Have your say on Community Nature Spaces proposals for Abergavenny

Monmouthshire County Council has been awarded ‘Local Places for Nature’ funding by Welsh Government to build upon the success of the Community Nature Spaces schemes in Monmouth and Chepstow to deliver a similar scheme in Abergavenny.

The project, which is currently in its initial phase, is seeking the opinion of local residents about the proposed sites in Abergavenny and their potential uses via a short questionnaire on the MonLife website. The consultation will close on Monday 31st July, 2023, but residents and stakeholders are welcome to get in touch about the project at any time.

Community Nature Spaces aims to transform Green Spaces, so they benefit from better grassland management and enhancements for nature to create mini havens for wildlife, providing habitat for pollinators and urban wildlife. But they will not only benefit wildlife, Community Nature Spaces will also provide residents with opportunities for wild play, community food growing and places to enjoy nature and for quiet reflection.

Community Nature Spaces could include:

• Community food growing spaces
• fruit trees/community orchards
• mini meadows and native hedgerows
• flower-rich meadows mounds and slopes
• Planting for pollinators and other wildlife
• Tree and shrub planting

Proposed Abergavenny locations include:

• Major’s Barn and Union Road/St Helen’s Close Play Areas
• Dan Y Deri Green Spaces & Play areas
• Green spaces on Park Close, Old Barn Way, Bishop Close and Highfield Crescent
• Croesonen Parc
• Nevill Hall
• Lower Monk Street road verge
• The bus station 

Cllr. Catrin Maby, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & the Environment said: “I am pleased that Community Nature Spaces are now coming to Abergavenny thanks to the funding that has been awarded. Green spaces in our towns and residential areas are incredibly important for our well-being, but they also help protect and support biodiversity, enriching the places we live.”

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet Member for Active & Inclusive Communities said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to provide a network for wildlife and people in the very heart of our towns and engage with nature, which is good for everyone’s health and wellbeing. We’d love as many people as possible in and around Abergavenny to have their say about their Community Nature Spaces, to make sure it offers the very best for the town and its people.”

In order to get a full understanding of what Abergavenny’s community wants, Council Officers are working with the elected Town and County Councillors as well as local interest groups. Please visit www.monlife.co.uk/outdoor/consultation-community-nature-spaces where you will find a link to a questionnaire about green spaces in Abergavenny, how you use them and how you would like to see them used in the future. The initial phase of the consultation will close on Monday 31st July but residents and stakeholders are welcome to get in touch about the project at any time.

Tags: abergavenny, community, MonLife, Monmouthshire, Nature

Active Travel plans in Abergavenny take a step forward

Funding has been secured this financial year to start the construction of the new Active Travel bridge across the Usk, and revised plans for the entrance gates to Castle Meadows have been agreed between Monmouthshire County Council and Transport for Wales. A planning application to improve paths through Castle Meadows, Abergavenny will be considered in the near future by the Council’s Planning Committee. Planning discussions were delayed from July’s planning meeting while a query from Natural Resources Wales about the ecology of the site was explored.

A trial cattle grid with a gate at Castle Meadows will be removed and replaced with just a gate, and the new bridge across the Gavenny will have no grids or gates and allow barrier-free access. Other entry points which lead onto roads and car parks will have kissing gates replaced with easily opened, self-closing single gates and a cycle-width cattle grid for cycles and mobility scooters. The grids will only be in use when cattle are grazing, which is usually between July and January, to give easy access for all users while keeping cattle enclosed. Grazing by cattle is important to the biodiversity of the traditional water meadows.   

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet member for inclusive and active communities said:

“I am delighted that funding has been secured this financial year to enable the construction of the new Active Travel bridge across the Usk at Castle Meadows to begin. It is hoped that it will be completed in 2024 and will make it safer for people to travel between Llanfoist and Abergavenny.

“We have listened to public opinion regarding access points to Castle Meadows and as a result we will be removing the trial cattle grid. The original proposals are national best practice for active travel routes that cross areas where cattle graze, but clearly Castle Meadows needs a bespoke approach. The team have explored various alternatives following an incident early this year, including what has worked elsewhere and suggestions made by the public. This is a complex site and there are no easy solutions. We will now only install grids where we would expect dog owners to have their dog on a lead, such as the entrances from car parks and the road. There will be clear signage wherever they are installed. I am grateful to Transport for Wales for continuing to support us with Active Travel funding while allowing flexibility in how we deliver the scheme.

