‘We’re a community that looks out for each other’
A COMMUNITY CENTRE IN SOUTH WALES IS PROVIDING VITAL SUPPORT FOR LOCAL PEOPLE, THANKS TO FUNDING YOU RAISE BY PLAYING THE HEALTH LOTTERY
THE AFAN VALLEY near Port Talbot is a beautiful place to live, but it’s not without its problems, as resident Simon Matthews knows only too well.
“We live in a beautiful village and we do see a lot of tourism,” he says. “We’ve got mountain biking trails and a lovely country park. But it’s an ageing and declining population, with few job opportunit i es. At t he height of coal mining, 3,000 people lived here; now it’s 1,300.
“Over the past few years, though, we’ve seen retired people moving to the scenery and the friendliness.” ling isolation and loneliness. learning difficulties and mental health.
RESILIENT
“It’s a close community and we’re quite resilient, but there’s a lot of deprivation. The nearest town is six miles away and there’s inadequate public transport,” says Simon. “People are limited by when they can get to work, or have trouble getting to hospital appointments.” The closure of the local school was another blow for the community,
But people like Simon understand what their communities need – and how to wisely spend the money they get. Thanks to £15,000 of funding from People’s Health Trust, they now have a project worker to organise activities for those who need them, including a Men’s Shed, aerobics and dance classes, and a children’s cinema.
VOLUNTEERS
“During the Covid pandemic, a group of volunteers set up a befriending and shopping service, open to anyone who was isolating or had no family or friends nearby to help them out,” says Simon.
“Now we offer coffee mornings, a we haven’t seen someone for two or three days, they’ll ask around and then contact them. We’re a community that looks out for each other.
“Some families are feeling depressed from being at home for so long, and some have lost their jobs. So now the cost-of-living crisis has hit, they’re really struggling.”
The community is facing tough times, but without the People’s Health Trust grant things would be even tougher. “It’s making a massive difference,” says Simon. “Of course you might win when you play The Health Lottery, but even if you don’t, that money is helping us target additional activities where they’re needed, supporting people’s mental
The community is facing tough times, but without the People’s Health Trust grant things would be even tougher Simon Matthews