Hendy

Both Sides Of The Bridge

I can’t believe how quick the year has gone by? It is one year since the launch of “both sides”. With Christmas almost upon us yet again, if you would like to purchase some Christmas cards and help raise more funds for the Hendy pool campaign, then please ring Vernon on 01792 885116. Local artist Heather Hopkin kindly donated two of her paintings which enabled us to make a superb set of xmas cards.

There’s a feasibility study taking place for Hendy Pool and park area, the committee would like to thank all the individuals and organisations that are taking part in this study. Throughout this news letter there will be more news and activities of our campaign. We are still looking for old photos so please dig deep in your old albums, we would love to share some of your fond memories. Photos can be scanned into the computers by visiting Dragons Web.

I am pleased to be able to contribute once again to this cross border newsletter. Following the August attack on Mr Peter Matthews in Pontarddulais I feel that I have to address youth issues and update you on recent developments.

Firstly I have to stress that the vast majority of young people in both Pontarddulais and Hendy are thoroughly respectable and law abiding. It is unfortunate that a very small minority see fit to disregard the acceptable norms of law and order.

Since the above incident the Town Council has been in dialogue with the City and County of Swansea’s Youth Service with a view to engaging with the young people of the town and reviewing the existing youth facilities within the community. The police have been undertaking an aggressive policy towards youth annoyance and have undertaken many successful drug raids in the area. It is also pleasing to note that both South Wales Police and Dyfed Powys Police have been co-operating on cross border issues. We as a Town Council are in dialogue with the police to see what resources we can provide to assist them in policing the area. I hope that in a future issue of the newsletter I shall be in a position to update you on progress made.

In conclusion I must stress that Pontarddulais is not the town depicted by some sections of the media and does not have, and never has had any “no go” areas.

The campaign to save the pool continues, since the last edition of “both sides” the committee have met with the county council officers and the pool campaign continues in a Positive Manner.

The committee have won a grant of £9,500 to pay for a feasibility study and have chosen Hyder Consulting Ltd, to conduct this Study and business plan. Consultation has already started with various groups and will continue with the youth of the community, Carmarthen County Council; Youth Service has teamed up with the pool committee and the local community policing team to fetch a youth bus to Hendy. The mobile youth club bus made its first visit to Hendy on Monday the 12^th November and I’m pleased to say twelve young people turned up. It will be there every Monday evening for the next two months.

Previous consultation has been conducted locally with the help of the Wales Scouting movement who celebrated 100 years this year. Pontarddulais Comprehensive School has also helped, with 99 pupils completing a survey for the scouts and 65 adults also filled in a survey conducted by the scouts. The Wales Scouting movement have won lottery funding and there’s a good possibility that Pontarddulais and Hendy might receive a small share of some of this funding. We hope you find the fact sheet about scouts and their 100 year history interesting. Because their study covered existing youth facilities in the community it has been shared with the Hendy Pool consultants. Here are some of those interesting Scout facts.

During last month there was a survey conducted in Hendy, and the Fforest. The local Post Offices kindly helped by allowing collection boxes to be placed on their counters. For every thirteen houses that received the questionnaire only one household took the time to complete the surveys and to pop them to one of the post offices.

We can now reveal the results of the surveys 65 responded for the Scouts questionnaire of which 59 felt scouts could benefit the community. Only 36 felt that the younger generation currently have an active role in the community and 60 out of 65 felt there was a youth problem in the community.

The views of the residents of the village are strongly in favour of a post code change, with 74.5% of the returned forms in favour of a change, but what is clear is that people felt that insurance companies penalised them for having a Swansea post code, with comments about this issue from both those in favour and against the post code change.

There were also comments from people against a change of the SA4 on the grounds of costs, but not against the use of Carmarthenshire instead of Swansea as the Postal Town. Results have now been given to Nia Griffith MP who said

“I will tell the Royal Mail about the results and ask them about using Carmarthenshire instead of Swansea as well as the SA4 code. In the meantime I will continue to take up the issue of disadvantage with insurance companies. If you have direct experience of being penalised for having the SA4 postcode, please get in touch.

Grant Awards

The Pool committee has won a grant from C.A.V.S www.cavs.org.uk (Carmarthenshire Association of Volunteer Services). The grant was awarded to develop a web site for ‘Both Sides’ and Hendy Pool. We’ve found several old photos from 1932 and 1933 and these will be added to the web site, plus some local users of the lido’s have provided photos and stories about their fond memories, if you have a photo of the pool or a story that you would like to share on the web site then please contact us at slloydjanes@aol.com or pop your photo to Dragons Web who will scan them into digital form.

The Wheatsheaf Pontarddulais has live entertainment every Friday evening. On Sunday evenings they have karaoke and bingo. Their newly opened garden café is open for breakfasts and lunches from 9am till 2pm, telephone 01792 884748

The Red Lion Hendy, will have live entertainment and Karaoke on alternative Friday nights and they are organising a pool tournament with ££££ prizes. Telephone 01792 883989

The Christmas Lights Ceremony

The Pontarddulais & Hendy Christmas Lights will be switched on by Father Christmas, who will be visiting both Hendy and Pontarddulais on Friday 7th December, 2007.

Father Christmas will arrive at Hendy Square to help switch on the lights at 6 p.m.

Glynhir Road near Dantwyn Square – approx. 7.15 p.m.

The Grotto at the St. John Ambulance Hall will be open from 6.30 p.m. onwards. Admission is Free. This event has been supported by the Llwynhendy Community Police Blue Light Fund.

Nia Griffith MP and Alun Davies AM, will be joining Llanedi Community Councillors for the switch-on of the Christmas lights at Hendy Square, followed by a “NEW EVENT” they will be switching on lights in the FFOREST, before going onto Tycroes and Llanedi.

The 40th Carnival will take place on 28th June, 2008, if anyone has photographs of the early carnivals during the 60’s & 70's, please could we borrow them for scanning, in order to put up a small display during the carnival. Please contact Celia on 01792 883337 for further details. All photographs will be returned

The local Neighbourhood Police Team for Hendy, are WPC 138 Jane MacDonald and PCSO 8041 Stephen Lloyd, while WPC Hayley Oliver and PSCO Tom Edwards are also part of the team and cover the Llwynhendy area. Contact 0845 330 2000 and ask for one of the above who will return calls, if you have an issue that you want to share with the community police team but you don’t wish to phone, then please use their new service.

Each Post Office has a community box which is emptied regularly. Simply put your comments or views onto paper and place into one of the boxes at Hendy or the Fforest. The local team have organised Blue Light Discos in the Llanelli area and they have just supported Santa’s Grotto organised by the Hendy and Pontarddulais Christmas light festival with a donation of £50 from the blue light fund

If you would like to advertise in future editions of the magazine and the new web site then contact us at slloydjanes@aol.com or any other member of the editorial team ......

Grant Awards

The Christmas Lights Ceremony

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