Over 450,000 people live in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Area. Well-being is about quality of life, and how that is connected to the environment, the economy, the services we need and the culture we share. Many things have shaped our communities and our well-being-such as industrial heritage, the landscape and shared interests in sport and the arts, giving a rich history and future opportunity. These can be considered as social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors.

Our Well-being Assessment provides the evidence base for this Well-being Plan, the data and information gathered has been used alongside what local communities and people have told us about life in Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 

The overarching theme of our Well-being Plan is ‘A More Equal Cwm Taf Morgannwg’ and that drives every aspect of the Public Services Board’s work. 

Have your say by completing our survey by 10 February 2023, available in English and Welsh

The 2020 – 21 Annual Report is also available here.

Now we have launched an online interactive map.  We would like you to help us understand where you would like to see more trees planted in your communities by dropping a pin on the map. Whilst zooming in on the map to view a locality, you can overlay the map  of you area with several data layers at the click of a button.  We hope this will provide some useful information. The information gathered from this will be used to see where it may be possible to plant trees and we will work with landowners to see what is allowable and possible.  You can access the Map via our National Forest dedicated webpage National Forest for Wales | GOV.WALES

We will work together with landowners from cities, towns as well as rural areas to see how we can grow and develop the National Forest for Wales. 

Find out more about how you can get involved here

All of this work has pulled together into our draft assessment of well-being, and summary fact sheets:

• Cwm Taf Morgannwg
• Our Community
• Cultural Well-being
• Economic Well-being
• Environmental Well-being
• Social Well-being – Homes and Homelessness
• Social Well-being – Mental Health
• Social Well-being – Physical Health

We want to hear your thoughts! There's more information and link to the survey HERE

Considerable work has been undertaken on the preparation of this RLDP since then and this throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic and the associated restrictions had a detrimental effect on the preparation of these initial stages of the revision.

As a result, regrettably, we have been unable to meet the deadline of publishing our Preferred Strategy of the RLDP in November 2021, as is set out in the formal Delivery Agreement. Solutions have been considered in depth to address this.

Proposed RCT Revised Local Development Plan 2022 – 2037

Accordingly, the most appropriate solution has been proposed (but not yet fully agreed by RCT), to stop the preparation of the current RLDP and to begin preparation of a new Revised LDP. This would have a 15-year plan period from 2022 to 2037.

In order to do this, we need to prepare a new Delivery Agreement. A Delivery Agreement sets out a timetable for the plans production, including when we will consult stakeholders at various stages and a Community Involvement Scheme, which tells you how we will consult you. We have prepared a Draft Delivery Agreement for the proposed RLDP 2022 – 2037.

We would welcome comments on any part of the Delivery Agreement over the next three weeks, and request that you please submit any comment by email to this address (LDP@rctcbc.gov.uk) by 5pm on the 23^rd of February 2022.

The Draft Delivery Agreement can be viewed on our webpage at the following location:

www.rctcbc.gov.uk/RevisedLocalDevelopmentPlanConsultation

There is further information on that webpage on how we have reached this decision, along with some initial guidance on Candidate Sites and work done to date. This also sets out further decision making requirements.

If you no longer wish to be contacted about the Local Development Plan please email LDP@rctcbc.gov.uk to be removed from our consultation list. Please note being removed from this list means you will no longer be contacted about any aspect of the Local Development Plan.As you may be aware, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council began preparing a Revised Local Development Plan (RLDP) in September 2020.

Considerable work has been undertaken on the preparation of this RLDP since then and this throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the pandemic and the associated restrictions had a detrimental effect on the preparation of these initial stages of the revision.

As a result, regrettably, we have been unable to meet the deadline of publishing our Preferred Strategy of the RLDP in November 2021, as is set out in the formal Delivery Agreement. Solutions have been considered in depth to address this.

‘Action for Nature’ focuses on actions needed to help wildlife to thrive in Rhondda Cynon Taf,  and includes a huge amount of information about the habitats and species that make RCT so special.

1. ‘How can I help?’ and has some suggested actions for a variety of different groups of people.
2. There are general actions that apply to all habitats and species,
3. habitat actions for grasslands, freshwater, woodlands, the valleyside habitats and urban areas.  
4. There is also a section on species.

