Cwmaman - Our Vision Our Future
Cwmaman Community First Partnership was established in October 2001, to bring together individuals, voluntary groups, and public and private sector organisations in the community to work to create a better future for the area.

Under the Community First Programme from the Welsh Assembly, core funding was secured for the Partnership to employ a Co-ordinator & Administrator. The project has been managed and supported by Cwmaman Public Hall & Institute Ltd, and overseen by Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council.

As part of the Community First Programme the Partnership has consulted with the local authority to identify its concerns and priorities for improving the community. In addition to this we have considered the views of both public and private sector organisations in Cwmaman, and a wide range of existing strategies have been investigated. The Partnership have appointed and worked closely with consultants to produce an Action Plan, which maps out the aims, objectives and targets to address the needs of the community. A range of organisations working together and sharing resources to improve the community will carry out the projects, which will be born out of this Action Plan. We have worked hard to ensure that the Action Plan is realistic and sustainable. This effort has already secured £242,000 for three separate projects in the community through the Assembly Community Facilities Fund.

The Partnership submitted the Community Action Plan and requested a further three years of core funding in December 2003. This application was required to unlock £4 million of additional funding from external sources and existing funding bodies to change the future of Cwmaman. The Partnership realises that this was a difficult and hard won process, but one which is worthwhile if we are to succeed in creating Our Vision Our Future.

In November 2004 we received the final approval for part of our requested support. This will enable the partnership to continue its work until March 2007 and appoint additional support staff in the key areas of Youth & Health Promotion and provide the necessary support to secure additional external funding for regeneration projects. The partnership is continuing to work with the local authority and other agencies to secure additional funding to undertake capacity building, environment and community arts not supported as part of the Assembly core funding.

Cwmaman - Our Vision Our Future has been adopted by Cwmaman Community First Partnership and approved by the Welsh Assembly in November 2004, so that we may secure the necessary funding to implement the Community Action Plan to deliver our ambitions.

Ron Davies
Chair of Cwmaman Communities First Partnership Board