Bridgend County Borough news round-up

Celebrating Maesteg’s heritage through art

A new mural in Maesteg town centre has been unveiled to celebrate the town’s history and vibrant community.

The project, developed and funded by Maesteg Town Council and painted by renowned local artist ‘Lloyd The Graffiti’ (Lloyd Roberts), is located on the side wall of the Blue Pearl Fish & Chip Bar on Talbot Street.

The mural pays tribute to some of the key figures and landmarks in Maesteg’s history, including Welsh Rugby International JJ Williams, Vernon Hartshorn OBE, the Revlon factory, Maesteg Community Hospital, and more. It also features the words of “Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau,” the Welsh National Anthem, first performed here in Maesteg.

Please visit our website to read more about our town centres.

Reminder: Please drive and park responsibly around schools

With the new school year now underway, residents are reminded that School Crossing Patrol officers undertake their work in all weathers to keep pedestrians safe from harm.

By law motorists must stop and remain stationary when a School Crossing Patrol officer is holding the STOP sign in the upright position. Failing to stop is an offence that could result in a fine and 3 penalty points on your driving licence.

Also, most schools unfortunately experience a small minority of drivers who choose to ignore parking restrictions, which affects the safety of children and the wider school community.

Even if only stopping briefly, it’s essential that all vehicles are parked in a safe and legal manner.

Please visit Road Safety Wales’ YouTube page to a view a road safety video.

Growth opportunities for businesses as first ever Social Enterprise Marketplace event comes to Bridgend County Borough

Don’t miss out on a unique opportunity to connect with social enterprises, trading charities, community organisations and many others across Bridgend County Borough and beyond.

Hosted by Cwmpas and Bridgend County Borough Council on 20 September, the event will take place at the community-owned Bryncethin Community Centre and is the first of its kind in Bridgend County Borough.

This free in-person event is for procurement teams and buyers from public and private sectors and will provide an opportunity to find out about what the social enterprise sector has to offer.

Exhibitors will showcase the wide range of goods and services which the South Wales social enterprise sector has to offer.

The event brings together social enterprises, community organisations, entrepreneurs and buyers from the public, private, and third sectors to create lasting trading connections. One attendee will be Manumit Coffee Roasters, an ethical social business which offers employment, training and support to survivors of modern slavery as they rebuild their lives.

Councillor Neelo Farr, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economic Development & Housing at Bridgend County Borough Council, said: “Working in partnership with organisations such as Cwmpas is a key part of our support for businesses and it’s really refreshing to see a brand-new event coming to the county borough in the form of a Social Enterprise Marketplace.

“It’s also pleasing to see that such a wide range of services will be represented at the event including catering, marketing, construction, food pantries, support for care leavers, Self-defence for women and much more.

“Many local businesses have already attended workshops and masterclasses from Cwmpas in recent months and this is yet another opportunity to gain invaluable contacts across a range of sectors.”

Martin Downes FRSA, Learning and Development Lead at Cwmpas and Project Lead for the Bridgend Social Enterprise Support Programme, said: “Social enterprises like Manumit give a taste of the strong commercial offer social enterprises across south Wales are bringing to market. So much can be achieved when businesses work to tackle social issues and make an impact for good.

“Since December last year, Cwmpas has delivered workshops, events, and one-to-one business support sessions, helping social enterprises to network, grow and connect throughout Bridgend County Borough and Wales.

“We are delighted to be working with Bridgend County Borough Council to host the Bridgend Social Enterprise Marketplace Event. It’s a great opportunity for exhibitors and delegates to see the range of products and services on offer in Bridgend County Borough, and to develop supply and delivery networks.

“As businesses seek to build on environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities and to develop the circular economy locally, this is the perfect opportunity to make supply chains work for the good of communities.”

The Bridgend Social Enterprise Support Programme is funded by UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and the project is due to run until the end of March 2025.

Please visit Eventbrite to secure your free tickets for the Social Enterprise Marketplace. One-to-one business support will also be available.

Bridgend’s biggest jobs fair is just around the corner…

Bridgend County Borough’s biggest jobs fair is returning to the Bowls Hall, Bridgend Life Centre on Thursday 19 September and there will be plenty of exciting opportunities on offer.

The ‘Bridgend Jobs, Careers and Prospects Fair’ is a free event run by the council’s Employability Bridgend team in partnership with Jobcentre Plus. The doors will open to visitors at 10am and the event will finish at 1pm.

Over the years, the event has attracted large numbers of visitors, and employers have been matched with excellent candidates to fill their vacancies.

Nantymoel Flying Start expansion update

In support of Welsh Government’s expansion of the Flying Start initiative, Nantymoel was previously identified as an area that would benefit from the provision.

In order to share information with residents, a briefing session will be held between 4pm – 6pm on Tuesday, 17 September 2024, at The Mem Community Centre, Nantymoel.

The proposed setting would provide 12 full-time equivalent (that is, 24 part-time) high-quality places for two to three-year-olds, delivering morning and afternoon sessions.

A purpose-built facility will also be constructed and following a number of surveys, the former Nantymoel Infants School site at Dinam Street has been identified as a suitable location.

Members of the project team will be in attendance, and residents will have an opportunity to view the layout drawings for the proposed development.

Please visit our website to read more about Flying Start.

Don’t miss out: Celebrity football match to take place at the Brewery Field

Residents are reminded that a celebrity football match in support of Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice will take place on Sunday 15 September at the Dunraven Brewery Field in Bridgend.

Expect to see familiar faces like former Swansea City footballers Lee Trundle and Leon Britton, Love Island’s Jake Cornish and Paige Thorne and UFC ace Brett Johns.

Gates open at midday, with kick-off at 3pm. There’s fun for the whole family with a children’s zone and food court.

Tickets are on sale on the Skiddle website. VIP packages and family discounts are also available.