The draft has been prepared by the RCT Local Nature Partnership and has involved many local naturalists, community organisations and voluntary conservation groups as well as staff from the Council and Natural Resources Wales.   The website will update the original (2000) and the 2008 review of Action for Nature, available on the Council’s website.

If you have comments on the draft ‘Action for Nature’, please email Rose Revera r.revera@npt.gov.uk by 11^th March 2022

Wellbeing is about quality of life, and how that is connected to the environment, the economy, the services we need and the culture we share.

But it is very different for each of us. 

Bridgend and Cwm Taf Public Services Boards want to hear your thoughts to help us to work better together on the things which matter most to us all.

You can complete an online questionnaire here https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CTMPSB/

If you would like more information, would like a printed questionnaire or would like us to come to talk to your community group please contact us on via a contact form, email PSB@bridgend.gov.uk 

You can find out more about the Public Services Boards from

https://www.bridgend.gov.uk/my-council/working-together/bridgend-public-services-board/

http://www.ourcwmtaf.wales/

We’re asking residents, workers and visitors to help us make Merthyr Tydfil one of the easiest places to cycle or walk to where you want to get, rather than using the car.

Please help us finalise our new Active Travel Network Map.

The consultation is live until December 6 and can be accessed here: https://merthyrtydfil2.commonplace.is/

Information about the Eisteddfod can be seen in Welsh and English on our website www.eisteddfodyrhondda.cymru

The Eisteddfod can be contacted over email EisteddfodYRhondda@gmail.com or over social media Facebook || Twitter|| Instagram

Our communities have seen and experienced a lot since our last assessment was published in 2017 so it’s really important that we use this time to have conversations that matter, and that we find out what matters to our communities – especially around their economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being.

We’re challenging ourselves to involve our citizens much more in this Assessment, and we’re lucky to have support from Co-Production Network Wales to help with this, starting with ‘100 days of engagement’. We want to hear about our communities' experiences, current needs and aspirations for the future.

We’re also working with Cwm Taf Morganwwg Regional Partnership Board  to produce their Assessment of Local Need. By working together with our residents and community groups, we can listen to and understand our communities’ needs, and then recommend to Welsh Government what health, social care and well-being services are needed or need to be improved over the next five years (2023-2028).

We’d love for you to get involved: click here to find out more and how you can join us and for updates on our work together.

We are looking for an energetic and enthusiastic individual who is unphased by working under pressure and to tight deadlines; with a good eye for detail, enabling delivery of this emerging programme of work with excellence.  You must have very well-developed negotiation, communication and coordination skills, and understand the intricacies of service provision for people facing complex social issues.

For the full job description, person specification and application form, please click on the below link.

Job Vacancies - VAMT Merthyr Tydfil

It is important to be aware of the lesser - known signs of cancer and to contact your doctor if something isn’t right.

Contacting your doctor early can mean that health problems are easier to treat. If you know someone who hasn’t been feeling right, tell them to contact their doctor too. Sometimes a little nudge can be really helpful.

If you would like to talk to one of our Cwm Taf Cancer Champions about cancer symptoms and what to do if you notice them, please head to the Cwm Taf Cancer Champion Facebook page www.facebook.com/CwmTafCancerChampions

A new website for the Cwm Taf Morgannwg (CTM) Regional Partnership Board (RPB) is live today.

The CTM RPB brings together partners from health, social care, the third sector, education, housing and the private sector to tackle health inequalities and improve health, social care and wellbeing services.

The website has been developed with local residents and organisations, and aims to provide a platform for people across Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf to be informed on, inspired by and involved with the RPB ’s work.

Priority areas for the CTM RPB  include people with learning disabilities; people with physical disabilities and sensory impairments; unpaid carers; people with mental health problems; autistic people; young people and children and older people.

The RPB partners work together to look at how services and support can be accelerated and improved for these groups, so they have better wellbeing and health outcomes.

To support this, every five years the RPB undertakes a regional Population Needs Assessment, which guides what services are needed, and the range and level of services required to meet that need.