“This scheme is a big investment in Abergavenny’s future and we have to get every detail right. Our aim remains to enable everyone to enjoy the beautiful Castle Meadows including walkers, families with small children, people with limited mobility, cyclists and dog owners. People will be able to choose to use the new, safe, attractive, resin bound surfaces, or wander through the informal paths. The Active Travel routes will provide a safe and pleasant route for walkers and cyclists between Llanfoist and the different areas of Abergavenny, including the new King Henry VIII school and the station. We will continue to consult on the detail of the scheme at each phase.”     

There has been some speculation locally that dogs being walked on the meadows will have to be kept on a lead as a result of this scheme. This is incorrect – dogs will continue to be allowed off a lead when it is safe to do so on Castle Meadows. Dogs on or off a lead must always be under an owner’s control, especially around children, cyclists and cattle. And all responsible dog owners should always pick up after their dog.

The proposed route in Abergavenny is one of many across the country that have been proposed as a result of the Active Travel (Wales) act. The act aims to reduce the amount of car journeys by improving the active travel routes in towns. This in turn aims to reduce pollution, improve health and equality.

The scheme has been funded by the Welsh Government through the Active Travel Fund, administered by Transport for Wales. This money is ring-fenced for improvements to Active Travel routes. Each phase of the scheme is subject to separate funding approval, and construction in the Castle Meadows can only take place at certain times of year, making this a multi-year project.

For the latest information about the Active Travel project in Abergavenny and to view the frequently asked questions about the scheme please visit: https://www.monlife.co.uk/castle-meadows-faq/

Monmouthshire’s pupils shine at the PlayMaker Conference

Across the week of 5^th June, Monmouthshire primary schools attended the PlayMaker Conference. The aim was to bring Monmouthshire’s young leaders together for further training and to celebrate their leadership journeys. Children from 27 out of 30 Monmouthshire primary schools took part in carousel of activities delivered by MonLife Services, Monlife Leadership Academy and external partners, including Rogiet and Dixton parkrun groups, Monmouthshire Community Hubs (and libraries), Bowls Wales, Dragons RFC Community. The events included developing play opportunities, promoting Active Travel, pupil voice, National Governing Body workshops, Team Building, Wellbeing awareness, Disability Inclusion training and many more.

The week-long programme of events received fantastic support from comprehensive schools in Caldicot, Chepstow and Monmouth, who provided facilities for the events as well as and Abergavenny Rugby club and Abergavenny Bowls club at Bailey Park. 

The MonLife Sport Development team has been delivering the Sports Leaders PlayMaker award throughout this academic year, engaging with all 30 Monmouthshire primary schools. In total the leadership award has been delivered to a total of 938 Year 5 pupils this academic year, with the aim of teaching pupils key skills such as communication, leadership, organisation and resilience. After the pupils have achieved the award, they assist with providing a positive impact on well-being within their schools. This is the first stage of Sport Development’s leadership pathway, before transitioning into the Year 6 Bronze Ambassador scheme and the Secondary School Leadership academies.

Sport Development have been delivering the PlayMaker award since the 2017/18 academic year, providing pupils in the current Year 5 to Year 10 cohorts with the leadership qualification.  Since the project started in excess of 5,500 children have taken part in the scheme.

Council Leader, Cllr. Mary Ann Brocklesby said: “I am so impressed by the way Monmouthshire’s learners have got involved with the PlayMaker award. It has had a positive impact on almost a thousand young people this academic year, which is incredible. I am proud of every single pupil who has been involved in this, and would also like to thank all the organisations who have come onboard to help us deliver this fantastic programme.”

Chief Executive Officer of SLQ Sports Leaders, Richard Norman said: “We are forever inspired by our PlayMaker partnership with MonLife. For over 10 years now, MonLife has been at the forefront of developing leadership skills in primary school-aged children and is truly investing in the future of Monmouthshire’s children. We know that by building children’s confidence and skills we are giving them the opportunity to become the best future version of themselves. We sincerely hope that in 2033 we will be celebrating 20 years of the MonLife leadership pathway and the achievements of the many thousands of PlayMakers across Monmouthshire that will have benefitted from this programme.”

For more information about the PlayMaker programme, or wider Sport Development initiatives, please visit – www.monlife.co.uk/connect/sports-development or email sport@monmouthshire.gov.uk.

Over £760k funding announced for Monmouthshire’s museums

Monmouthshire museums run by MonHeritage, part of Monmouthshire County Council, have received a welcome boost thanks to the latest funding awards.

