MonLife Youth Service held its annual youth conference at County Hall, Usk, on Wednesday, 10th July.
The conference brought together 40 students from secondary schools across Monmouthshire, including King Henry VIII 3-19 School, Monmouth Comprehensive School, and Chepstow Comprehensive School. The activities and discussions were arranged around the results of this year’s Make Your Mark ballot.
The Make Your Mark ballot allowed young people across Monmouthshire to give feedback on issues they felt impacted their lives. Young people were provided with ten topics decided by feedback from young people across Monmouthshire.
This year, 2,112 young people aged 11-18 participated in the ballot, providing valuable insights into their top priorities. The results showed that the top three priorities are the cost of living (29%), mental health (15%), and transport (13%).
During the conference, participants had the opportunity to discuss these priorities with professionals from Mind Our Futures Gwent, mental health services, MCC’s Active Travel team, and MCC’s lead for tackling poverty. Throughout the day, they discussed with experts in each field and shared feedback on how the Youth Service and the council could support improvements in these areas for young people in Monmouthshire.
Attending the conference, Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Educations, Cllr Martyn Groucutt, said: “Seeing the young people engage with officers from across the council and partners provided our officers with great understanding on the top three topics from the Make Your Mark ballot. Taking park allowed me to get a better understanding of these issues. Thank you to the participants for their engagement. It was a fantastic day.
I look forward to seeing the continued work our Youth Service officers will do with the young people attending the conference and across the county.”
Cabinet Member for Equalities & Engagement, Cllr Angela Sandles, Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Martyn Groucutt and Chair of the Council, Cllr Su McConnell at the conference.
‘What Makes Monmouth, Monmouth’ exhibition is now at Monmouth Leisure Centre. As part of the exhibitions tour around Monmouth, residents and visitors can now view the collection at the Leisure Centre over the school summer holidays.
The exhibition will tour different community venues in Monmouth until March 2025.
A partner exhibition can also be seen at Monmouth Shire Hall until March 31, 2025.
The exhibition is part of Museum Services ‘Dynamic Collections: Opening the Box’ project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Residents from different local communities were invited to ‘open the box’ to the Shire Hall museum’s collection. They chose objects they thought told a story of Monmouth for them and gave their personal stories which are displayed in the ‘What makes Monmouth, Monmouth’ exhibition. The exhibition includes many objects, photographs and paintings that have never been displayed before, connecting us to our rich local history and culture.
Church Street embroidery, 2006 – will form part of the display
Alongside the exhibitions at the Leisure Centre and the Shire Hall this summer, MonLife Museum officers will also hold free family craft activities. The activities are available for all ages, so make this a summer of discovery and pop along to take part. Find out more here: www.monlife.co.uk/events/
Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Equalities and Engagement, Cllr Angela Sandles, said: “Thank you to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, donors to the museums, and our volunteers for making this project and exhibition possible. Showcasing the vast history of our towns is vitally important. Our team’s work, along with volunteers, is a true testament to their commitment to keeping local history alive. I’d urge everyone to come along to see ‘What Makes Monmouth, Monmouth’.”
The Shire Hall exhibition is open daily from 11 am to 4pm except for Wednesdays and Sundays (open Sundays during school summer holidays). The touring exhibition can be seen any time during open hours at Monmouth Library and Hwb, and after at Monmouth Leisure centre. Admission is free.
Monmouthshire County Council is delighted to announce that our attractions and open spaces continue to gather recognition, with the Green Flag Award.
Rogiet Countryside Park is the latest addition to our distinguished list of winners.
The Green Flag Award presentation was held on Tuesday 16 July, with Owen Derbyshire, CEO of Keep Wales Tidy, doing the honours.
Cllr Pete Strong was pleased to accept the award as Vice Chair of Monmouthshire County Council.
This award gives recognition to locations which offer excellent facilities and an ongoing commitment to great quality service.
