- Area:
- Wales
- Programme:
- The Peoples Millions
- Release date:
- 24 3 2009
Undefeated World Super Middleweight Champion and the longest reigning world titleholder in boxing history, Joe Calzaghe, today officially opened a garden of remembrance for a community in Rhondda Cynon Taff.
On Tuesday March 24 (today) Joe Calzaghe CBE was joined by members of the community and the Lord Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan, Mrs Kathrin (Kate) Thomas C.V.O., to celebrate the official opening of the ‘Calon Lan’ (Pure Heart) Garden of Remembrance at Bryncynon Healthy Living Centre in Matthewstown, Mountain Ash. To mark the occasion, the boxing champion unveiled a plaque to officially open the garden and planted a tree with Councillor Albert Davies MBE (The media are welcome at the event. See end of release for picture, interview and filming opportunities).
In 2007, The ‘Calon Lan’ (Pure Heart) project, run by the Bryncynon Community Revival Strategy Ltd, won a £49,100 slice of good cause cash from the Big Lottery Fund’s regional People’s Millions contest, which opened for applications again last week. ITV Wales Tonight viewers voted for the project to win the award after a nail biting head-to-head contest for community votes screened on the regional news programme.
The money has been used to create a special garden of remembrance, which provides comfort and solace for local people who have lost loved ones. As well as enabling people to take advanatge of the fantastic views of the valley, the once derelict piece of land adjacent to the centre boasts new benches, plants, sculptures, artwork and water features, providing an open-air sanctuary for the community.
The project is helping people like Maria Joszko to deal with her grief. On 28th June 2007, her 28 year old brother, Corporal Paul Joszko, 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh (The Royal Regiment of Wales), was killed, along with two other soldiers, when an improvised roadside bomb exploded while he was on patrol in Basra, South East Iraq.
The new garden has a plaque to remember service personnel who have lost their lives on duty and Paul’s name has been etched into the plaque, providing Maria with a place to come to remember her brother.
“I lost a much loved brother while he was on duty in Iraq,” explained Maria.
“We had so many good times together and now it’s nice to see a plaque here- he should be remembered. To have a memorial for me means so much in respect of my brother and everyone else who have lost their lives."
Janice Morgan is another member of the community who is proud of the project. In April 2007, she lost her 41-year-old son, Stephen David Griffiths, to cancer: “He was a loving son and brother and it gives me a lot of comfort to bring my grandchildren here so they can enjoy and reflect on their dad,” explained Janice.
“To have the garden to reflect on my son helps us as a family to pull us together to get over our grief.”
Delighted with the garden, the Chairperson for the Bryncynon Community Revival Strategy, Councillor Albie Davies MBE, said: “We are one people, one community and the loss of one is the concern of all. Nearly one million pounds of funding from the Big Lottery Fund has been spent over the years on transforming the building into a fabulous community centre. And now, money through The People’s Millions competition, combined with additional contributions from the Welsh Church Act Fund and the Edward Lear Fund administered by Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council, has enabled us to provide an equally fitting garden for the community to make this place even more special. I would like to congratulate everyone involved with the project on all their hard work.”
Highlighting the importance of Big Lottery Fund money to the project, Wales Committee Member, Gareth Newton, who attended the event, said: “Through The People’s Millions competition, the public expressed their enthusiastic support for this fantastic local project which means so much to so many people. The project has now become a reality and will benefit the community for years to come.
“This exciting competition, which puts Lottery spending in the hands of the voting public, is open for applications again this year. We are urging community projects to go for gold, just like the Calon Lan (Pure Heart) project did two years ago.”
Entry packs for The People’s Millions are available from today by calling the hotline: 08450 10 11 12 or by visiting www.peoplesmillions.org.uk. The deadline for applications is 15 May 2009.
Further Information
Big Lottery Fund Press Officer- Oswyn Hughes: 02920 678 207
Out of Hours contact: 07760 171 431
ITV Wales Press Contact: Sarah Drew on 08448 810 202
Full details of People’s Millions projects can be found at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/peoplesmillions
Picture, filming and interview opportunities:
Event: Joe Calzaghe launches the Calon Lan (Pure Heart) Garden of Remembrance.
Date and time: 13:45pm – 16:30pm Tuesday March 24, 2009
Location: The Feel Good Factory, Bryncynon Healthy Living Centre, Abercynon Road, Matthewstown, Mountain Ash CF45 4XZ
Photocall/ Filming: Joe Calzaghe, representatives of the project and the BIG Lottery Fund will be available for filming, interviewing and photographic opportunities during and following the event. Commissioned photos of the launch are also available on request from the Big Lottery Fund press office- free of charge.
Notes to Editors
Key People’s Millions dates for forward planning diaries:
- 15 May 2009: Closing date for applications
- 28 October 2009: Final project shortlist announced to the media
- 23-26 November 2009: People's Millions competition televised on ITV
- Since the launch of People’s Millions in 2005, the aim of the contest has been to fund projects that improve the quality of life of local communities through transforming the local environment.
- Telephone voting numbers – As with previous years, ITV and the Big Lottery Fund will use a low cost telephone number. ITV and Big do not make a profit from the voting telephone numbers.
- In Wales, the Big Lottery Fund is rolling out close to £1 million a week in Lottery good cause money, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across Wales most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
- The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over £22 billion has now been raised and more than 300,500 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
Tags