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Archive: Aug 2021

  1. Adnewyddiad £250,000 Adeilad Hanesyddol EVI

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    Mae Canolfan Cymunedol a Diwylliannol Institiwt Glynebwy (EVI) wedi bod yn cynnal gwaith adnewyddu ac atgyweirio ar raddfa fawr yn yr adeilad Gradd 2 hanesyddol ar ôl derbyn £250,000 trwy Raglen Cyfleusterau Cymunedol Llywodraeth Cymru, yn diogelu ei gynaladwyedd er mwynhad cenhedloedd y dyfodol.

    Cynhaliwyd ymgynghoriad gyda defnyddwyr rheolaidd Canolfan EVI, yr institiwt hynaf yng Nghymru, ac mae’r grant yma wedi caniatáu i ni gyflawni llawer o’r gofynion o’r ymgynghoriad yma. Roedd dros 57% eisiau gofod gardd hamddenol i ddysgu a chyfarfod pobl ac roedd 45% eisiau gofod ar gyfer arddangosfeydd celf a ffotograffiaeth.

    Gofod gardd newydd

    Roedd gardd yr EVI yn ardal nad oedd yn cael ei ddefnyddio, gyda gordyfiant a ffensys anniogel, Roedd y gwaith tirwedd a llawrwaith yn ymdrech logistaidd enfawr gyda sawl her. Ar ôl cwblhau’r gwaith adeiladol yn yr ardd, roedd yr ardal, na ellir ei ddefnyddio cynt, wedi cael ei drawsffurfio’n ofod tawel ar gyfer dysgu, gweithgareddau, cyfarfodydd a llesiant.

    Yn dilyn gorffen yr holl lawrwaith, gosodwyd llefydd eistedd, meinciau picnic a phlanwyr trwy Grantiau Adferiad COVID-19 Canol Trefi Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Blaenau Gwent.

    Roedd prosiect amgylcheddol Arian i Bawb y Loteri Genedlaethol yn caniatáu i wirfoddolwyr yr EVI i greu gofod llesiant yn yr ardd wrth blannu blodau sydd yn gyfeillgar i wenyn, perlysiau, ffrwythau a llysiau yn ardd yr EVI.

    Gosodwyd mesuriadau diogelwch newydd gan osod grisiau tân a ffensys diogelwch newydd yn yr ardd.

    Gosod to newydd

    Roedd to newydd yn hanfodol i gynaladwyedd adeilad EVI. Yn dilyn sawl achos o ddŵr yn gollwng, teils yn llithro o hyd, ac angen newid y landeri gan ei fod yn achosi difrod dŵr i’r adeilad.

    Datblygiadau pellach

    Mae’r rhaglen Cyfleusterau Cymunedol wedi ariannu sawl cyfleuster arall yn yr EVI, gan gynnwys:

    • – Taflunydd ansawdd sinema a sgrin 4m o led
    • – Cyfleusterau arddangos i artistiaid a ffotograffwyr
    • – Cyfleusterau newid babanod
    • – Dau ‘llwybr mynedfa/allanfa unffordd’ COVID ddiogel i ddysgwyr a chleientiaid.
    • – Atgyweiriadau hanfodol ac adferiad y grisiau
    • – System intercom a CCTV newydd
    • – Uwchraddio gwres
    • – Gofod swyddfa/storio mewn ardaloedd annefnyddadwy cynt
    • – Mynedfa newydd i Hyfforddiant ACT
    • – System intercom newydd

    Adnewyddu grisiau’r EVI

    Mae Cronfa Rhaglen Cyfleusterau Cymunedol Llywodraeth Cymru wedi diogelu’r adeilad cymunedol yma. Mae atgyweiriadau hanfodol wedi’u cwblhau, diogelwch COVID wedi ei fwyhau, gofodau annefnyddadwy bellach yn cael eu defnyddio a chyfleusterau ychwanegol ar gael i’r gymuned.

    Rydym yn falch o gyhoeddi bod yr adnewyddiad a’r atgyweiriadau hanfodol wedi’u cwblhau, ac edrychwn ymlaen at gael agor ein drysau i’r gymuned eto yn y dyfodol. Ar hyn o bryd, mae’r EVI yn agored i wasanaethau apwyntiad yn unig. I gael gwybod y diweddaraf am yr EVI dilynwch ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol. Bydd unrhyw newyddion am ail-agor yn cael ei bostio ar wefan yr EVI ac ar ein tudalennau Facebook a Twitter.

  2. £250,000 Refurbishment at the Historic EVI

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    The Ebbw Vale Institute (EVI) Community and Cultural Centre has been carrying out extensive refurbishment and essential repairs at the historic Grade 2 listed building after being awarded £250,000 through the Welsh Government Communities Facilities Programme, securing its sustainability for future generations to enjoy.

