CHAIR’S FOREWORD
Over yet another challenging year, communities across Bannau Brycheiniog National Park have continued to impress and inspire us with their creativity and resilience. Despite everything, local people and groups – volunteers in the main – have worked tirelessly to develop and safeguard community halls and services, they have run health and wellbeing programmes, promoted local heritage and tackled energy efficiency and climate change. With the support of the Sustainable Development Fund, they have brought
forward and delivered a wide range of projects that collectively make a huge contribution to the quality of our day to day lives – you can read more about them in this report. It has been a privilege to witness all this creativity and commitment and it has made my role as Chair of the Sustainable Development Fund Committee hugely enjoyable and rewarding. My thanks and admiration to you all.
The Fund couldn’t operate without the dedicated support of its Officers. We are hugely grateful to Helen Roderick and Ceri Bevan, who have worked closely with applicants to offer all the help they can and signpost to other experts and guidance when needed. We were very sad this year to have to say goodbye to Ceri, who left the National Park Authority after many years’ service – she was highly regarded by both colleagues and communities, and we wish her every success in her new role.
We were delighted though to welcome two new Officers to the Sustainable Communities Team – Barbara Anglezarke, Sustainable Development Fund Officer and Ben Geeson-Brown, Sustainable Communities Officer and Ceri’s successor. We look forward to working with them over the coming year.
Sincere thanks are due too to my fellow Committee Members, whose enthusiasm and commitment have continued, despite only being able to see and work with each other virtually. Your knowledge, skills and experience are invaluable.
We hope that you enjoy reading about the projects supported by the Fund – if you are inspired by them and have ideas of your own, we would love to hear from you – please get in touch with Fund Officers.
Cllr Michael J Jones,
Sustainable Development Fund Chair