Stalls, refreshments, toddler play area and much more.

Come along for an early morning woodland walk to greet the rising sun and celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day 2011.

An expert from the British Trust for Ornithology will be on hand to help identify the birds and their calls.
The entrance to Gethin Woodland is on the A470, at the Pentrebach roundabout. Turn right at the Forestry Commission sign and follow the track up to the car park.

This is a Free Event. No Need to book.

For further information: carys.solman@merthyr.gov.uk or 01685 726251

Maybe yourself or someone you know has been thinking of learning Welsh but are either too shy to register on a course or don’t want to commit to a college course.

For further information call the Welsh for Adults Centre on 01443 483600 or visit the website for full prospectus of courses.

Youngsters aged 16 and under and their families can enjoy free swimming, organised pool activities and free indoor activities in Rhondda Cynon Taf’s leisure centres from Monday, July 20-Friday, August 28, 2009.

From July 20-31 most centres will be offering free High 5 ‘dry side’ activities for families from 10am-5pm. Organised activities will then take place from August 3-28. They include football, badminton, tag rugby, short tennis, netball, basketball, indoor athletics, hockey and baseball. These sessions are for children aged between eight and 12 and places are based on a strictly first-come first-served basis. Pre-registration at reception is available.

Free swims will also be offered to all children and their parents from 11am-4.30pm, Monday to Friday, at all RCT pools.

Highlights of the summer programme at Aberdare Pool include free swimming lessons for beginners and improvers, as well as mini polo, snorkelling swimming lessons for children with disabilities, canoeing, rookie lifesaving, snooker, diving and scuba diving.

Hawthorn Pool is offering snorkelling, inflatable fun and swimming lessons, including new junior learn to swim classes in Welsh. Abercynon Sports Centre will offer learn to swim, snorkelling and rookie lifeguards. New classes on offer at Llantrisant Leisure Centre include kids’ basis self defence and circuits.

Activities on offer vary in each leisure centre and pool, so please contact your local centre to check what’s available and when.

Weather permitting, younger children can have a splashing time outdoors at Rhondda Cynon Taf’s paddling pools this summer. Parents can pack a picnic and take their children along to Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, Pontypridd, or the following paddling pools in the Cynon Valley – Abercynon, Aberdare Park, Brynifor, Cwmaman, Lee Gardens and Ynysybwl, or in the Rhondda – Gelli Galed, Maerdy, Penygraig, Pentre, Penrhys, Treherbert, Treorchy, Wattstown and Ynyscynon. Opening times are 10.30am-6.30pm, seven days a week.

A full day of events is being held this summer at the Rhondda Heritage Park to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Miner’s Strike.

The former Lewis Merthyr Colliery will play host to a day of nostalgia to remember the long, bitter months of the strike a quarter of a century ago, on Sunday June 21st from 11am to 5pm

The a fun-filled day will include a series of special events provided by choirs, brass bands, school children and theatre companies. This will mark the second annual “Lewis Merthyr Day” and organizers are hopeful that many former miners and their families will come along to share their memories of the 1984 strike.

Exhibitions of old photographs of the colliery will also be on show throughout the day, along with old film footage of the changing face of Rhondda’s coal industry. Many items were shown in a special exhibition at Maerdy Library but the demand was so great from the public to view them that it has been decided to put them on display again at the Rhondda Heritage Park.

It is also hoped that a march will be arranged for the many colliery banners to be displayed to the wider communities.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation Cllr Robert Bevan, who once worked at Lewis Merthyr Colliery, said: “Last year’s Lewis Merthyr Open Day was held to mark the 25th anniversary of the closure of the pit, so it just goes to show that only a few short months after this occurred the miners came out in strike against the widespread demise of their industry.

“Many of us have vivid memories of that struggle to save the very industry that created valleys like the Rhondda. This will be an opportunity to pay tribute to all those involved in the fight and to share memories of 25 years ago.

“With so many attractions on offer, including children’s activities, choirs, brass bands and the performing arts, we are certain there’ll be plenty of entertained guaranteed for everyone, regardless of their age.”

The 25th anniversary of the Miner’s Strike will take place on Sunday June 21st 2009. Admission is free. For further details contact Rhondda Heritage Park on 01443 682036.

Mining communities throughout the country fought hard during the prolonged period of strike to save their local colliery and images of those times are now being displayed in a village that suffered much of the brunt of the reasons behind the industrial action.