Elsewhere in Monmouthshire, there were Green Flag Awards for
· Tintern Old Station – an award recipient since 2009
· Caldicot Castle and Country Park, honoured since 2013
· Castle Meadows in Abergavenny, since 2014
In addition, gardens and green spaces across the county have also been recognised with the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal achieving a Green Flag Award for the fourth year in a row and Busy Bees Garden in Monmouth also enjoying first-time success in achieving in the Green Flag Community Award.
Elsewhere in Monmouthshire, there were Green Flag Community Awards for:
· Bailey Park, Abergavenny
· Caerwent Meadows
· Caldicot Community Garden
· Crick Woodland
· Crick Meadow
· Crucorney Allotments
· Goytre Community Garden
· Incredible Edible Usk
· Laurie Jones Community Orchard
· Mardy Park
· Rogiet Wildlife Friendly Village
· The Cornfield.
Keep Wales Tidy administers the Green Flag Award program in Wales, with support from the Welsh Government. Independent experts in green spaces volunteered their expertise to evaluate the applicants against rigorous criteria such as biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management, and community involvement.
Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Equalities & Engagement, Angela Sandles, said: “This is a testament to the dedication and hard work of communities across Monmouthshire in creating and maintaining spaces that not only enhance our environment but also provide invaluable community assets for all to enjoy.
“Monmouthshire County Council extends heartfelt congratulations to all the award recipients and encourages everyone to explore and appreciate these exemplary green spaces that contribute to the beauty and vitality of our county.
“We invite everyone to come and experience the natural beauty and historical wonders that our award-winning parks have to offer.”
MonLife volunteers were the guests of honour at a recent celebration event held on Wednesday 5th June at Old Station Tintern as part of the UK-wide Volunteers Week. The event was held to thank volunteers, during the UK-wide celebration that shines a light on the incredible impact that volunteers make in our communities, and provide an opportunity for volunteers from different service areas to meet and share their valued experiences.
People of all ages volunteer throughout MonLife for various reasons, including gaining experience, building confidence, enjoying themselves, or helping others and their community. Many volunteers have gone on to full-time employment within Monmouthshire County Council services.
The Volunteer Celebration event was supported by local suppliers and supermarkets including: Cinder Hill Farms, Isabel’s Bakehouse, Wigmore’s Bakery, Waitrose, M&S and Tesco.
There are currently around 344 volunteers actively engaged with MonLife over the year, volunteering across 36 opportunities across all service areas. This equates to a total of more than 13,104.35 volunteer hours with a monetary value of more than £177,000.
When you volunteer, you can access a full training program, a complete induction, an assigned ‘buddy,’ and our online Volunteer Kenetic site. You will also have regular access to 1-2-1 or group support and an opportunity to meet new people from your area and across the county.
Last week, MonLife Sports Development Team hosted Primary school pupils from across Monmouthshire at their annual PlayMaker Conference.
The aim was to bring Monmouthshire’s young leaders together for training and to celebrate their leadership journeys. Around 750 children from 26 out of 30 Monmouthshire primary schools took part in a 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 and Newport County in the Community.
The events included developing play opportunities, promoting Active Travel, pupil voice, National Governing Body workshops, Team Building, Wellbeing awareness and many more.
The week-long programme of events received fantastic support from Caldicot, Chepstow and Monmouth Comprehensive Schools, who provided facilities for the events as well as Abergavenny Rugby Club and Abergavenny Bowls Club at Bailey Park.
The MonLife Sports Development Team has been delivering the Sports Leaders PlayMaker award throughout this academic year, engaging with all 30 Monmouthshire primary schools. After the pupils have achieved the award, they assist with providing a positive impact on wellbeing 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.
Across the week, 34 Leadership Academy volunteers supported the events, recording 156 hours between them. 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
We are focusing on active travel links between Llanfoist and Abergavenny, with our route designed around a new active travel bridge crossing the River Usk between Merthyr Road and Castle Meadows, and associated links for safer, more attractive and direct sustainable routes into Llanfoist and Abergavenny.
Monmouthshire County Council has secured £10.4m from Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund to develop the Abergavenny to Llanfoist Active Travel Scheme. Our construction partner for this scheme, Balfour Beatty, appointed under the SCAPE framework, will soon launch a scheme website – we will share the link here when it is available.
