Road trip - Day two

Penywaun Enterprise Partnership

I was smiling to myself as I crossed the Severn bridge, it was a few years since I had been into Wales and memories of my one and only Friday night out in Cardiff were coming back to me. I can clearly remember my friend saying “Just remember to keep your gob shut if we run into any troublemakers- we’ll be alright as long as they don’t realise your English.’

Wales is such a beautiful country and I felt lucky to be alive as I drove through the valleys on my way to Aberdare. So many great views were lost to me as I whizzed past I decided to stop off briefly on my way back again to soak up some of the countryside.

This time, the free WiFi was going in to the Cana centre, headquarters of the Penywaun Enterprise Partnership. Gary Foreman of PEP tells us “From a needs perspective, Penywaun ranks as the second most disadvantaged ward in Wales”. The Penywaun and Trenant estates have had high unemployment, low averages incomes and many of the familiar social problems of council estates like this all over the country.

The PEP have made a real difference to the area, their achievements include:

The Refurbishment of the Cana Centre
Tackling Joy Riding
Creating 400+ gardens where the estate was once open plan
The Cana Afterschool Club
Partnership in the Ladder & Build-It Projects 
Serving as Lead Body for Communities First

The free WiFi is going to provide internet access to the IT suite they already have in place as well as enable the local community and after school club to get online. I am really pleased we have chosen this site, it is clearly going to be a lot of use to the community.

I packed up my gear and got out just in time. A frenzy of local school kids was rapidly amassing in the main room, many more running past me as I made for the door.