S4C AND RADIO CYMRU
COMING TO PARTI PONTY 2004
Make a note of the date - Saturday 03/07/04 – Parti Ponty 2004 in partnership with BBC Radio Cymru, S4C, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Council, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin and every local school. Once again the party will be held in Ynys Angharad Park, Pontypridd and there will be large and small stages, stands, a climbing wall, a fair, sport and play facilities, a paddling pool, food and much, much more. I understand that the craft stalls will be there once again and there has been mention of the WDA’s Food and Agriculture Fair including a sheep show. We are starting to register the stands now and are looking for community entertainment items to add to the groups who will be performing on the day. Hopefully you will have received forms before you see this article but if you haven’t contact the office on 01443 226386 and we will make a note of your contribution to the day.

STAFF CHANGES
Several staff members have left us – congratulations to Helen Davies – Menter Iaith Caerdydd, Glesni Roberts – Prysg Translation Service, Hannah Bevan – Penarth School for Children with Special Needs and Cerian Davies who is travelling Europe over the summer before going to Swansea University. In addition Vicky Pugh has begun her maternity leave and we wish her all the best. Therefore just at the moment we are not half the Menter that we were a few weeks ago!
This means that we are looking for new staff and you are welcome to contact me about the following posts.
1. Youth Liaison Officer / Full time post for the duration of maternity leave £16,000 pro rata working from our CIC youth work unit in Aberdâr.
2. Clerical Assistant £9,620 pro rata, 15 hours per week, working from our CIC youth work unit in Aberdâr.
3. Child Services Co-ordinator £16,000pa working from any of our offices in Llantrisant, Aberdâr or Treorci with responsibility for our care clubs and summer play services.
Everyone must undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check. These posts are available now so contact me immediately if you are interested. We should also very shortly receive confirmation that funding has been authorised for clerical staff in Treorci for a Communities First Project and a Business Co-ordinatior in Aberdâr to arrange Cwlwm Busnes y Cymoedd and enterprise courses and we will again be looking for staff at that point.

CHILDRENS’ SERVICES CONTINUE
TO GROW
Many thanks to all the Menter Iaith care club leaders who have taken on new responsibilities through organising staff rotas and Care Standards Agency inspections. Several clubs have already had successful inspections and numbers are rising in every one of the clubs slowly but surely. 190 children attend these clubs every day of the week at the moment to enjoy sports, cookery, dance mats, computer games, McDonalds Happy Meals, swimming and much more. Everyone is welcome to these schemes – it’s an opportunity for children to play not just a service for parents who work and it would appear that the Welsh of the children who attend regularly also benefits.

16 people were successful in interviews for work with these services in April and another 16 are expected to be interviewed on Monday evening the 17th of May in Llantrisant or Tuesday evening 18th of May in Aberdâr. If you are interested give me a ring on 07976 167086 and I’ll send a form out to arrange an interview. Everyone must undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check, provide appropriate references fill in the forms and undertake to complete any necessary training to do the work.

HOLIDAY PLAY SCHEMES
Yes, we will be holding play schemes over the Whitsun holidays although a number of children will be going away to the Anglsey Urdd Eisteddfod this year. Schemes will be run at Bronllwyn, Abercynon, Llanhari a Rhydfelen by our care club staff and the Criw Coch. Everyone is welcome at these schemes – again it’s an opportunity to play not just a service for parents who work and it would appear that the Welsh of the children who attend regularly also benefits. Forms will be going out in the post but details are available by phoning 01443 226386. It is possible to arrange a place for your child over the phone and to pay by credit card in order to confirm a place. I’m afraid that we are not able to keep places without payment and we are not able to give refunds if we do not receive sufficient notice of you requirements.
DOING BUSINESS
There will be a Cwlwm Busnes evening “Hollywood, Bollywood a Valleywood” on Tuesday evening 25th May 2004 at the Valleys Enterprise Centre, Navigation Park, Abercynon with Berwyn Rowlands from Sgrin and Gary Slaymaker the film reviewer for S4C. The evening will look at the development of the new ‘Stiwdio’r Ddraig’ film studio at Llanharan and the relationship of Wales to the film world in general. Everyone is welcome – the evening begins at 6.15pm with a buffet and entry is free. We live in hope of a few good jokes as well.
Arrangements are also underway for a business expansion course with Guto Bebb during the month of June but again we are awaiting confirmation that the funding is available. Guto runs night school courses for people who either have or who want to establish a new business that deal with the mysteries of business plans, VAT, employment and such matters. If you are interested let the office in Aberdâr know on 01685 877183.
Many people have already phoned that number to receive bilingual ‘Open/Closed’ signs to put up in shops or offices. If you have a suitable home for one you are welcome to have one as well. They raise the profile of the Welsh language and it’s great to see them on show the length and breadth of Wales by now. There are so many of them in Treorci that I heard a child say to its mother “Look mum. There’s another Ar Agor. They are everywhere!”

COFFEE MORNINGS FOR ALL – NOT JUST WELSH LEARNERS
It was strange to receive a query from Welsh speakers about whether they might go to the Welsh learners’ coffee mornings. Of course Welsh speakers are very welcome indeed. Giving learners and Welsh speakers the opportunity to meet is the whole point, in fact the corner stone of the organisation CYD. So a warm welcome to all. Coffee mornings are held at 11.15am on Mondays at Tŷ Teifi, Maerdy. 11.00am Tuesdays at the Museum Café Aberdâr. 11.30am Tuesday at the Community Centre Penrhiwceibr. 1.00pm Tuesday at Capel Salem Llwynypia. 11.30am Wednesday at the Bowling Centre at Aberpennar. 12.00pm Thursday, the Muni, Pontypridd and 10.30am on Friday at the Butchers, Llantrisant. These coffee mornings are good places to hear about the work of the Menter, including Cwlwm Busnes y Cymoedd, the Welsh Voluntary Organisations Forum in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Parti Ponty, child services and Communities First. In truth you can get as much information informally as you can in a meeting – more sometimes!
We are trying to re-establish our small grants scheme for Welsh learners in Rhondda Cynon Taf – if you work for a company or agency that can afford to contribute £1,000 towards sponsoring individual learners by helping with the cost of their lessons, travelling cost, learning materials etc give us a call on 07976 167086. This is not a great deal of money to a company in truth but it can make a lot of difference to someone who wants to learn Welsh.

CIC OFFERS DRAMA, DANCE, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTIERS
CIC is flourishing at the moment with several new drama and dance companies working towards performing at Parti Ponty. The XL clubs arrange trips of all kinds and activities. Sixth forms socialise in Welsh. High School pupils who are studying Welsh as a second language organise Welsh language clubs in English medium junior schools. Sometimes we just know that something is succeeding and the organisers here deserve great praise. Full details are available from Amy Davies on 01686 882299.
The phone numbers for the Urdd Centre and CIC are the same of course. The partnership between CIC, the Urdd, the Menter and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Council is a great success for all of the partners.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS
It is still possible for bands to join in. The regional round will be held in the Pop Factory on Saturday 19th June 2004 under the supervision of Ian Saunders Menter Iaith Merthyr. It seems that at least two bands from Rhondda Cynon Taf will be performing in addition to a number of groups from neighbouring counties. Several groups will go on to the national competition and one lucky group will get to make a video, a CD and perform live at the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol in Newport this year. The groups will also have an opportunity to perform at Parti Ponty so everyone will be a winner. The competition is sponsored by the Welsh Language Board and Radio Cymru – another example of a very successful partnership.

Steffan Webb
Chief Executive Menter Iaith