This scheme is a central priority for the development of Monmouthshire County Council’s Active Travel network, addressing the active travel severance point of the Merthyr Road bridge. This funding is bid for in a competitive national bidding process and once allocated is ring-fenced for this active travel project and cannot be spent on other projects, schemes or council services.
What is the change we expect to see?
Increase in active travel journeys in Abergavenny
Improved connectivity and accessibility for active travel trips in and between Llanfoist and Abergavenny
Improve actual and perceived levels of personal safety and security when walking and cycling
Promotion of sustainable travel as attractive and safe in Abergavenny and Llanfoist.
Video: Abergavenny Active Travel flythrough of scheme vision. Current construction is focused on delivering the active travel bridge.
Active travel bridge
Objectives of the active travel bridge scheme
Provision of a new walking, wheeling and cycling bridge crossing on the Usk between Llanfoist and Abergavenny, downriver of the Usk Bridge (Merthyr Road). The bridge will become the main river crossing for active travel between Llanfoist and Abergavenny, as an alternative to using the narrow footway over the existing road bridge and encourage modal shift as a result.
Identified issues for active travel between Llanfoist and Abergavenny on Merthyr Road
Merthyr Road/Usk Bridge has long been identified as a severance point for active travel, and MCC has prioritised the development of this route. The existing bridge over the River Usk provides a very narrow footway on one side and does not cater for cyclists. The road bridge is a listed structure that carries a heavy volume of road traffic. There is currently little scope physically, or with its listed status, to make it more welcoming or safe for active travel. The overall aim is to provide an alternative river crossing for active travel, and ensure effective connections from the bridges (new and existing) into the town centre, allowing healthy travel between homes and key destinations such as schools, Nevill Hall and the town centre.
Proposed Interventions – Active travel bridge
This scheme will construct a new 3m wide walking, wheeling and cycling bridge across the River Usk, linking Llanfoist to Castle Meadows, Abergavenny. The bridge will be made of a steel beam construction with wooden cladding to ensure that it fits in with the natural surrounding area. Ramps will be constructed to connect the bridge to the paths on Castle Meadows and footway on Merthyr Road, Llanfoist.
Construction of the bridge is planned to commence in early 2026, with phased work continuing into 2027. Planning permission was granted for the active travel bridge in 2018 as DM/2018/00408, with permission granted in 2025 for non-material amendment to include steel beam construction – planning number DM/2025/00507.
Image – Active travel bridge on pier downriver of the road bridge
Castle Meadows
Castle Meadows and Ysbyty Fields are important leisure areas for the community and are crossed by Public Rights of Way (PRoW) and National Cycle Network routes 42 and 46. Improvements to the surfacing of routes on Castle Meadows can support pedestrians and cyclists travelling between Llanfoist and Abergavenny, in combination with the new active travel bridge.
As the scheme progresses further work will identify possible upgrades to paths within the meadows with the current funding available. The full extent of paths with potential for upgrade on Castle Meadows gained planning permission in 2023, as planning application DM/2022/01831.
Objectives of the Castle Meadows scheme
The objectives of the scheme have been derived through identification of key issues (as summarised above), and also according to the objectives set by the MCC and national policy. The objectives are as follows:
Ensure connections from the town centre through Castle Meadows to Llanfoist are accessible, to allow people the option of alternatives to driving this route.
Increase the number of pedestrians and cyclists using Castle Meadows for commuting and leisure purposes;
Make a positive contribution to air quality by promoting active travel
No significant adverse impacts on environmental sensitive receptors during construction and operation, protect and enhance the historic, built and natural environmental including landscape and settlement character of the area.
Identified Issues on Castle Meadows
Inaccessible and unattractive route across road bridge causes restricted access to Castle Meadows.
Grasscrete paths: The existing grasscrete paths are in a poor state of repair and don’t comply with active travel guidance for path surfaces. They are uncomfortable and difficult for wheelchair / mobility chair users to use.