    We carried out a consultation with regular users of the EVI Centre, the oldest institute in Wales, and this grant has enabled us to fulfil many of the requests. Over 57% wanted a garden space for recreation, learning and meeting people and 45% wanted space for art and photography exhibitions.

    A new garden space

    The EVI garden was a disused area for many years, overgrown with unsafe fencing. The landscaping and ground works was a huge logistical endeavour with many challenges. With the garden structural works completed, this formally unusable area has been transformed into a tranquil space for learning, activities, meetings, and wellbeing.

    With all the groundworks completed new seating, picnic benches and planters were placed via the BGCBC Town Centre COVID recovery scheme.

    The Big Lottery Awards for All Environmental project enabled EVI volunteers to create a wellbeing space in the garden by planting bee friendly flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables in the EVI garden.

    New safety measures were put in place with a new fire escape staircase and safety fencing being installed in the garden.

    Placing a new roof

    A new roof was essential to the sustainability of the EVI building. There had been several leaks, tiles were continuously slipping, and the guttering needed replacing as it was causing water damage to the fabric of the building.

    Further developments

    The Communities Facilities programme funded several other facilities at the EVI, including:

    • – A cinema quality projector and 4m wide screen
    • – Exhibition facilities for artists and photographers
    • – Baby changing facilities
    • – Two new COVID secure ‘one way entrance / exit routes’ for learners and clients
    • – Essential repairs and restoration of the staircase
    • – Intercom and CCTV system
    • – Heating upgrades
    • – Office / storage space from previously unusable areas

    The Welsh Government Communities Facilities Programme Fund has secured the fabric of this community building. Essential repairs have been made, COVID safety enhanced, formally disused spaces are now in use and additional facilities are now on offer to the community.

    We are pleased to announce that the refurbishment and essential repairs are now complete, and we look forward to fully opening our doors again to the community at a future date. We are currently only open for appointment-based services. To keep updated on EVI developments follow us on our social media pages. Any news about reopening will be posted on the EVI website and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

    Welsh translation of this article is available here

  3. ‘Awards for All’ Volunteers create homes for garden wildlife

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    Awards for All Volunteers take local environmental action by creating wildlife habitats for birds, bats, hedgehogs and pollinating insects in the EVI garden …

    The next stage of our Big Lottery Community Fund Awards for All project was to create wildlife habitat, to help attract nesting birds and bats to the EVI garden and create homes for hedgehogs.

    Everyone had a task and were challenged to use tools and techniques that had not been used before.

    Supporting our garden wildlife

    Awards for All Volunteers from Llamau, ACT Training, Barod Gwent N-Gage and Cyfannol Women’s Aid, have created several bird and bat boxes to help attract nesting birds and bats to the EVI garden.
    Visit Gwent Wildlife Trust for more ways you can get involved locally and support garden wildlife.

    We also have a hedgehog home that will be relocated where it is most needed. If you find a hedgehog out in the day or injured, please visit hedgehoghelplinecymru.org.uk for information and advice on what to do next.

    Spreading the Seeds…

    Some of our younger volunteers made seed bombs and had great fun spreading them throughout the garden. We also relocated our pollinator bee and bug hotel and talked about how over a third of our food depends on pollinating insects.

    Wellbeing in Nature …

    Volunteers also created colourful images and words to remind people to spend more time in nature and how we can increase our wellbeing when spending time outdoors – over 18 posts were painted.

    Keeping up the great work

    ‘Awards for All’ Volunteers will continue taking care of the EVI garden throughout the seasons and utilise the wellbeing space for learning, meetings and activities.

    Organisations based at EVI, (Llamau, ACT Training, Cyfannol, Barod and BGCBC Youth Services) will also undertake further environmental and wellbeing projects in the EVI garden.

    Special thanks

    Thanks to Sam Holt, Eggseeds for leading the environmental workshops, MallowArt for the painting workshop and Promo Cymru (the charity that runs EVI) for providing the ‘graphic design with canva’ and ‘Film making on your mobile’ online workshops to support the volunteers in increasing their skills in digital communications.

    A special thank you to all our volunteers for creating a wellbeing space at the EVI garden. Everyone worked together with staff and clients from other organisations, with children and families; many new skills were learned along the way and so much has been accomplished to support our local wildlife.

Foundation Funders:

National Lottery Community Fund Logo
Welsh Government Logo

Current Funders:

Lloyds Bank Foundation Logo
Landfills Tax Scheme Logo
WCVA Logo
Blaenau Gwent County Council Logo
UK Gov Wales
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