we are pleased to say that after a very long , wet end of summer, with more than our fair share of storms and rain, even for this part of the world, the long awaited pergola/sensory/seating and planting area with our interpretation of a puzzle wall built in has finally been completed. I must admit I sat out there the other day (when we had a rare bit of sunshine ) and it was lovely and relaxing. I cant wait for the plants to be installed and watch them grow into the space. As you can imagine the ground around it is currently a bit churned up and muddy, but this will be ok once the grass has had a chance to grow back.

This funding from Change x has so far enabled us to tidy up and make more inviting and welcoming, for users the outside areas of the community centre, engage more help from the user groups, and attract additional user groups to use the centre. This has been a major starting point in regenerating our building and outside space and the immediate area surrounding the centre. We have also set up a small book swap area and a notice board for swapping recipes and items for free.

After what has seemed like an age, we finally had a few days of sunny, dry weather to complete the first stage. The bright playful murals have been completed and are waiting to be used. I am sure they are going to be a big hit with the young, and not so young, members of our community. The second stage of the shared notice board for recipes etc will be installed as soon as possible.

We are a bit late starting after some issues with the bank to access the funding. This has now been resolved and we have started the project by jet/steam washing the area before the artwork starts. Thank you change x! It looks so much better already.

Quick update.... Hopefully we have now dotted all the i s and crossed all the ts ... Just waiting for confirmation that the funding we need to start this project is in the bank and we can start to transform our outside space into something brighter and more welcoming.... Starting with these bits!... We already have some ideas, but nothing is set in stone yet so are open to more suggestions.

Main goal of project: To Rejuvenate and Reunify, by making the most of a unique space in order enable the local community to better participate in shared experiential educational opportunities at Dyfatty and Greenhill community centre. We intend bringing new energy, more cultural diversity, and fun to empower all to interact with each other to bring about a brighter future for everyone.
Action Plan: Our plan is to fully utilize the outdoor space adding vibrant additions, to create a welcoming impression, encourage social interaction and a sense of community belonging. Provide a wide variety of experiences that are accessible and attractive to all.
Our ideas: after initial consultations with team members and a few people from the user’ groups.
1) Stepping stones and fun educational murals on the paved flooring around the outside of the building. The children, young people and their parents and care givers will be involved in the design process.
2) a large pergola in the garden area with sensory and edible planting and seating areas, where people can relax, play, and learn from each other. All ages, backgrounds and abilities will be encouraged and empowered to participate in all stages of this. Our aim is to encourage more culturally diverse groups to take part.
3) A large menu board in the kitchen area and online where everyone can share their favourite recipes and tips. Again, all will be involved, and we want to extend this to cooking sessions soon.

Budget and timescale: We are now looking at the costs and timescales for each of these ideas. when we have got costings, we will look at our Design options keeping the Budget in mind! We anticipate that our costs will be mainly for materials, artists fees, additional community consultations and design ideas and we will strive to be cost effective and environmentally responsible wherever possible. We hope to get our project started right away with the floor puzzles and murals (weather permitting) and the menu board being completed by January 2023 and the garden area being completed by the end of March 2023.
Expected Impact: This will allow us to proceed with our plan in reunification in our community which will encourage family time and learning via experiential and shared learning, as a friends and family rather than individually. Our current user groups will be empowered to take more ownership of the centre and we aim to attract additional groups and individuals from a the wider community to utilise the facilities the centre has to offer. This will benefit our community greatly especially as the area we are in is currently a high priority area with poverty and social isolation being high on the list.
COVID and other safety Plans:
We will follow the risk assessments and guidelines for community centres that have already been set by the local council. Any additional assessments needed will be undertaken. All safety protocols will be followed by the group.
We are very excited with this opportunity of Seed Funding as this will be a great kick start to our community’s wellbeing and facilities and will be a great addition for all involved.