Restrictions at access points: A self-closing, latch-free gate has been trialled on the meadows for the last two years. The gate opens into the meadows, meaning cows cannot push the gate open and venture out. The existing wooden style kissing gates are restrictive to wheelchairs, mobility scooters, pushchairs, and cyclists gaining access to the meadows.
Proposed Interventions – Castle Meadows
The WelTAG (Wales Transport Appraisal Guidance) study of this area looked at ways to improve the provision for active travel on Castle Meadows. Following this study, MCC sought planning permission to upgrade all of the main paths on Castle Meadows, pending funding availability and to allow flexible planning as the bridge plans were developed. MCC does not plan to upgrade all paths within the planning agreement, but is working to include some paths within the current scheme of works.
Image: Artists impression of Castle Meadows paths. N.B. MCC does not plan to upgrade all paths within the planning agreement as part of the bridge construction works.
Llanfoist Links
This phase looks at route improvements focused on the Llanfoist side of the River Usk and connections to the active travel bridge and Castle Meadows. Elements of this broad scheme will be included in the construction works, with other sections being brought forward as and when funding allows.
Objectives of the Llanfoist Links scheme
Improve access to local services, employment, and cultural facilities by Active Travel modes by improving connectivity between Abergavenny and Llanfoist.
Promote and facilitate healthier lifestyles by increasing the number of pedestrians and cyclists using Merthyr Road and The Cutting for commuting purposes.
Make a positive contribution to air quality by promoting active travel in MCC and supporting the reduction of Carbon Dioxide around the Abergavenny / Llanfoist area.
Introduce safe and accessible active travel links and remove conflicts between users around the ‘Waitrose’ Roundabout.
Provide a coherent, direct, and future-proof cycle route which connects with the existing and planned active travel infrastructure.
Identified issues in active travel between Llanfoist and Merthyr Road Abergavenny
The existing road network in the area is extremely busy, making the environment unappealing for pedestrians, cyclists, and those with mobility impairments. Analysis of 2011 Census data identified that 15% of drivers in the area travel less than 2km and 8% between 2km and 5km. Some of these trips could be accommodated by Active Travel modes if adequate Non Motorised User infrastructure would be provided.
There are currently no off-road cycle facilities: as such cyclists have to use the existing carriageway/s to travel.
A lack of adequate crossing facilities at the ‘Waitrose’ roundabout.
At sections of the scheme, footways are narrow and sub-standard, forcing pedestrians into close proximity to the carriageway and traffic.
There are significant perceived road safety issues, particularly along Merthyr Road between the Bridge Inn pub and ‘Waitrose’ roundabout.
The Cutting is recognised as low traffic and, as such, has the potential to serve as a link from Merthyr Road to Llanfoist, but the current link route behind Waitrose Petrol Station is narrow and overgrown at points.
Proposed Interventions –Llanfoist Links
The Wales Transport Appraisal Guidance (WelTAG) study of this area looked at ways to improve the provision for active travel links between Llanfoist and Abergavenny and proposed the interventions below. Some interventions included on this list will be rolled out as development and construction funding becomes available, with others to be re-investigated once the bridge is constructed.
The widening of the existing footway along the eastern side of Merthyr Road between the Bridge Inn pub and ‘Waitrose’ Roundabout, to accommodate a 3.5m wide shared (pedestrian and cycle) route. To accommodate this proposal, on-street parking at this location will be removed.
The provision of new crossing facilities across three arms of Merthyr Road.
The widening of the existing footway along the eastern side of Merthyr Road between Waitrose Roundabout and the Heads of Valleys Slip Road / Merthyr Road Roundabout to the south to accommodate a 3.5m wide shared (pedestrian and cycle) route.
The widening of the existing footway along the eastern side of Merthyr Road between the Heads of Valleys Slip Road / Merthyr Road Roundabout and Gypsy Lane, to accommodate a 3.5m wide shared (pedestrian and cycle) route.
The provision of improved more direct crossing points across Coopers Way and the eastern and western arms of the Heads of Valleys Slip Road / Merthyr Road Roundabout.
