Transport for Wales (TfW) have unveiled a new initiative for new trees to be planted in areas across Merthyr Tydfil through a new community partnership between the rail operator, The Good Friendship Group and The Engine House, Dowlais, and the volunteers of St Davids Church Merthyr.
The Good Friendship Group, along with St Davids Church group, are volunteers undertaking work to support older people in Merthyr Borough, including St. David’s Church gardens. The Dowlais Engine House, which has around 25,000 square meters of land, actively supports young people in the local community.
As part of TfW’s Coed Cymunedol–Community Woodlands project, TfW and The Good Friendship / Church Group are working to plant a border of native trees along the Church grounds and woodland and wildflower planting in centre of Merthyr. The woodland areas in Engine House grounds will then be enhanced through the development work of The Good Friendship Group, with Engine House.
Janet Morgan, The Good Friendship Group Leader, said:
“All the groups working within the project in Merthyr support and promote biodiversity. Working with TfW will encourage younger and older members of the community to use the areas for activities that promote working together to increase health and well-being within Merthyr Tydfil. We look forward to the great opportunities the project will stimulate for our futures.”
The National Lottery Heritage Fund Community Woodlands Scheme has recently awarded the TfW and 11 community partners across Wales £100,000, to fund various projects. Those that are being funded through this scheme will aid in the Welsh Government’s long-term development of the National Forest in Wales (NfW). This project comes as a nine-month collaboration to create new woodland sites and enhance the woodlands across nine areas across Wales.
Leyton Powell, Director for Safety and Sustainability for TfW, said:
“The Coed Cymunedol project will help make woodlands more accessible and more resilient, supporting the health and well-being of communities and providing areas for increased wildlife biodiversity and connectivity. Projects like this are important to us at TfW, creating a more connected network means more than better transport options. By working closely with our communities, we can ensure that we’re building a network that Wales needs, deserves, and is fit for future generations.”
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