Cwmtyleri: new gardening project to bring back nature
Cwmtyleri residents are being invited to join an exciting event taking place at the community cafe Caffi Tyleri next week, celebrating the launch of a new community gardening project for the area.
Hosted by social enterprise Pentref Tyleri, the event (Friday 31st January 12pm - 6pm) will introduce a new ‘Postcode Gardener’ to Cwmtyleri – Jamie Thomas – who will work with the community to encourage nature back into the area and support people and wildlife to thrive.
The new role has been secured as part of a scheme being rolled out by Friends of the Earth and The Co-operative Bank, which seeks to rejuvenate over 1,000 neglected spaces across England and Wales and bring communities with little access to nature closer to the health and wellbeing benefits it can provide.
In November Cwmtyleri was badly impacted by Storm Bert, after torrential rain caused a landslide from a nearby coal tip, damaging properties and gardens. This brought the community together and sparked conversations about climate change, and how harnessing nature can offer solutions to protect against the impacts of extreme weather events. A recently created community wetland in Cwmtyleri was resilient in the face of flooding throughout Storm Bert, and many locals have expressed interest in future community-led nature projects to mitigate the effects of climate change in similar ways.
As the second Welsh Postcode Gardener, Jamie will oversee a two-year project with Pentref Tyleri which aims to increase biodiversity in Cwmtyleri. From early 2025, Jamie will be starting work on three ‘statement’ projects in key locations, which are still to be determined in consultation with the community. This will hopefullyIt is hoped that through the project, lead to o other greening will be encouraged around in the area with the help of the community, such as raised beds, planters, vegetable patches, wildflowers and tree-planting.
Jamie will also be launching a community composting scheme to encourage local people to recycle their food and garden waste, which he hopes will provide free, high-quality compost for residents’ gardens. And he is keen to collaborate with Blaenau Gwent Food Partnership and local schools on a ‘lawn to loaf’ scheme. Such a project would see wheat planted alongside other crops across the valley to teach students how bread is made – from the growing of the wheat to the baking of the loaf.
Jamie Thomas, Postcode Gardener for Cwmtyleri, said:
“Gardening has always been in my life - I grew up working on the community allotments with my dad. Since working in various green roles at Pentref Tyleri, I’ve acquired many valuable gardening skills and have only deepened my appreciation for the outdoors and natural spaces. When you’re so immersed in nature every day, it’s hard not to fall in love with it.
“I can’t wait for these forgotten green spaces to be given a new lease of life. It’ll be amazing to see them brimming with wildlife and becoming havens the whole community can enjoy.
“It’s not just about making the spaces look nicer, it’s also about creating places that bring people together and serve the needs of the community.”
Vast differences in access to nature are felt across the UK, with some of the most marginalised communities, including people of colour and those on lower incomes, being disproportionately affected by lack of access to green spaces. Cwmtyleri was identified as an area where the community would greatly benefit from a greener environment. While the surrounding hills have experienced some green recovery since the closure of the coal pits, the area’s more urban green spaces have been neglected.
By reclaiming and nurturing public areas for community growing, it’s hoped that the new Postcode Gardener can help to unlock the many advantages of greener neighbourhoods. Not only do they support wildlife to flourish and thrive - providing more habitats for animals and attracting much-needed pollinators into urban areas - they also help to reduce air pollution and protect communities from the impacts of climate change. What’s more, nature is known to have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing.
Friday’s event will be an opportunity to bring together the people of Cwmtyleri for a shared experience of gardening, learning and community celebration in the face of recent challenges.
The day will consist of a nature and art workshop and an introduction to the Cwmtyleri Composting Club, and will also feature an interactive wall map of Cwmtyleri which local residents will be invited to mark with areas they think should be greened or improved. Hot drinks and winter soup will also be provided.
Catherine Douglas, Chief People Officer at The Co-operative Bank, said:
“We’re thrilled to expand our work with Friends of the Earth into Wales, taking positive steps to reverse the decline in biodiversity in communities across the country.
“Protecting the natural world has been at the heart of The Co-operative Bank’s unique, customer-led Ethical Policy for over 30 years, driven by our customers’ concerns for biodiversity and the environment.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the community in Cwmtyleri benefit from the Postcode Gardener scheme. We hope it will create meaningful, lasting change in their community.”
Rianna Gargiulo, Postcode Gardener programme lead at Friends of the Earth, said:
“It’s really exciting to be embedding a new Postcode Gardener in Cwmtyleri, which we’ve identified as one of the areas that would most benefit from this initiative nationwide.
“We’re thrilled to see our pioneering Postcode Gardeners programme expanding to new locations around the country with support from The Co-operative Bank, and to Cwmtyleri with our local delivery partners Pentref Tyleri. Bit by bit, we hope to rejuvenate 1,000 depleted spaces nationwide, reconnecting communities with nature and each other.
“Making Blaenau Gwent a little greener brings us one step closer to building the healthier, happier and more harmonious world we know to be possible.”
ENDS