Come along for an early morning woodland walk to greet the rising sun and celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day 2011.

An expert from the British Trust for Ornithology will be on hand to help identify the birds and their calls.
The entrance to Gethin Woodland is on the A470, at the Pentrebach roundabout. Turn right at the Forestry Commission sign and follow the track up to the car park.

This is a Free Event. No Need to book.

For further information: carys.solman@merthyr.gov.uk or 01685 726251

Hirwaun-based Ellis Eggs has been supplying Asda stores in Wales for the past eight years. When the business first supplied the supermarket it sold 2,300 eggs per week, this figure has now risen to 230,400 per week.

The family-owned business currently supplies six lines to 24 Asda stores in Wales including Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff. The partnership has also meant the business has increased its employee numbers from three to 14.

Jason Ellis, owner of the business, said: “Over the past eight years our business has changed considerably as a result of supplying Asda stores in Wales. We’ve been able to employ more local people in the area, develop new lines and have seen sales increase. Having a presence in Asda stores has meant the awareness of our brand has improved which has meant demand has increased too… we just wouldn’t have been able to do it on our own.

Lisa Prudhoe, customer planner for local and Free From at Asda, said: “We place a huge importance in helping to support local suppliers to grow their businesses. In this case Ellis Eggs has just grown from strength to strength as more of our customers want to see products on the shelves that have come from local suppliers. It’s really encouraging to see a business grow as a result of our involvement.”

The Chippy in High Street Hirwaun is one of the nation’s Audition Centres where you can sing a themed song to enter the competition being judged by Andy Abraham.

Come along and find out how to enter and chose a song.

The winner gets a prize of a holiday up to £4000 just look at www.lovepotatoes.co.uk for full details.

Maybe yourself or someone you know has been thinking of learning Welsh but are either too shy to register on a course or don’t want to commit to a college course.

For further information call the Welsh for Adults Centre on 01443 483600 or visit the website for full prospectus of courses.

Dr Davies, who was the Plaid candidate at the General Election, said he was delighted to be able to stand again for his home area.

“I am very pleased that Plaid Cymru members have put their faith in me and am confident we can build on our strong showing in the General Election when we received more than 6,000 votes and demonstrated clearly that only Plaid can challenge Labour in the Cynon Valley.

“There was a 9% swing to us from Labour and the lowest Labour majority in Cynon Valley since women were entitled to vote.

“I have been quite surprised by the statements of some leading Labour politicians since the election. They make great play of opposing Tory-LibDem cuts but fail to mention it was their party that caused the crisis in the first place and, had Labour been returned, we would have been faced with equally savage cuts and an increase in VAT.

“We should also remember that the gap between rich and poor actually increased with Labour in government and that the Labour Party has kept the Valleys down for far too long.”

Dr Davies said he looked forward to the campaign and would be very pleased to take part in hustings with other candidates.

“In this Welsh General Election, I hope people will support a Party that will put Wales first and a candidate that will put the Cynon Valley first,” he said.

Dr Davies said that during his parliamentary campaign he had campaigned on a number of local issues, for example opposing the Enviroparks development in Hirwaun, safeguarding Welsh-medium education in planned changes to sixth-forms, reopening Valleys tunnels and improving the Taff Trail for cyclists and walkers.

“I intend to pursue these and other issues over the next few months as the Assembly candidate,” he said. “The Valley has been let down badly by Labour over a great many years and the time has come for a fresh start.”

A former university lecturer and Chief Executive of Plaid Cymru, Dr Davies is now development manager for Welsh-medium higher education throughout Wales and was a regular broadcaster on TV and radio during the General Election campaign.

He is married to Lisa Turnbull, who comes from Milton Keynes and who is a researcher in health policy.

Mental ill health can affect people of all ages and from all backgrounds. The Rhondda Cynon Taf Mental Health Partnership has organised events across the County Borough during RCT Mental Health Week.

