Brynmawr Welfare Park is set to receive a £750,000 investment to enhance its play and leisure facilities, and local people are being invited to help shape the plans.
The funding has been secured through the UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund and will help transform the park into an even better place for residents and families to enjoy.
The Council is gathering views through its new engagement platform, Get Involved Blaenau Gwent. Residents can complete a survey, contribute ideas via an interactive ideas board, and children and young people can even submit drawings showing what they would like to see in their park.
Blaenau Gwent Youth Service will be speaking with young people to gather their views, while the Play team will engage with children across the summer at open access play sessions. The Council will also work with groups that already use the park, local organisations and Brynmawr Town Council to ensure a wide range of voices are heard.
Councillor Sue Edmunds, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for the community not only to benefit from an exciting new play facility, but to help decide what it will look like. We want this investment to reflect what matters most to local people.
“This is a significant investment in Brynmawr, and we want people to think big and be ambitious. Tell us what you would like to see.
“Play is a vital part of childhood, supporting children’s development, wellbeing and happiness while helping them build important life skills. By creating safe, fun and inclusive spaces, we can ensure local families continue to enjoy the park for many years to come.
“We also recognise that the park is important to older children and young people, and we are committed to involving them in the process so they can help create a space that works for everyone.
“The park is also valued by people of all ages for leisure, recreation and wellbeing, so we want to hear from as many people as possible.”
Nick Smith MP said:
“This is a great example of what the UK Labour Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund is all about. It’s about investing in our towns and giving local people the chance to make the improvements they want to see in the places that matter most.
“This £750,000 investment in Brynmawr Welfare Park is fantastic news for the town. It’s a brilliant opportunity for everyone to come together and help shape a space that local children, families, and the whole community can enjoy for years to come. It’s exactly the kind of investment our area deserves.
“I encourage everyone to get involved, share their ideas and play their part in creating a park that Brynmawr can be proud of.”
Councillors for the Brynmawr ward, Wayne Hodgins, Jules Gardner and John Hill, welcomed the investment. They said:
“As councillors for Brynmawr we are delighted that the Welfare Park is having such a significant amount of funding invested in such a prominent play facility in our area. We want the public to get involved and decide what they would like the money spent on in the park, so we can make sure we have a first-class facility that benefits Brynmawr and surrounding areas.”
