Cwmbach Community Wetlands to benefit from £222,024 grant
Down to Zero, in partnership with Cwmbach Community Wetlands, have been awarded £222,024 in funding from The Woodland Investment Grant (TWIG) to improve accessibility to Cwmbach wetlands and woodlands in Aberdare. TWIG is a scheme being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with the Welsh Government’s National Forest for Wales Programme.
The funding will help create a nature trail alongside the river, support spaces for rest and recreation and bring the site into the National Forest for Wales network, ensuring increased environmental protection. The project will provide training and create volunteering opportunities for local people to manage the site sustainably for the long term.
Down to Zero Project Manager Tom Addiscott said ‘The funding is a credit to the efforts of the local community and Cwmbach Community Wetlands Ltd. Since we purchased the site in July 2024, we know that safely restoring the pathway alongside the river has been a key priority for local people. We’re pleased that this project will increase access to green space and allow local people to improve their health and wellbeing by spending more time in nature on their doorstep. The project will be supported by an ecological appraisal and ecological mitigation, and enhancement plans to ensure that we protect and enhance the local wildlife and environment. Environmental protection and enhancement are a key priority for us and the local community.’
Partnership has always been key to the Cwmbach Wetlands and Woodlands project, Cwmbach Community Wetlands Ltd hold a 25-year full management lease of the land. Jayne Palmer, Cwmbach Community Wetlands Ltd secretary stated ‘The site is a real gem and we are grateful to receive this funding so we can improve the site for community benefit whilst protecting and enhancing the existing wildlife and environment. The project will ensure we can sustainably manage this site for the long term and provide opportunities for local people, including children and young people to engage and learn in nature. The improvement to the pathway which will connect to Aberdare Canal, and the wider National Forest for Wales will see improved health benefits for locals. The board thanks it’s members and the local community for its ongoing support, for without, this project would not be possible’.
The purchase of Cwmbach Wetlands and Woodlands was completed in July 2024, thanks to support from Cynon Taf Community Housing Group and Pen y Cymoedd Community Fund.
Auriol Miller, Chief Executive of Cynon Taf Community Housing Group, commented ‘Having supported the community ownership of Cwmbach Wetlands through our Down to Zero subsidiary, we are delighted to see this project receive support from Welsh Government and The National Lottery Heritage Fund through The Woodland Investment Grant scheme. Having green spaces nearby is essential for wellbeing and many of our tenants will benefit as this site is near to a significant number of Cynon Taf homes. Many tenants have been directly involved with the project, and we know this site holds a special place in their heart. The project highlights our commitment to the local environment and community and supports our vision of healthy valleys communities where everyone feels connected, supported and hopeful about the future. I’d like to thank the Welsh Government and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support.’
Over the next two years we will organise a series of events and support the development of a volunteer paths and maintenance group who will receive training to manage the site for the long term. Want to get involved with this project? Contact [email protected]
Diolch i Chi –chwaraewyr y Loteri Genedlaethol, Thanks to you – National Lottery players, Welsh Government and Natural Resource Wales.
About The Woodland Investment Grant
The Woodland Investment Grant (TWIG) is a grant scheme that has been running since 2022 and is intended to create, restore and enhance woodlands in Wales, as part of the Welsh Government’s National Forest programme. Now in its sixth round of funding, the partnership between Welsh Government and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, has invested £11,091,448 in woodlands across Wales.
About The National Forest for Wales
The National Forest for Wales is led by the Welsh Government. It will create a network of woodlands and forests throughout Wales, under high quality management.
The National Forest will stretch the length and breadth of Wales, so that everyone can access it wherever they live. It includes both urban and rural areas and delivers a range of benefits to the environment, the economy and society:
- playing an important role in protecting nature and addressing biodiversity loss
- increasing locally grown timber production – allowing the local forestry industry to thrive, creating jobs and reducing reliance on imported timber
- supporting the health and wellbeing of communities – a working example of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Over the next ten years, the Heritage Fund aims to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment. The Heritage Fund helps protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.