Diary of developments

[Carl Gough]

Well I've been sat here tonight, pondering over the park and this rather fantastic website John set up for us all. (thanks again John). Then it occurred to me if I started a blog, I can try to ensure you get updates of things as they occur. Now I would like to start out with good intentions and say it will be a day by day account, however I know what I'm like when it comes to diaries. Even as a kid my diaries would quickly turn to weekly entries and then die off completely. Got my last diary in a cupboard somewhere, I think the last entry was back in 1990!!

Anyway I guess what I'm saying is this blog will only mention the main events or progress as they occur. I'm sure you don't need a blow by blow acccount. In addition it then becomes a log of the project so new people who join as time goes by, can look back and see how things began and what they missed so far.

Right then, the story so far........
Spring 2008 developed proposal for the renovation of Godre'r Graig Park
Summer 2008 - discussions with Local authority as landowners and the community council
September 15th 2008 - public meeting to present proposal to local residents - very well received so moved forward.
Began writing development plan and setting next meeting dates asap.
6th Oct 2008 - first meeting of youth forum held to ensure young people get full representation on the project
10th Oct 2008 - held meeting with agencies/organisations to present the project and begin establishing sources of help, advice and support for the project and for the volunteers
11th Oct 2008 - First round of meetings with the volunteers who came forward at the public meeting. Each group met in turn and the project was explained in more detail and notes taken regarding ideas, concerns etc. Full aims and objectives of the project and each volunteer group (Friends of the park, Environment & Conservation, Arts & features, Youth Forum, Heritage and Interpretation and General Volunteers) were given.
13th Oct 2008 - this website was set up

14th October 2008
So far this week there has been alot of discussion on knotweed and if we are going to beat the looming deadline for spraying. We are right at the end of the season for treating knotweed and if its not done in the next couple weeks it will have to wait till the end of next years summer!!!! The weather isn't helping, we need a dry day either side of spraying for it to be effective. Anyhow, keep your fingers crossed as it could put the pond project right back.

The Community Council are working with us on begin the necessary processes that will enable the community council to take on temporary ownership (probably a lease) of the park which will help speed up things for us and enable the park to fall under the public liability insurance that the community council holds for the other parks they hold on community behalf. This will be a big step forward for the project.

I'm also pondering on the next meetings to be sorted which are for the pond project, constituting the group and establishing the right representation on the friends of the Park group from the other groups. Julie and Bev are working with the Youth service to run some activities for the Park's Youth Forum during half term. Therefore if you're 11-25 years old and you'd like to join the Youth Forum call the trust and ask for more details (01639 843965).

Think thats about it for the background story and the first entry for this blog........ stay tuned.


16th October 2008
I've just had a very interesting meeting with CVS regarding volunteering, policies and how we can really get things moving with all the groups. If the youth register with millenium volunteers they will receive certificates of achievement for the amount of volunteering they do, therefore giving them recognition.

Looks like the next steps for developing the groups will need to be getting the Friends of the Park group properly structured and operating (i.e. identify who is going to represent each of the other groups) which will make the process of constituting the group a bit easier. I'm therefore looking to get the next meeting set up with Friends of the park ASAP. In this meeting we will also look at the steps involved in getting the group constitued, why this is important, and hopefully also look at a template constitution so we can decide what the group will aim to achieve and how it will operate.

Therefore please, please, please, let me know if you'd like to represent one of the groups on the friends of the park committee. I know there are some people from environment and general volunteers who attended the friends group on the last saturday meeting but I'm not sure if there were people from the arts & features and heritage & interpretation groups?

[Carl Gough]

28th Oct 2008 Well while we leave the community council to sort out their side of things with this project regarding a lease and permissions, I'm trying to get the next meeting sorted out. Letters will be coming out in the next couple of days regarding a meeting on Thurs 6th November at Godre'r Graig School 6pm to 7pm.
The meeting will be the first step towards creating a constituted group and to introduce Adrian to you all who wil be replacing me at Ystalyfera Development Trust to pick up where I finish off.

Just to be clear though, I will not be disappearing entirley, I'll still be keeping up my involvement, I just won't be able to do so much of the day to day things. Hope to see you all again next week.

[Carl Gough]

22nd Oct - THE KNOTWEED HAS BEEN SPRAYED!!!!! Keep your fingers crossed it doesn't rain overnight now or its effectiveness will be seriously compromised