In an exciting initiative this year, they are working with the Council’s Library Service to offer a “living library” – and you can call into library branches and talk to people about how they have coped with their own mental health issues.

There will also be a chance for people to learn about the organisations in Rhondda Cynon Taf that can offer support and advice.

The week gets underway on Saturday, October 9 with “Walk a Mile for Mental Health” through Pontypridd. There will be a samba band and the event will have a carnival feel. All are welcome to join the walk, which meets at the bowling club in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park at 11am.

Other events include:

* New Horizons Open Day: New Horizons, Aberdare. Thursday, October 14. Find out about the charity’s work in promoting good mental health.

* Activity Day – Dare Valley Country Park, Aberdare. Friday, October 15, 10am-3pm. Aimed at carers, but all are very welcome. Have a go at Nordic walking, orienteering and other less strenuous activities. Includes a guided “Walk a Mile for Mental Health” through the Country Park.

7 p.m. Wednesday October 6th 2010

Hirwaun Village Hall

YOUR OPINION MATTERS!

Macmillan Coffee Morning in Hirwaun at Hirwaun Village Hall

Thursday 23rd September 2010

10am to 12 noon

Every mug will help improve the lives of people affected by
cancer

Bydd pob paned yn helpu i wella bywydau pobl sy’n cael eu
heffeithio gan ganser

There were bears of every size being cuddled by the kiddies… and adults!

Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Trefoil members enjoyed a picnic followed by a campfire style sing-along.

A practice session for their big date at the Coliseum Theatre on 20th October, 2010 at 20.10. This date in their diary is very important as members of Guiding in all parts of the country will be renewing their Guide Promise

More news on Girl Guiding available from Aberdare Trefoil Guild

Cynon Taf Community Housing Group has started work on 34 new homes in Hirwaun.

Construction has begun on the site of the former Towers and Beacons high rise flats thanks to a partnership between Cynon Taf and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has an ambitious and far-reaching strategy to ensure it is providing the homes and accommodation that its varied communities need and deserve.

As such, it invested over £2.5m in the scheme, which will be delivered by Cynon Taf Community Housing Association to create fresh, modern and sustainable homes.

The flats, which were demolished in 2004, will be replaced with a development of two, three and four-bedroom family homes, including a bungalow that has been specially adapted for a local family who has a child with severe physical disabilities.

The scheme, which is the largest one undertaken by Cynon Taf Community Housing Association to date, will feature high-standard homes that also have the latest sustainable features, such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting.

Contractors Tremlett and Griffiths Ltd will deliver the £4.5m scheme on behalf of Cynon Taf Community Housing Group and completion is expected to be in November 2011.

Antonia Forte, Chief Executive of Cynon Taf commented “The redevelopment of what was the Towers and Beacons blocks of flats is a landmark project for both Cynon Taf Community Housing and Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council, representing a major capital investment into the community of Hirwaun. Overall, the Group anticipates that its total capital investment during this current financial year will be in excess of £7.5m, which represents a significant amount of work coming into the county”.

Councillor Clayton Wills, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for housing, added: “Our Housing Strategy sets out clearly our plans for the future to ensure our residents have the homes and accommodation they need and deserve.

“It is a far-reaching plan for the future that sets out how we will work innovatively with our partners, such as Cynon Taf Community Housing Group, to deliver high-quality, attractive homes, catering for all needs and requests.

“The quality of life of residents is greatly affected by the standard of the homes in which they live and the environment that surrounds them, which is why it is vital we invest to deliver such standards, including protecting the environment.”

The scheme forms part of a Welsh Assembly Government pilot project which looks at the implications of building new homes to the Code for Sustainable Homes. The properties have been designed to achieve level 4 of the code, and will include the fitting solar panels, air source heat pumps and rain water harvesting.

In addition to providing affordable housing for the area, Cynon Taf Community Housing Group is making a contribution of £66,000 to the Local Authority’s education and parks & leisure resources”.