The widening of the existing footway along the back edge of the car park located to the immediate north of ‘Waitrose’ Roundabout, to accommodate a 3.5m wide shared (pedestrian and cycle) route.
The widening of the existing footway along the back of Waitrose Petrol Station between ‘Waitrose Roundabout’ and The Cutting Heads of the Valleys Road underpass, to accommodate a 3.5m wide shared (pedestrian and cycle) route.
The promotion as a ‘Quiet Way’ (through additional signage and road markings) of The Cutting (without impacting the existing access and parking arrangements) between The Cutting Heads of the Valleys Road underpass and Merthyr Road to the south.
The improvement of the existing The Cutting and Merthyr Road priority junction arrangement.
Monmouthshire County Council’s Community Learning programme, which is part of the Greater Gwent Adult Learning Partnership, led by Coleg Gwent, received a glowing commendation after a recent Estyn inspection.
The council’s Community Learning programme offers a variety of opportunities for residents to learn new skills and build on existing ones.
Here in Monmouthshire, we have five Community Learning centres across the county, with various courses available. These include courses in Mathematics, English, IT, Arts & Crafts and English for learners.
Estyn, Wales’ education inspectorate, recently visited the partnership. The final report highlighted the transformative impact the partnerships’ work has on learners and the community.
Estyn’s report highlighted the profound impact of our programme on learners’ lives. When interviewed by inspectors, many learners shared heartfelt testimonials about how the programme has been a lifeline, especially during challenging circumstances. It has also boosted their confidence in developing digital skills.
A vital aspect of any Community Programme is the tutors. Estyn’s report praised the tutors’ dedication to creating an inclusive learning environment. The Community Learning team in Monmouthshire is dedicated to providing the best support to all learners. They aim to create an environment that will allow learners to improve their health and well-being while at the same time providing them with a place to learn and upskill their knowledge.
Our dedicated team has also been praised for its collaborative work in continuous improvement. The partnership was praised for its robust self-evaluation and quality improvement planning. All staff will carefully analyse all learners’ assessment data, monitor progress and provide opportunities for feedback throughout the learners’ journey.
Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Martyn Groucutt, said: “The Estyn report reflects the hard work and dedication our Community Learning programme officers carry out daily. I want to thank them all for their hard work. Every day, they provide opportunities for learners from Monmouthshire to learn new skills or upskill themselves in many topics. Education doesn’t stop in the classroom. If you want to learn new skills, please look at our Community Learning pages on the website for the latest course.”
Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Martyn Groucutt
As we celebrated the achievements of the council’s Community Learning programme as part of the Greater Gwent Adult Learning Partnership, led by Coleg Gwent, we also acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the learners. Their hard work allows our officers to continue to improve and provide new courses throughout the year.
If you’re interested in learning more about our Community Learning programme and the courses we offer, visit our website today: https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/communitylearning/
In 2020-2022, MonLife museums took part in a Collection Review Project. This allowed our museums to discover more about the objects within their collections and their connections, if any, to Monmouthshire’s story. The review was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the project has enabled officers to develop a more sustainable way of caring for collections. Within the project, some items have been identified as without a clear connection to Monmouthshire.
Over the last few years, a number of these items have been transferred to other museums and learning departments, including MonLife’s learning department. In 2022, the museum also used a public auction to move items, which was conducted under the Museums Association’s Code of Ethics. All money raised from the auction was then used to enhance the MonLife Museum’s collections and conservation work.
Following the success of the 2022 auction, the museum will now use a further public auction in line with the Museums Association’s Code of Ethics on the 3rd and 4th of May at the Salesroom, Pontrilas, under the supervision of Nigel Ward & Company.
Removing carefully chosen items from the collection is a vital part of our ongoing commitment to preserving the history of the people and places of Monmouthshire, making sure that the items we hold within the collection are relevant to local history.
The money raised from the auction will be used solely and directly to benefit the museum and its collections in the long term.
