Creating partnerships to improve the community through education and training
Taibach Community Education: Past to Present
Many people in Port Talbot and further afield have a connection to Taibach Community Education Centre. Maybe you or a relative attended Eastern School which was based on the site until the 1950s. Maybe you attended the youth club, one of the longest running in Wales and still operating today. Maybe you've been part of the community centre, attending fitness classes or having lunch in the cafe. And you've almost certainly heard of Richard Burton, a founder member of the youth club who tread the boards on our stage in some of his earliest public performances as a teenager.
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We really value the history of our building and we're delighted to announce a new heritage project to promote its significance in the local community. We're restoring the old school hall and its stage, making it a welcoming and usable space for local groups that need a large space or want to follow in Richard Burton's footsteps and put on performances. We're also restoring the old pottery room and we'll be using it to run a series of heritage craft courses, ensuring that vital skills are preserved for future generations. We're also developing an interactive timeline of the building where visitors can trace the history of the centre and Port Talbot by following a trail around the site.
Most importantly, this is a project for the local community. We want to collect and preserve memories of the site and ensure that the project is shaped by local needs. We'll be putting out calls for volunteers and asking for help with researching the history of the site; preserving and digitising archival material; interviewing members of the community; and prioritising events for our interactive timeline. We'll provide full training throughout. We also want to work with local schools and youth groups, recognising the important role that the building has played in the lives of generations of children and young people.
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If you'd like to sign up for updates about our project, including volunteer opportunities, please subscribe to our newsletter. We won't share your details with any other parties and you can unsubscribe at any time.
You can also contact us for further information about the project at TaibachHeritage@outlook.com.
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This project has been made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Margam Green Energy Fund, and the Mynydd Brombil Community Benefit Fund.
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Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. ‘Taibach Community Education: Past to Present’ is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to transform Taibach Community Education Centre.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
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