To ensure this  work genuinely captures local people’s voices, the assessment will be developed in partnership with community groups, organisations and residents across Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The website will play an important role in updating people on the progress of this work, and informing them how they can get involved.

The website also aims to celebrate the great work taking place across the region.

The CTM RPB administers and manages funding programmes, including £12m of Integrated Care Fund and £7m of Transformation Programme funding. 

The Transformation Programme includes seven health and social care projects across the region, employing 260 people across Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil.

The Integrated Care Fund supports 68 projects, ranging from community hubs to an Assisted Play programme for vulnerable children.

Over the COVID-19 pandemic, the Regional Partnership Board has also been supporting the Welsh Government’s ‘Test, Trace and Protect’ strategy, bringing together partners in the NHS, local authorities and the third sector to find ways to provide support to communities.

Underpinning all of this work is the Research, Innovation and Improvement Co-Ordination Hub, which identifies, aligns and co-ordinates innovative services and projects, to improve services, avoid duplication and enable sharing of good practice.

The new website is launched as Councillor Chris Davies joins as Chair, and Luke Takeuchi, joins as Vice Chair.

Councillor Chris Davies, who is also Deputy Leader with Portfolio for Social Services at Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council said:

“I am delighted to join as Chair of the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Regional Partnership Board. By working together as partners, organisations and residents, we can secure the best health and wellbeing outcomes for our communities across Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

“We are lucky to have so many passionate partners around the RPB table who work tirelessly to support their local communities.

“However, we know there are many people who are not yet engaged with our work, who may want to share their thoughts and experiences with us. We hope this website will help us reach out into our communities so we can ensure as many people as possible are heard.

“The website is just one space. We know from talking with our communities and partners, that many people like to participate in other ways, such as at events. We will ensure there’s lots of opportunities for people to get involved, so nobody is left out.”

Luke Takeuchi, who is also Chief Executive of RHA Housing Association in Rhondda Cynon Taf added:

“I am so pleased to be Vice Chair of the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Regional Partnership Board, and to launch our new website today.

“Listening to and involving communities in our work is so important, and we are all responsible as members of the community to look at how we can make the region a great place to live and work.

“We know that a person’s home can have a huge influence on their mental health and wellbeing, so working together will help us bridge the gap between health, housing and social care, and ensure we are genuinely making a difference to people’s lives.

“Housing associations in Wales offer a number of services including specialist homes so people can live independently, and projects that help people stay active in their communities.

“We are looking forward to looking at how we can create more opportunities for people to live happily and independently for as long as possible.”

To stay informed about the CTM Regional Partnership Board’s work, click here.

We have started to think about what this will mean for the Council and for the County Borough in our draft Climate Change strategy which you can find here.  You can find more information about some of the work the Council is already doing, in the Climate Change Cabinet Steering Group.

We are now starting a Climate Conversation to help to shape and develop the plans that will help to achieve both of the Council’s Climate goals.  We would love you to get involved and to hear your views.

If you have ideas about how we can do more to tackle Climate Change within any of our services, please let us know here

If you would like to comment on our plans so far, tell us what would benefit your family or community or to tell us what is happening in your community please join in our Climate Conversation at https://lets-talk.rctcbc.gov.uk/

The website is compatible with all devices that are running the latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

To take part, click here

The Children's Commissioner for Wales wants to listen to how you feel about staying at home.

This survey has been written to listen to your experiences.

For more information and to complete the survey, click here. 

Note: the survey closes 29 January 2021

People are warned to be alert to these scams.

More information is available on this guidance and poster

We are looking to recruit a team of five community champions to help us with a new study called TIC-TOC: a new study that involves a six-month public campaign to raise awareness of vague cancer symptoms and support people to seek advice from their GP with these symptoms.

For details on the role and how to apply, please click here

For more information (e.g. regarding the role, reimbursement for your time, etc) contact Gwenllian Moody on moodyg@cardiff.ac.uk

There are lots of different opportunities available at the moment ranging from, administration, gardening, driving, telephone befriending to retail.

If you're looking to gain some experience in any of the above then volunteering is a great way to start. It looks great on your CV and you also gain some skills and experience along the way. All organisations that are looking for volunteers at present are operating following Covid-19 guidelines so all safety measures are in place for you to start on your volunteering journey