Children in the most deprived area in Wales have been busy taking part in a range of sport, multimedia and art activities over the summer holidays.
A holiday timetable of free activities has been launched by Caerphilly County Borough Council to transform the lives of young people living in Lansbury Park, Caerphilly.
Lansbury Park has a population of around 1,500 and forms part of the St James ward, which was ranked as the most deprived area in Wales in the 2014 Welsh Index of Deprivation.
Young people in the community have been getting involved in a wide-ranging variety of activities, including the likes of archery, arts and crafts, film making, gaming, cycle maintenance and music sessions.
The council’s Sports Development team are also offering a number of sessions during the summer scheme, including involving an inflatable rugby pitch.
Sessions are being held at St James’ Primary School and Van Community Centre between 11am and 3pm on Monday to Thursday each week until Thursday August 31.
The scheme has been organised through the Communities First and Flying Start teams on the council, and has been supported by energy provider E.ON with a £5,000 donation.
E.ON is currently working with Caerphilly County Borough Council to carry out energy efficiency works as part of the authority’s £220 million Welsh Housing Quality Standard programme which will see all council-owned homes in the borough brought up to a specific set of standards by 2020.
Around 320 council homes on the Lansbury Park estate will get an external facelift as they’re fitted with new external cladding that will help insulate homes and save energy.
Nigel Dewbery, Director of Obligation Delivery from E.ON’s energy efficiency team, said: “Energy efficiency and fun aren’t often mentioned in the same sentence but while our work on the Lansbury Estate is hopefully improving homes and reducing parents’ energy bills we can also help keep the kids amused – dare I say with some energetic activities over the summer.”
On Thursday August 3, 45 youngsters from Lansbury Park were taken to the Street Games Multi-Sport Festival of Wales in Cardiff as part of the summer scheme, which offered young people over 40 different sporting activities to try.
Cllr Lisa Phipps, Cabinet Member for Homes and Places, added: “The summer holiday scheme forms part of the council’s wider efforts to transform Lansbury Park and the lives of its residents.
“As well as helping us engage with the local community, the summer scheme will also provide much needed diversionary activities for young people over the school holiday period.
“We are very grateful to E.ON for their support in helping us deliver such a wide range of activities and events.”
To find out more about the Lansbury Park summer scheme contact the Communities First team at Caerphilly County Borough Council on 01443 864139 or email commfirst@caerphilly.gov.uk.
Perhaps teaching these young people a skill, like plumbing, carpentry or mechanics would be a better use of resources than playing FIFA – oh but it’s organised by communities first who wouldn’t know a radical forward thinking idea if it smacked them in the face.