Cambrian Village Trust press release

An orchard and woodland are being created near to a community café as part of a second project by Transport for Wales (TfW) and the Cambrian Village Trust (CVT).

CVT has worked in partnership with a number of organisations to bring about long-term change in the area of health and well-being, active communities, outdoor education and the environment.

As part of this woodlands project, we’ll be creating a woodland and orchard near to the Trust’s existing site which will include accessible paths and benches for community groups to enjoy. The site will be used for educational learning purposes and focus on sensory planting to support CVT’s work with charities such as Sightlife.

Gavin Mcauley, Community Development Coordinator at CVT said, “The Trust has created a strong partnership with Transport for Wales and appreciate the support they have shown for our charity and our community.

We have already created an amazing outdoor space which helps to provide a much-needed resource to promote sustainable and healthier eating, well-being to our volunteers, staff and participants and improve nature and support biodiversity.

We are looking forward to the next chapter of our partnership with TfW as we create a woodland area, with beautiful fruit trees, seating area and accessible paths. The space will be used to improve the communities mental, emotional and physical health whist educating and informing them of environmental issues.”

Leyton Powell, Director for Safety and Sustainability for TfW, said: “The Coed Cymunedol project will help make woodlands more accessible and more resilient, supporting the health and well-being of communities and providing areas for increased wildlife biodiversity and connectivity. Projects like this are important to us at TfW, creating a more connected network means more than better transport options. By working closely with our communities, we can ensure that we’re building a network that Wales needs, deserves, and is fit for future generations.”

TfW and 11 community partners across Wales have been awarded £100,000 from The National Heritage Lottery Community Woodlands Scheme. The projects funded by this grant scheme will help to inform the Welsh Government’s thinking on the long-term development of the National Forest in Wales (NfW).

The nine-month project is a collaboration with organisations across Wales, made up of local councils, social enterprises and woodland and community charities. Together we’ll create new woodland sites and improve and enhance existing woodlands in nine areas across Wales.

The project is part of TfW’s wider programme of Coed Cymunedol, funded by the Community Woodlands scheme. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with the Welsh Government