So, what exactly is ‘Communities First’?
Communities First is the name given to the Welsh Assembly’s flagship project to improve approximately 100 areas across the whole of Wales. Glyncoch is very fortunate to be one of those selected, to have a team of people dedicated to improve the area over the next few years.

Is there a time limit?
Yes. At present Communities First is 3 years into a 10 year project. Continuation is subject to funding. This means that we need to start making progress NOW. This could be the only chance that Glyncoch will have a dedicated team to make substantial changes to improve the area. A number of projects take a long time to see through to the end and therefore it is extremely important to start now before it’s too late and a fantastic opportunity is lost.

What is that we’re here to improve?
Our job is extremely varied although our overall guidelines are to improve a number of factors within Glyncoch, these being:-
Crime and Safety
Health and Wellbeing
Employment and Business
Education and Training
Environment
Initiating an Active Community

How do we do this?
We can only achieve changes with (And this is the important bit!) YOUR help. Firstly, to make change, especially to an area, it can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for one person to achieve. Another difficulty is knowing the right person to speak to. At Communities First, we try and get all the people with the same concerns together, to work as a group, bring in specialist advice and assistance and ensure that the group work in partnership with the people that matter in order that the necessary changes can be made. However, it is important to note that Communities First work for the collective community of Glyncoch and are not able to assist individuals with their own personal issues.

Who do we work for?
The work of the Glyncoch Communities First Team are guided by those that join the Glyncoch Communities First Partnership and those that attend the regular Partnership meetings. Effectively, our manager is YOU, the residents of Glyncoch that get involved.
However, in order to for us to run efficiently, we also need a host body to provide us professional support. Therefore, the Communities First Team at Glyncoch are employed by Pontypridd and District Housing Association on behalf of the community. PDHA provides a ‘backbone’ of administrative support as well as information, professional guidance and ongoing line management support.

What is a ‘Partnership Meeting’?
Partnership meetings are regular meetings that discuss what is needed to improve the local area and is also an opportunity to feed back what is currently happening within Glyncoch. Together, all those that attend are known as the ‘Partnership’; This is made up of a mix of agencies, local businesses, authorities and (Most importantly), the local residents that want to see improvements to Glyncoch. The more residents, the better. Therefore, ANYONE who has a view on improving the area of Glyncoch is welcome and it is at these meetings that decide what we at the Communities First Team do. This is why we’ve recently had a number of meetings; we want you to tell us what you want us to do for you. We desperately need your input; how can we fix something, if we don’t know if its broken?
From knowing what is needed in Glyncoch and by bringing the right people together, we can hopefully then progress in getting results.

How can I get involved?
You can get involved as little or as much as you want! This can be from as simple as just telling us your ideas and/or views, or it could involve helping with any of our projects.

EVERYONE is welcome!

We’re extremely approachable so call, email, or visiting the office for a quick chat or even attend any of our advertised meetings. It’s totally up to you with absolutely no pressure but we can’t make any changes or improvements unless you tell us.