Plans to relocate Monmouth’s museum into Shire Hall is a step closer thanks to news that it has been awarded a Development Grant of £349,928 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The welcomed funding will enable the Council to take forward the redevelopment of the Shire Hall as an accredited museum.

An additional £241,697 grant was awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund (Dynamic Collections) to improve cataloguing of the Monmouth Collection and to consult with local communities on stories they would like to be told in the museum’s displays. This work will include displays within the community as well as within Shire Hall.

Conservation work and improvements to the Nelson collection have already taken place. A report funded by the Federation of Museums and Galleries of Wales was produced during 2022 outlining the national significance of the Nelson collection. This has been endorsed by the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. The museum has also worked with Race Council Cymru to carry out two initial workshops relating to  previously under represented topics people would like to see explored relating to Nelson.

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet Member with responsibility for MonHeritage museums, said: “I am delighted that the National Lottery Heritage Fund has supported the plans for the relocation of Monmouth’s museum into Shire Hall. It will help us progress with the plans to make the museum, its collection and future exhibitions even more representative of Monmouth, the county, its history and its people.”

MonHeritage’s museums in Abergavenny and Chepstow have also benefitted from funding. They were recently awarded £173,318 by Welsh Government for the project Researching, re-examining and reclaiming: the heritage and culture of Monmouthshire’s Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities. This work will contribute to the heritage goals in the Anti Racist Wales Action Plan. The award builds on work begun at the two museums and will lead to improved interpretation of the collections, better representing their links to slavery, colonisation and empire and acknowledging Monmouthshire communities’ past role in slavery, empire and globalisation

With Race Council Cymru, MonHeritage will host community workshops to explore ways to better interpret the collections. Work with the communities will enable the Learning and Curatorial team to create an activity programme, which is likely to include cultural events, exhibitions and displays in Monmouthshire venues. In addition, community and learning activities will take place in local schools and in the county’s museums. The content will be inspired by the collections and local heritage. 

In Chepstow a £10,000 National Lottery Heritage funded project has just been completed to research and re-interpret the lives of the nurses who worked at the museum when it was a hospital. The exhibition inspired by this project is open until December 2023.

Chepstow museum will also be opening an permanent display relating to the Wye Tour in July. It will include the recently acquired painting by JMW Turner, secured thanks to £76,000 of funding from Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and National Lottery support, Museums Association Beecroft Bequest, The Usk Valley Trust.

To find out more about Monmouthshire museums visit www.monlife.co.uk/heritage/Tags: Abergavenny museum, Chepstow Museum, MonLife, Monmouthshire, museums, Shire Hall

Get ready to Go Wild in Abergavenny this May!

The Gwent Green Grid is hosting a ‘Greater Gwent Goes Wild’ event for all the family on Saturday 20^th May, 2023. The free, nature-inspired event will take place in Abergavenny’s Bailey Park from 11am to 4pm. It will showcase and celebrate all the fantastic work that has been going on across Gwent to promote biodiversity.

Bailey Park is the perfect setting for the event. It’s home to the Monmouthshire Nature isn’t Neat artwork piece, which is located near to the Rugby Club. The mosaic celebrates the humble daisy and its role for pollinators, with an iridescent thick-legged flower beetle stealing the show. As part of the event the artwork will be officially unveiled.

Prior to the event Gwent Green Grid Partnership officers will work with younger children in local schools and community groups, to create perfect pollinator wings. The children will take part in a Pollinator Parade celebrating local wildlife on the day.

Young people from Abergavenny are creating a new mural for the site. It’s hoped that the artwork will be enjoyed by the local community for years to come and its design will celebrate nature that can encountered in the area.

Throughout the day there will be a range of activities for families and people of all ages, including craft stalls and storytellers, as well as plenty of information about environmental and community projects across Gwent.

While at the event, why not help the Gwent Green Grid team build a minibeast mansion from locally sourced and recycled materials. It will stay in Bailey Park after the event, providing a home for a variety of insects. 

Goody bags and freebies will be available to take home. They’ll include seed balls and field guides so the whole family can continue to ‘go wild’ after the event.

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet Member for Inclusive & Active Communities, said: “This free event will be a wonderful way to bring the wider community of Abergavenny together, celebrating the environment. The activities will share information and be good fun as well. I am looking forward to seeing the wonderful work of Abergavenny’s young people and to meeting as many local people as possible on the day.”

