UPDATE - NOVEMBER 2006

As a result of the Spinney open afternoon on Sunday 29th October, it became apparent that the majority of those that attended were opposed to some of the plans.

Therefore;

• Safe passage lighting will no longer be provided.
• No paving slabs of any kind will be used on the pathways, although alternative non slip surfaces are being investigated.
• 32% of the trees marked for removal have now been reprieved and will stay.  They can be identified by red and white tape wrapped around them.

The tree surgeons have been booked to commence work on Monday 27th November.  If anyone has any comment on the above, please let a member of the Residents Association or Spinney Committee know.

SUCCESS

This bit of news has been a little late in getting onto the website, so many of you may already be aware that the St. Mary Church Residents Association have been successful in being awarded a grant of £5,000 from the Kick Start II project.

The money is already in our bank account waiting to be spent.  This award means that we can now go ahead with the first phase of the ‘Spinney Project’, which will be sorting the trees out.  Because the village fundraising is going so well, we may well be able to carry on the work beyond the tree surgery and rotavate the ground below, preparing it for turfing.

Members of the St. Mary Church Committee have also been invited to a cheque presentation at the YMCA in Barry on 28th September, where the local press will be recording the event. 

Thank you to everyone who is supporting this project.

The Spinney Project’ Update - 10th July ‘06

Permission.
We have now formally received permission from the Church in writing to proceed with the plans to regenerate The Spinney.

Vale Centre for Voluntary Services.
The St. Mary Church Residents Association (St. MCRA) are now members of the Vale Centre for Voluntary Services (V.C.V.S.).  At the present this organisation is being very helpful in identifying possible grants we could apply for to fund the Spinney Project, and also checking our applications to make sure we have applied correctly.  By the St. MCRA having membership of this organisation, it means that any projects undertaken in the future will also benefit from their help.

RWE NPower.
On Thursday 1st June Richard Shaw a representative from Aberthaw Power Station visited the village and had a meeting with Melanie O’Neill.  RWE NPower had been approached by the Spinney Committee with a request fro help with funding.

He was very impressed by the idea behind the Spinney Project, and the fact that it fitted into their ideas of helping the local community around Aberthaw with environmental projects.  At a local level he was able to promise us funding for a weatherproof ‘history board’, such as the ones you see at the Welsh Folk Museum.  It would be located in the Spinney close to the Church, and would detail the history of the Church building and the village.

Aberthaw are involved with national grants schemes, especially those to do with the environment.  Richard Shaw will be getting back to Melanie with details of how to apply.

Kick Start II.
Our first grant application form went in on 27th June ’06.  We have applied for £5,000 from the Kick Start II fund, which is a new project grant.  The panel meet on 24th July ’06, and the letters to successful applicants are written and posted the next day!  The committee are quietly confident, but a collective village finger crossing on the 24th wouldn’t go amiss!!  £5,000 would enable us to start work on the Spinney once the birds have flown south for the winter, by removing tree’s.  As soon as we have heard how we have done, we will let you know via the website and the village notice board. 

Autoglass.
A village resident that has connections with Autoglass has passed on a sponsorship form that is part of the local community partnerships scheme that Autoglass are involved with.  The form has been returned and we await a response.  Any funding however small is always gratefully received.

Biffaward.
This grant application will be sent off soon.  The Biffaward is part of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.  It has been delayed whilst we await one last piece of information.  As said in the last update (10/05/06), this application form was very difficult and complicated to deal with, and this is why it has taken so long to complete, but we are nearly there!

Letter of Support.
Anyone who was at the Strawberry Cream Tea might have been accosted by Melanie O’Neill asking them to sign a community letter of support.  Despite its appearance it is not a petition.  Quite a lot of grants such as the Biffaward like to know that the community are supporting the project that they are being asked to fund.  Originally Melanie did ask many residents if they would write individual letters, but it soon became apparent that due to us having busy lives, the letter was not high on people’s agendas.  However, a solution was found whereby one statement of support was written and residents and members of the wider community could sign it.  This means that it can be photocopied for each application made, and it can be added to.  If you haven’t yet signed it and would like to, you can either call round to Llanfair House where it ‘lives’ or, it will be available to sign at the Boule Fight and BBQ on Saturday 22nd July.

Tree Felling.
As mentioned above, if we are successful in securing a sizable grant this year this will allow us to start felling trees in the centre of the Spinney.  The committee’s plan at the moment is to mark the trees to be removed and then invite residents to come and have a look.  Members of the committee will be in attendance in case of any queries/questions.  This will probably happen on one Sunday in October or November.

‘Boule Fight’ and BBQ.
For more information on this event, please click on Village Events page.

Spinney Project Committee Meeting.
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 6th September at Llanfair House.  Anything to be put before the committee can be introduced via a committee member or by email to ideas@stmarychurch.org.uk.