The enhancement of collection work continues in Monmouthshire, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. A full inventory of the Monmouth Museum’s local history collection is underway as part of the Dynamic Collections project. Why not take a look at the collections here: https://www.monlifecollections.co.uk/
Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Equalities and Engagement, Cllr Angela Sandles, said: “By carefully removing items from our collection, we can ensure that the collection is relevant to local history. Following industry standards, officers have identified items to be removed, which ensures we have space to store items of importance to Monmouthshire.”
Cabinet Member for Equalities and Engagement, Cllr Angela Sandles
Abergavenny Museum has unveiled a new exhibition to celebrate the largest salmon caught in Wales.
In 1782, a record-breaking fish was hauled from the River Usk, just a few miles downstream from County Hall, Usk. The salmon weighed 68 ½ pounds, the size of a small cow, and was approximately 1.5 metres in length! Incredibly, it was caught by two men balancing in their own coracles with a net in between.
To commemorate the occasion, an artist started working on a painting a few hours after the extraordinary catch. For the first time, the painting is now on display alongside another larger piece of artwork at Abergavenny Museum.
On Thursday, 25 April, Abergavenny Museum hosted a viewing for those who’ve been involved and contributed to the exhibition and project.
Monmouthshire County Council Chair Cllr Meirion Howells, Council Leader Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment Cllr Catrin Maby, Cabinet Member for Equalities and Engagement Cllr Angela Sandles
The new exhibition is a great way to discover more about the story of this catch and the history of the River Usk. Learn more about why we don’t see as many big fish in the river now and how we can work together to help the rivers thrive.
As part of the exhibition, you’ll hear from many passionate people about the rivers, hear their thoughts on what makes rivers unique and their vision for the future. Visitors will also have the opportunity to share their thoughts on important questions surrounding the future of our rivers.
Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Equalities and Engagement, Cllr Angela Sandles, said: “Having the Big Fish painting on show at Abergavenny Museum is fantastic. It allows us to celebrate this part of our rivers’ history and open up about our rivers’ future. If you have an interest in local rivers or a wider interest in local history, come along to our wonderful exhibition at Abergavenny Museum.”
A range of fascinating exhibits are displayed in the museum, and there is something for all ages. If you’re thinking of making this a family trip, you’ll be able to play salmon snakes and ladders, master a fishy jigsaw and take part in a quiz. There is also a challenge for you to leap as high as our Big Fish!
The Big Fish project will also see museum officers conduct school workshops on the history of the Big Fish, work with Welsh Water to host workshops on caring for our rivers and water quality and work with MonLife Countryside officers to host events.
The council is committed to building on the work of protecting the rivers that flow through the county. As the Big Fish project brings a historic event to the forefront, the council will continue its commitment to protect rivers for future generations, highlighting the changes needed to reduce the impact of climate change on the rivers.
Abergavenny Museum is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm.
Abergavenny Leisure Centre secured a podium spot in a national fitness challenge earlier this year, finishing third in Technogym’s Lets Move for a Better World 2024 Fitness Campaign.
The leisure centre saw off competition from all but two of the other 237 competing clubs.
760 of Abergavenny’s members and staff worked together to collect 1,304,579 MOVEs, Technogym’s metric for measuring physical activity, logged by gym equipment or GPS physical activity trackers such as a Garmin.
Abergavenny exceeded the 1,000,000 MOVEs threshold and received a Technogym Wellness Kit, which will be donated to the local Health Board to support the delivery of Exercise sessions for people living with Dementia and their carers.
The campaign, which is in its 10th year, had 107,808 participants and aimed to promote people’s health and physical activity.
Club member Denis Murphy collected the maximum possible 32000 MOVEs and credited the centre for their help in his recovery from a serious leg injury.
Monmouthshire County Council Cabinet Member for Equalities and Engagement, Cllr Angela Sandles, said: “It is wonderful to see the efforts of the members and staff at Abergavenny Leisure Centre.
“What an achievement and what a positive example to set.
“The benefits of keeping active are well-known and challenges like this can be fun too.”
More information about the campaign can be found at technogym.com/en-GB/lets-move/]technogym.com/en-GB/lets-move/
