Shining a Light on the Landscape of Sustainability

We recognise that this past year has been hard for many, so with this in mind, we’d like to promote some other incredible initiatives working to create stronger, cleaner, and more sustainable communities. Each month we will be promoting a location that is home to one of our repair cafés, celebrating the many other inspirational, forward thinking organisations that strive to make Wales, and the world, a better place.

This month we are showcasing Llantwit Major, the town in the Vale of Glamorgan that is home to a beach brimming with Jurassic fossils! Whilst the dinosaurs once made their impact on the gigantic cliff faces of Llantwit, leaving a wealth of fossil hunting fun in their path, the people of this coastal town are now looking for new ways to create their own positive impact on their local environment, creating climate friendly and community driven fun for their future generations.

Plant Llantwit

Plant Llantwit is a community action group on a mission to revive waste ground by planting trees and hedgerows, yet, the project was initially halted by the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Whilst still encouraging the people of Llantwit to plant trees where and when they can, they have also created a community allotment where people can grow their own food and learn how to cultivate healthy biodiversity, promoting the importance of caring for wildlife and pollinators amongst their natural habitat. Helping their community reconnect with their natural environment, and encouraging people to learn new skills, this community group are creating activities which will in turn, support the development of good mental health and well-being for those involved. Regularly hosting Community Allotment Open Days and Mass Planting events, there is so much for you to get involved in here.

To find out more about Plant Llantwit and how you could get involved, you can visit their Facebook page here.

Llantwit Major Gardening Volunteer Project

The Llantwit Major Garden Volunteering Project was established to support elderly and vulnerable residents who had been targeted by rogue traders and overcharged for gardening work that was often below standard. Set up in 2019 by the Vale of Glamorgan Neighbourhood Policing Team in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Housing Community Investment and Involvement Team, the project offers lawn mowing, hedge trimming and green waste removal services to those eligible in the area, providing huge relief for local people and their families, whilst enhancing the local environment and creating a sense of community cohesion. Led by volunteers of all different ages and backgrounds who are provided with training to undertake this important work, this project managed to reduce the instances involving rogue traders by 80% in 2019 and was shortlisted for the 2021 Tilley Awards in the Neighbourhoods category at the beginning of this year. Pretty incredible stuff! Llantwit Major Gardening Volunteer Project are coming up with new ideas all the time, and are currently asking for two litre plastic bottles to build two brilliant greenhouses, so if you do have any of those lying around, why not pop them down and see how you can get involved?

To find out more about the Llantwit Major Gardening Volunteer Project, you can follow their progress through the South Wales Police Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Facebook page here.

Foodshare Llantwit Major

Based in the CF61 building every Thursday between 1:00pm and 2:00pm, Foodshare Llantwit Major aim to tackle the issue of food waste and food poverty in one. Taking donations of food from supermarket surplus produce, from Fareshare Cymru and from the Need to Feed, alongside any other local donations, this initiative has become hugely successful and is often showcasing fridges and shelves overflowing with the most fantastic foodstuffs on their social media. The most recent offerings include apples from the local community orchard, runner beans and rhubarb from a local allotment, fresh parsley and mint from the CF61 herb garden and if you’re extra lucky, sometimes you can even pick up the most beautiful flower bouquets with your food! Run by volunteers, and with an ethos all about sharing, it is hardly surprising to see this organisation also encouraging and advertising other likeminded initiatives all over their socials, so pop by and take a look to see what you can find.

To find out more about Foodshare Llantwit Major, and how you can get involved or donate, you can visit their Facebook page here.

Llantwit Major Christmas Committee

Okay, so nobody wants to think about Christmas in September, right? Well, whilst we may not be quite ready for all the tinsel, turkey and trimmings, the wonderful Llantwit Major Christmas Committee is busy planning the most fantastic community driven Christmas for the people of Llantwit. Lantern parades, workshops and Christmas stalls in town and online are all in the pipeline ready for when you are. Even more amazingly, this committee does everything with an ethos of repair, reuse, recycle. Santa arrives with his presents wrapped in fully recyclable wrapping paper, whilst committee members put upcycling at the centre of the decoration designs, using old picture frames to wrap their fairy lights around, and old steel rods and chicken wire to make a life size reindeer! Even Santa’s special master keys are decorated in eco-glitter. Last year, the Llantwit Major Christmas Committee were still working hard in January collecting used Christmas trees and distributing them to a group of alpacas who apparently love to eat and roll around in them! This committee even brought Christmas to the alpacas! Made possible only by the good will and hard work of a few volunteers, this fantastic community group is bringing climate friendly Christmas cheer to the people of Llantwit, so why not get yourself on the nice list early and see how you could get involved?

To find out more about Llantwit Major Christmas Committee and how you can get involved, you can visit their Facebook page here.