International Mural Project - Underway

We've just had the first session with artist Dave Marchant and pupils from Ysgol Cwmtawe who are working together to design a mural for the end wall of the Centre. This will encourage young people to utilise the Centre and also give them some ownership of the building.



The mural will showcase some of the wildlife in the Park and will be undertaken over the next four weeks. We will also shortly be welcoming our International Volunteers to the Centre who will be working alongside Dave and the school to create and paint the design. Updates will be posted as the project develops.

This project is supported by West Glamorgan Crimebeat Community Award and NPT Community Safety Partnership.

Picnic Area

Those of you who have been in the park recently will have noticed the work done to the area just adjacent to the Centre. We've been clearing the overgrown area and cutting back the very tangled trees to make a space for our new picnic area. 

It's great to see the area being opened up and able to be used now and we've discovered some very lovely small native trees that now have the space to grow.

The picnic area will contain rocks from the local quarry which over time will soften with weathering providing a natural looking space for people to sit down and enjoy the Park.

This work is sponsored by Biffa Award - Building Communities, Transforming Lives

Riverside Food Festival

Many thanks for all who came, demonstrated, sold their wares and made our first Food Festival a great success. Steve Bartram from the Butcher's Arms fantastic demonstrations and the fab music kept people on site even when it rained in the last hour. We've had loads of positive feedback so watch this space as next year we're planning to make it bigger and better...

For those of you waiting for the videos of some of Steve's demonstrations, they will be posted on our Food Festival website in about a week.

Puppet Theatre Wales

Many of you have enjoyed the puppeting sessions run by Helyn Latimer of Puppet Theatre Wales at the Riverside. If you've missed them then see this short film by our film-maker Eleanor Flaherty filmed at the Centre and see what it's all about. We're hoping to see Helyn again soon.

Riverside Dog Show 8th May 2011

Thanks to all who turned up our Dog Show on the 8th May. We had a fantastic day, managed to dodge the showers and had one of the biggest classes for our Judge Jo Hutchings to have to chose winners from.

We had stalls from the Dogs Trust, Ystradgynlais Volunteer Centre, Tawe Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers and Lynda Reynolds. Food was provided by the Dragons Den and thanks to the Pontardawe Chamber of Trade and Commerce for their brilliant bandstand and PA. Thanks to Merlin's Magicians flyball team and the Siberian Huskies for some great displays and all the people who volunteered to help out on the day, you are stars!

See our gallery for more pictures from the day
RIVERSIDE DOG SHOW GALLERY

Little Critters Enjoy Bugmania

Local families spent a sunny afternoon on safari at the weekend. Armed with nets, trays, magnifiers and identification keys our intrepid explorers dipped the canal and met an army of caddisfly larvae all camouflaged in their disguise as a blade of grass. There was also a large population of snails - good news for the fish, which is good news for the heron and kingfishers (not such good news for the fish!)

On the meadow they saw a range of butterflies and caught a variety of flies, spiders and froghoppers in their sweep nets.

The river and canals both had Mayfly larvae in them, which is very good news as they only survive in unpolluted water.

Finally in the woods our minibeast hunters discovered wood lice (granny greys), pill millipedes, worms, slugs and other delightful creatures all doing their bit do maintain nature's balance in the woods.

Back in the cool of the Riverside Centre they made bug masks to take home with them.

A big thanks to the Environmental Education Service at Dare Valley Country Park, Aberdare for loan of their equipment.

Food Festival Web Page

Find out more about the Riverside Food Festival on the 21st May on our new Food Festival Web Page where you can find out more about the fantastic food on offer, demonstrations and lots of other great foody things for you to enjoy.

After the event we will be posting videos of the demonstrations and recipes up there for you to download and enjoy.