COMMUNITY JOURNALISM OF THE YEAR WINNER 2020 - WALES MEDIA AWARDS
This is a community website for Grangetown in Cardiff, highlighting people, business, community activities, local news and things to do in the area and linking other websites and blogs.
This voluntary project - in connection with Grangetown Community Action - is the free, independent, online presence of the long-running Grangetown Newscommunity paper, which has been distributed to 6,500 local homes at least twice a year for 40 years.
E-mail us on grangetowncardiff@yahoo.co.uk If you'd like to help, are local or would like to send any contributions for inclusion, or wish to advertise. Also if you'd like to be included FREE in our DIRECTORY,
You can also follow us on Twitter @grangecardiff and look for Grangetown Community Action on Facebook. We have a growing number of followers and are keen to encourage a social network to promote Grangetown community events, activities, issues, businesses and organisations.
| EVENTS
Saturday 15th June - Grangetown Festival 1-4pm Grange Gardens and Grange Pavilion. Annual community festival and parade returns, with stalls, food and entertainment. Email: grangetownfestival@gmail.com to book a stall.
Add your Grangetown event here, email grangetowncardiff@yahoo.co.uk |
Open day for Grangetown art workshops
Jo's only stipulation is that the artists are local. All are from the Cardiff area - four from Grangetown itself - and the furthest afield is a painter from Pentyrch on the very outskirts of the city, via Ukraine.
They occupy two floors of the converted garage workshop. In a previous life it was a bakery and a garage for ice cream vans!
"It was derelict for 12 years so we've brought it back into use," says Jo.
"There's also a communal space and we've had a life drawing classes and painting sessions for people of all abilities."
Jo saw a gap for affordable, small studio space - as well as providing a community art studio space. A similar venture by a friend is already successful in Riverside's Tudor Lane, so the area could become something of an art quarter.
"Sometimes it's difficult for artists to find a space which is stable. Once they're established and successful, it can lead to landlords charging more or redeveloping," she said.
"I'm really committed to this being sustainable so I want the artists to be able to walk or cycle here as much as possible and also to make use of local businesses - to shop, eat and drink their coffee."
"I live here, care about the area and there has been a lot of recent developments but not much in the way of facilities but I feel strongly it was within my capability to do something."
Maybe Jo will also find time to do some artwork herself. A least she's got herself her own quiet corner of the studios to do that just that.
Green light for £65m estate revamp
Work has started on a £65m redevelopment of the Channel View estate.
Initial demolition has started, at the beginning of the phased project which includes 81 new homes in two blocks for the elderly, with future developments including 319 more homes to replace 1970s housing and 14-storey tower block. 
Councillors have reassured Channel View residents that all will be offered new homes on the revamped estate, which will see 214 existing properties - 56 houses and 158 flats - demolished and replaced.
The first phase will involve one block rising to 13 storeys, with 57 flats, and a second block with 24 more flats. Both will have communal gardens and roof terraces.
Cardiff Council is behind the regeneration proposals, which will include building over part of The Marl park, although the loss of a strip of land backing onto existing homes on Channel View Road is due to be offset by open space, communal gardens and landscaping within the new larger estate. Some residents have criticised the communication about the proposals, although consultation started nearly four years ago. Some home-owners also expressed concern whether they would get full value for their homes. A 50-signature petition was submitted and Cardiff Civic Society objected on ecological grounds, including the loss of trees, although the development sets out planting three times as many trees as those due to be felled. 
The plans also involve:
"The residents in phase one will have to move out initially so that new homes can be built, but they have the option to come back into a new property or to have a permanent move elsewhere," they said.
Those affected who own their own home are also being given the option to sell their old houses to the council and an offer of buying or shared ownership of a new property. "The key priority of our project is to keep the existing community together and to rebuild new, sustainable, low carbon homes for the existing residents," said the councillors. "We have always stressed that we want to work with all residents to ensure that we can make this exciting development happen." I am also surprised and sorry that the residents spoken to have anxiety. We have been consulting for the last 4 years and involved residents at a very early stage drawing up the plans. Every tenants and resident affected to has been written to a number of times. https://t.co/W5Bs31RX6O
— Lynda Thorne (@LyndaT48) June 7, 2021
"The group will work alongside the Parks department to represent those who use the park and help make the best of our lovely gardens," said resident Mandy Atwell.A first meeting to set up the group was held in December to discuss ideas and for people to see what role they'd like to play, large or small. Another will be held in the New Year. Nursery school opens food box project Grangetown Nursery School have recently opened a community food box project. Big Bocs Bwyd, Community Food Box is a "pay as you feel" shop, where members of the community fill their bag with what they need and pay what they can, although a £1 donation is suggested. It's been promoted with families around other local schools. People can come along to the school in Avondale Road between 9am and 9.30am or 3.15pm-3.45pm, Monday to Friday. Grangetown News wins community media award
Grangetown News has won the community journalism of the year award, at the Wales Media Awards.
The judges said: "A very good local publication with lots of community news which tackles issues that concern the community. It is well produced and provides the sort of information and stories that people want to read. We suspect residents look forward to it dropping through their letterbox." We were shortlisted at the 2019 awards and received news of the 2020 award, at the online ceremony in April 2020. Unfortunately, we have not been able to restart print editions after the Covid pandemic. In the meantime, we're trying to update this website and social media as often as possible and would welcome any help or contributions.A very good local publication say the judges…….congratulations Grangetown Community News @grangecardiff, winners of Community Journalism of the Year, sponsored by @ITVWalesPress @JournoCharity #JCWMA20 https://t.co/uboqTthT2g pic.twitter.com/rVGnuY1pZM
— WalesMediaAwards (@W_M_A) April 30, 2021
Grangetown aerial image courtesy: National Police Air Service
Other Cardiff community websites: Cathays Danescourt Lisvane Pobol Caerdydd Radyr Roath Rumney Splott St Mellons Tongwynlais Whitchurch/Llandaff North Grangetown Community Action and webmaster 2024. Last updated May 29th |