Cllr. Catrin Maby, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & the Environment, said: “The work of the Gwent Green Grid in improving and developing the natural environment across the region is so important. Not only does it address the climate emergency, but it has a crucial role to play in improving biodiversity and improving the wellbeing of people who live in those area. I would encourage as many people as possible to make a date in their diary and come to the Abergavenny event, which promises to be informative and enjoyable.”

The Gwent Green Grid team is made up of officers from Monmouthshire County Council, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Caerphilly County Borough Council, Newport Council and Torfaen County Borough Council all working  together with Natural Resources Wales, Forest Research and the Severn Wye Energy Agency as well. 

To find out more about the Gwent Green Grid visit www.monlife.co.uk/outdoor/green-infrastructure/green-infrastructure-partnerships-projects/gwent-green-grid-partnership/

Follow the Nature Isn’t Neat trail this spring

Five new nature-inspired mosaic artworks have appeared in green spaces across Gwent, inspiring people to think about the nature we can find in our communities.

The artworks have been developed by the Nature isn’t Neat project, which aims to raise awareness of the decline in pollinators and encourage local action, and create new meadows in towns and villages across Gwent.

This spring, why not try to find all five sculptures to complete the trail. The artworks are situated across Gwent, in Gilfach, Bargoed; Bryn Bach Park, Tredegar; Rogerstone Welfare Grounds, Rogerstone; Fairhill, Cwmbran and Bailey Park, Abergavenny.

Find and scan the QR code on each artwork and uncover hidden information about the plants and pollinators which inspired each sculpture.

Why not tag @NatureisntNeat on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and share the amazing plants and pollinators you find with everyone online?

The artworks were created over the summer of 2022, when Gwent communities were busy designing and building mosaic designs with artist Stephanie Roberts. The theme was to capture the beauty of nature found in local green spaces.

The mosaics celebrate the relationship between wildflowers, pollinators and people of Gwent. Each sculpture is inspired by a local plant and pollinator species, which can be seen in the mosaics.

Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, Cllr Catrin Maby said: “The new artworks are fantastic and provide a lasting testament to Nature Isn’t Neat and the positive effect its principles have had on wildlife and pollinators across Gwent.”

“The selective mowing approach that allows grasses and wildflowers to thrive for longer is supporting pollinators and a diverse range of wildlife generally. To have the community come together to help celebrate this through a community led artwork is truly wonderful.”

This community art project is supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Investing in Rural Areas and is funded by the Welsh Government’s Enabling of Natural Resources and Well-being Grant.

The Gwent Green Grid team is made up of officers from Monmouthshire County Council, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Caerphilly County Borough Council, Newport Council and Torfaen County Borough Council all working together with Natural Resources Wales, Forest Research and the Severn Wye Energy Agency as well. 

For more information about Nature Isn’t Neat visit www.monlife.co.uk/outdoor/nature-isnt-neat/community-artworks/Tags: abergavenny, Gwent Green Grid, MonLife, Monmouthshire, Nature Isn’t Neat, Sculpture Trail

Chepstow celebrations mark 10 years of the Wales Coast Path

Chepstow Riverside was the setting for celebrations marking the 10^th anniversary of the Wales Coast Path on Monday 27^th March. The event, attended by representatives of Monmouthshire County Council, Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales, highlighted the benefits of getting out and about and experiencing nature first-hand. Respected naturalist, conservationist and television presenter Iolo Williams was one of the guests of honour, along with former Bardd Cenedlaethol Cymru / National Poet of Wales, Ifor ap Glyn.

On the site, not far from Chepstow Bridge, Iolo unveiled a new sound box describing the many varieties of wildlife that can be encountered on the Wales Coast Path. Iolo has recorded three of the messages on the sound box and former National Poet of Wales Ifor ap Glyn has provided his poem Bendith Llwybr yr Arfordir (Wales Coast Path Blessing) for the audio presentation.  Walkers undertaking the coast path will be able to use the sound box to bring to life the rich diversity of wildlife they may spot along the way. The sound box has four messages in total, in both English and Welsh, and provides a more accessible way to hear information.  The messages can be changed as required to keep them fresh and relevant.

Artist Michael Johnson designed and made a pebble artwork for the Chepstow site that incorporates part of Ifor ap Glyn’s poem. Similar art work can be found in Flintshire.

