to work with you all on that.”
The residents appointed to the board are:
- Business & Economy: Ryan Davies
- Community & Voluntary: Ken Cowen
- Environment: Cathy Johnson
- Finance: Lloyd Harris
- Health & Wellbeing: Leon Yandle
- Skills & Employment: Laura Callaghan
- Young Person: Rhiannon Wooldridge
- Older People: Sarah Meyrick
They’ll be introducing themselves on the Tred 2036 social channels so follow now:
The UK Government’s ‘Pride in Place’ Programme will see up to £5 billion given to nearly 250 areas across the UK. Tredegar will receive £20 million of funding and support over the next 10 years to make long-term improvements that residents want.
Blaenau Gwent Council put forward the Sirhowy Valley as the neighbourhood to receive the funding based on the UK Government’s criteria.
Blaenau Gwent Council Leader, Steve Thomas said:
“This is another significant step forward in the Pride in Place programme and I would like to congratulate all the new board members on their appointments. These people are all very passionate about Tredegar and its future and now really have the opportunity to identify the priorities and how this money can be spent on what really matters to local people.”
Nick Smith MP said:
“It was a real pleasure to attend the inaugural Pride in Place Board meeting in Tredegar and be involved in recruiting such a talented group of people who were so passionate about the area. With representatives from across the community offering bags of different experiences, the Board is well placed to give voice for positive change. Under the leadership of Chair Rev Matt Davis, I look forward to working with fellow Board members to help deliver the £20 million investment programme and create lasting benefits for the area.”