The exhibition of photographs and artefacts from that time will be displayed on Wednesday March 4th from 1pm to 5.15pm at Maerdy Library. The exhibition is free to attend and a warm welcome will be assured and refreshments will be provided.

This is an opportunity to commemorate the bitter fight to save Maerdy Colliery and the role that the miners and their wives and families all played in that struggle.

Although the main roads were clear for traffic, side streets and footpaths were difficult for both pedestrian and drivers.

One lucky person took to using a horse (see photos).

Penywaun Primary school and Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun were closed again today for the second day running.

More snow is expected to fall during the next few days.

Enjoy More Photos of the Penywaun Snow here.

Please Send Us Your Penywaun Snowy Photos using This Form

Richard Morgan also won the Award for Best Tournament Hyung and 6 months free lessons for winning Gold at the Traditional Tang Soo Do International Championships in May.

Morgan Abraham won the Penywaun Class Award for highest placed Penywaun student in the 2008 International Tang Soo Do Federation Champions League. This was a series of 4 rounds over the year in which students of all ages and ranks, gained points by competing against each other for the top spot of League Champion. Morgan, who won all his
sparring bouts, just missed out on an overall 3rd place tie by a bonus point.

The class currently has limited vacancies for the special rate class for children 6-10yrs at the Penywaun Community Centre, on Sundays at 4.30-6pm and Wednesdays 7-8.30pm.

For details or to book a place, contact Sian Moran 07593556268 or 01639 710595 or e-mail sian.moran@tangsoodo.co.uk

Enjoy Photos of some of the Penywaun Tang Soo Do groups in the Penywaun Gallery here.

When : Tuesday 3rd February, between 10.00am – 6.00pm

Where : Hirwaun Village Hall, High Street, Hirwaun, Aberdare

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You never know when you might need us.

Often such conflicts can be seen as a bit of a “joke” bringing to mind sketches of neighbours fighting over garden boundaries and the height of trees.

However, as officers working to resolve the issue and those affected by it can testify, the impact of a neighbourhood disagreement can be significant, not only on the parties involved, but also the surrounding community, who can be drawn in.

As such, anti-social behaviour officers have developed a unique approach that sees mediation, discussion and agreement between the involved parties and the use of new Good Neighbour Contracts in a bid to manage issues.

They specifically tackle cases that have been ongoing for some time and are having a disproportionate impact on the quality of life of not only those directly involved, but also those who live nearby and get drawn into conflicts.

Cases dealt with include personal disputes, allegations of racist behaviour, noise nuisance, environmental health issues and more.

Their approach has been designed as a last-ditch attempt to secure cooperation on both sides without using legal intervention or prosecution.

The officers organise mediation sessions with involved parties, either at a neutral venue or in one of the neighbour’s homes, in order to discuss and investigate issues. They then get both sides to agree to a Good Neighbour Contract, which sets out the behaviour and responses expected from both sides in order to manage the issue and stop conflict.

While no one expects the neighbours to leave as best friends with the issue completely resolved, the best expectation is to ensure they agree to disagree and behave, and deal with arising issues, in a set way that reduces disorder and disruption.

Cllr John David, joint chair of the Community Safety Partnership and Cabinet Member for Communities, explained: “Often, neighbour disputes can be seen as a bit of a joke, bringing to mind comic images of fights over garden boundaries or barking dogs.

“But the fact is such disagreements occur across RCT and have a significant impact on the lives of not only neighbours, but also those in the surrounding community.

“No one expects everyone to be best friends with their neighbour, but there are certain standards of behaviour – and responses to issues – that we would expect.

“The mediation and conflict resolution work we are doing helps to set those standards and is often seen as a last resort before legal intervention. The contracts have made a difference to the quality of life of those who are involved and we hope this continues.”

Chief Inspector Richard Erskine, who heads Community Safety across RCT for South Wales Police, added: “Often, these conflicts are on the verge of needing legal intervention, which could include the charge and prosecution of one of both parties.

“We do not want that to happen and use the skills of the anti-social behaviour officers to see if we can work with those involved to bring about a resolution and acceptance that may not be achieved via court-issued punishments.

“This work is an important example of the innovation being used across the Community Safety Partnership as we work to deliver appropriate and effective solutions to quality of life issues.”

Those affected by such an issue are urged to raise it via their local neighbourhood policing team, housing officer, social worker or councillor.”