Opening the event, Iolo Williams said: “I’m delighted to be invited along to help celebrate 10 years of the Wales Coast Path. Over the past decade, I have walked several sections of the path and the sheer variety of landscapes and wildlife never ceases to amaze me. The Covid lockdowns taught us just how important the natural world is for our physical and mental wellbeing and I hope this event encourages more people to get out and enjoy the natural wonders that Wales has to offer.”

Former National Poet Ifor ap Glyn said: “Although this event celebrates the beginning (and end!) of the path at Chepstow, walkers can create their own ‘beginnings’ and ‘ends’ anywhere they choose along the 870-mile length of the path. The important thing is to get out there and enjoy it.”

For the past year Monmouthshire County Council, Flintshire County Council and Natural Resources Wales have worked in partnership to improve the gateways of the Wales Coast Path route. Funding for the project has come from Welsh Government and local authorities. The project aims to bring together the north and south gateways so that people who walk the entire route will have a sense of connectivity, heritage and celebration in their significant achievement.

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet Member for Inclusive & Active Communities, said: “The Wales Coast Path provides an important opportunity to experience the beauty of the county and improve our well-being, both physical and mental. I would like to thank Natural Resources Wales, Flintshire County Council, Welsh Government, Ifor Ap Glyn, Iolo Williams, Chepstow Walkers Welcome and Lower Wye Ramblers for all coming together to celebrate the Wales Coast Path’s anniversary in Chepstow.”

Cllr. Catrin Maby, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & the Environment, said: “The addition of the new sound box to the Chepstow end of the coast path will enrich people’s experience of the journey and will raise awareness of the incredibly diversity of wildlife that can be found here. I hope that as many people as possible enjoy using the sound box and explore the coast path for themselves inspired by the information they hear.”

In addition to being the start of the Wales Coast Path, Chepstow is also the gateway to many other long distance paths such as Wye Valley Walk and Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail. 2023 also sees the launch of ‘Wales, by Trails’ – a year of trails – which the event also celebrated.

Chepstow Walker’s Welcome hosted a short ‘health walk’ to mark the event and promoted the forthcoming Walking Festival, which takes place on 12^th April. The Wye Valley Rambler were also at the event and hosted a longer walk. Both groups, Countryside Access staff, the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail and Wales Coast Path Regional officers were on hand to discuss volunteering opportunities and where to walk. Pupils from The Dell Primary School attended the event and presented Iolo Williams with a book they had made.

The Wales Coast Path, which is 870 miles in length, provides opportunities for the public to engage with biodiversity for their health and well-being. 

The event, held where seals and a Peregrine falcon can often be seen, also saw Nature Isn’t Neat, Gwent Green Grid and Living Levels carrying out activities for the public and local school children from The Dell Primary School in the town.

For information about the Wales Coast Path visit www.walescoastpath.gov.uk/

Important Turner painting of Chepstow Castle coming home

Thanks to funding secured from the Arts Council England / V&A Purchase Grant Fund and National Lottery support, Museums Association Beecroft Bequest, The Usk Valley Trust and MonLife museums’ acquisitions fund, a ‘local treasure’ – a painting by JMW Turner – will be coming home to Chepstow soon. Turner’s watercolour of Chepstow Castle is one of only two works by the artist known to capture the iconic view of the castle by the River Wye.

MonLife Heritage have acquired the beautiful landscape which will be on display in the summer at Chepstow Museum and it is hoped that as many local people as possible will visit to view the painting and be inspired by it.

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) is acknowledged as arguably the greatest of the British ‘Romantic’ artists, and is often referred to as “the painter of light” due to his ability to evocatively capture vibrant landscapes and seascapes on paper and on canvas.

The Chepstow Castle watercolour was painted in 1794 when Turner was just 19 years old and it is thought to have been created as a result of the artist’s first tour of South Wales. Once on display at Chepstow Museum, the painting will help tell the story of not only 18^th century Monmouthshire, but of Turner’s love of the county.

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet Member for Inclusive & Active Communities, said: “It’s fantastic news that the painting will be coming back to Chepstow where Turner painted it at the age of 19. It will become the jewel of Monmouthshire’s collection of paintings and drawings inspired by the Wye Valley. I hope today’s young artists will see it and be inspired. We had thought purchase of a significant artwork like this was out of reach, until generous funders stepped in to save the painting for the nation and for Monmouthshire.”

Turner’s painting will be display in Chepstow in the summer, in the meantime to find out about Monmouthshire museums and their current exhibitions visit https://www.monlife.co.uk/heritage/