Tom Addiscott Co-production: How a community successfully acquired £1.2 million. The Ynysybwl Vision aims for a more green, sustainable and highly networked valley with community owned assets, businesses and activities. Through utilising asset based approaches and the principles of co-production a community come together to successfully acquire £1.2million from the create your space fund, the funding will be used drive forward the long term vision of the people of Ynysybwl. Ynysybwl Regeneration Partnership are keen to share their learning with others including their successes, learning and challenges going forward.

1. Co-production: How a community
acquired £1.2million
Ynysybwl Regeneration Partnership
@ynysybwlvision

2. Background- @Ynysybwlvision
• Ynysybwl small village five miles north of Pontypridd, stands as a southern
gateway to the Daerwynno forestry. Previously a mining community and as you
expect suffers from the effect of de-industrialisation.
• Very limited in services they receive, despite high pockets of deprivation.
• Partners in Glyncoch Regeneration had secured a Community Voice worker
through Interlink who’s key role was to support and develop collaborative
practices. This was over 5 years and was a major battle in tackling a
dependency culture.
• Held a shape my town event which analysed possibilities of the village from
that YRP successfully gained £20,000 to develop the vision and train key
community leaders in Asset based principles. They applied the appreciative
enquiry approach with the wider community.

3. Developing our Vision – ABCD
• Practical skills, capacity and knowledge of local residents
• The passions and interests of local residents that give them energy for
change
• The networks and connections – social capital
• The effectiveness of local community and voluntary organisations
• The resources of public, private and third sector organisations
• The physical and economic resources of a place that enhance well-
being
(A Glass Half Full – Improvement & Development Agency)

4. Appreciating what we have!
‘What is great about Ynysybwl?’
‘How to make Ynysybwl better?’

5. Consultation
2015 - 2016
• Community planning meeting
• Valley Vision workshop
• Shape my Town
• Story telling / energy
• Advisory group meeting
• Butcher’s Pool
• Pony club focus group
• Trerobart Primary School
• Bridal Ways meeting – RCT
• Cycle meeting with RCTCBC
• Daerwynno consultation events
• Surveys (online and off)
• Youth consultations
• Trails and paths consultation
event
• Engaged with over 400 people
• Engaged with around 20
different groups and
organisations

6. What the community told us.
• Ynysybwl has a fantastic community spirit, but needs a centre especially
with services for young people
• Butcher’s pool - keep the pool open but you also liked the idea of a
splashpad
• Improved routes and trails in the village and forestry with good signage
• Daerwynno is a great asset in the centre of the forest - would love to drop
in for a coffee and it could be a good information point for visitors.
• History and bio-diversity - Ynysybwl has rich heritage and bio-diversity that
we should celebrate and promote through better signage and interactive
ideas, phone apps etc.
• Next step? Collate, analyse and write the bid continuing with the asset
based approach and using community strenghts!

7. Created a steering group, made up from several members of other
community groups to drive it forward. Co-pro in action.

8. Captured all the evidence and brought the bid to to life via videos.

9. Claire Thomas- Community member in Ynysybwl

10. Some Success’
• Acquired £1.2 million over 7 years which includes £300,000 for a community hub,
£200,000 to develop Daerwynno activities centre, £100,000 for butchers pool,
£65,000 for signage and heritage, £17,000 for quick wins to improve community
engagement, it also includes cost for staff and overheads.
• Community members have been empowered to influence change, challenge
status quo and get involved in developing local activity.
• ‘Volunteers’ have created a local and quarterly newspaper ‘the Clydach stream’
which is free to residents and delivered to all by volunteers. Sharing community
success.
• Ability to attract other groups, tourists, funders.

11. Key Challenges
Current Future
- Ensuring their isn’t a reliance on
staff and copro is essential to keep
tackling dependency culture.
-tackling negative perceptions on
the term ‘volunteering’ people or
not using the term.
-Displacement of power in certain
areas, change management
process for community.
- Services for Children and young
people, trying to encourage
community ownership.
-People had forgotten how they
had been consulted the need to
continually keep community
informed. SHOUT ABOUT SUCCESS!
- Success attracts success, trying to
avoid growing into an
unsustainable community
organisation.
-Slow progress on capital due to
major feasibility work.
- Ensuring the vision is sustainable in
the long term.

12. Sustainability Aims.
People
• Increased engagement using
Assets
• Access to education, learning,
volunteering
• Access to employment support
• Increased access to the outdoors
• Social prescribing – referrals to
our existing groups
• Increase social opportunities
Enterprise Renewable Energy
• Hire a bike / hire a pony
• Menage / farrier
• Café – selling locally
grown food
• Wood craft
• Bio mass fuel
• Staff Consultancy
services

13. Diolch yn fawr
• Unrhyw Cwestiynau- Any questions?
• Please feel free to tweet @ynysybwlvision