Comments Off on EVI’s plan over the next 12 months…
We have a busy 12 months ahead; we’d like to share our plans with you and keep you up to date with our progress.
Where we’re at now…
For the time being, EVI will remain closed to the general public. Our venue, café and room hire facilities will also remain closed until further notice. This means that our program of classes and events will restart September 2021 – we apologise for the inconvenience and very much look forward to welcoming you back next year.
EVI tenant services are open and will continue to provide essential support for young people and families. From 1st September 2020, these services can be accessed 5 days a week (9am-5pm). When visiting EVI (by appointment) please follow our safety guidelines.
EVI’s refurbishment plans
Following a community consultation and with financial support from the Welsh Government Communities Facilities Fund, we will be carrying out a major refurbishment, which includes the creation of a community garden, re-roofing our building and undertaking other essential restorations.
We plan to transform this space…
into an open meeting space with projection facilities…
Welcoming you back, September 2021
We look forward to creating a vibrant program of activities and welcoming everyone back to EVI next September (2021).
A big thank you to all our visitors, hirers, staff and volunteers for your continued support.
Gwahoddwyd teuluoedd Glyn Ebwy i ddigwyddiad Dathlu Nadoligaidd yn yr EVI yn ddiweddar. Roeddem yn nodi diwedd prosiect cynaladwyedd blwyddyn o hyd, yn gwella effeithlonrwydd ynni yn yr adeilad hanesyddol ac yn hyfforddi gwirfoddolwyr o’r gymuned.
Yn fis Rhagfyr 2019 derbyniodd yr EVI £32.523 o Gynllun Cymunedau’r Dreth Gwarediadau Tirlenwi, rhaglen Llywodraeth Cymru sydd yn cael ei reoli gan CGGC. Dros y flwyddyn rydym wedi gwella’r gwresogi a’r goleuadau yn yr EVI, wedi cynnal gweithdy Llygredd Plastig gyda phobl ifanc, creu paradwys trychfilod yn yr ardd o flaen yr adeilad yn ystod gweithdy garddio bywyd gwyllt, wedi hyfforddi gwirfoddolwyr mewn ysgrifennu blogiau a chreu fideos gan greu banc o erthyglau ar ein gwefan, ac yn olaf, dathliad Nadolig mawr gyda thwist cynaliadwy.
Gwahoddiad i ddathlu
Ymestynnwyd gwahoddiad i bobl y gymuned i ddod i ymuno gyda ni ar
ddiwedd mis Tachwedd i ddathlu Nadolig cynaliadwy gyda bwyd a disgo pŵer pedal
i’r plant, gwin poeth a mins pei i’r rhieni, a gweithdai yn creu nwyddau
Nadolig o ddefnyddiau wedi’u hailgylchu.
Roedd 100 o lefydd ar gael, a llenwyd y rhain yn sydyn iawn. Darparwyd adloniant gan U3A (University of the Third Age) fu’n canu ac yn cynnal gweithgareddau canu i’r plant. Roedd y bwyd yn llwyddiant mawr, a phob briwsyn wedi’i fwyta, dim gwastraff o gwbl!
Pweru parti
Roedd pawb wedi gwirioni gyda’r disgo pŵer pedal, a’r dyn eira,
gyda’r plant yn cadw’r gerddoriaeth i fynd, y dyn eira llawn aer a goleuadau’r
goeden Nadolig i fflachio drwy’r nos. Pŵer y bobl!
Roedd y gweithdai yn boblogaidd iawn, gyda phawb yn cymryd rhan.
Roedd pobl wrth eu boddau yn cael creu’r coed Nadolig a’r bôbls allan o froc
môr a hen baledi, dysgu ychydig o pyrograffeg a chael mynd â’r rhain gartref
gyda nhw.
Daeth dau o’r gwirfoddolwyr fu’n rhan o’n hyfforddiant ysgrifennu blog draw i helpu. Roedd Jamie Lee a Victoria yn gymorth mawr gyda’r gweithdai ac roeddem wrth ein boddau cael clywed sut roedd erthygl Jamie Lee, Plannu Coed i Achub y Byd, wedi’u hysbrydoli i blannu coed mewn coedwig gwarchodfa.
Daeth dysgwyr Llamau (fu’n cymryd rhan yn rhai o’n gweithdai) draw hefyd gydag arddangosfa ryngweithiol. Roeddent yn gofyn i bobl i wneud addewidion ar gyfer Nadolig cynaliadwy ac i helpu’r amgylchedd.
“Cafodd y dysgwyr amser da iawn yn gweithio â’i gilydd i greu’r byrddau arddangos, a dysgodd pawb rywbeth newydd am gynaladwyedd, a gobeithio bydd y negeseuon yma yn cael eu rhannu.” meddai tiwtor Learning 4 Life Llamau.
Cafwyd addewidion gwych ar y goeden addewidion. Dyma ychydig
ohonynt:
– Defnyddio bagiau cotwm i siopa
– Addo ceisio defnyddio’r swm lleiaf o blastig bosib
– Lapio anrhegion Nadolig mewn papur newydd!
– Ailgylchu cymaint ag sy’n bosib
– Clirio plastig oddi ar y traeth
Roedd Llamau yn cymryd archebion am glecars ‘Dolig di-blastig ac yn cynnig
awgrymiadau defnyddiol am ffyrdd cyfeillgar i’r amgylchedd i lapio anrhegion.
Nid dyma’r diwedd
Roedd Samantha James, Cydlynydd Gweithrediadau’r EVI, wrth ei bodd
gyda llwyddiant y digwyddiad ac yn meddwl mai dyma oedd y ffordd berffaith i
gloi’r prosiect blwyddyn.
“Rydym wedi cyrraedd pen taith y prosiect hwn, ac wedi cyflawni cymaint yma yn yr EVI,” meddai.
“Rydym wedi helpu codi ymwybyddiaeth o fioamrywiaeth a materion amgylcheddol ac mae’r gwirfoddolwyr wedi bod yn integrol i hyn. Maent wedi helpu gyda’r ymgyrch cyfathrebu. Ar ôl derbyn hyfforddiant mae rhai ohonynt wedi symud ymlaen i helpu prosiectau amgylcheddol eraill. Roedd y digwyddiad Nadolig yn ffordd berffaith i derfyn pethau, wrth gynnwys y gymuned gyfan yn yr hyn sydd wedi bod yn digwydd yma.”
Ac nid dyma ddiwedd y daith i’r gwaith cynaladwyedd yn yr EVI meddai
Sam.
“Dim ond megis cychwyn mae’r gwaith i greu EVI mwy cynaliadwy a gwyrddach. Rydym wedi dysgu llawer o wybodaeth a sgiliau newydd ar hyd y daith ac yn awyddus i barhau’r gwaith yma”.
Ebbw Vale families were invited to a Christmas Celebration event at the EVI recently. We were marking the end of a yearlong sustainability project, improving energy efficiency at the historic building and involving and training volunteers from the community.
In December 2018 the EVI received £32,523 from the Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme, a Welsh Government Programme managed by the WCVA. Over the year we’ve made improvements to the heating and lighting at the EVI, held a Plastic Pollution workshop with young people, created a bug paradise in the front of our building during a wildlife gardening workshop, trained volunteers in blog writing and creating videos creating a bank of sustainability articles on our website, and lastly a huge Christmas celebration with a sustainable twist.
An invitation to celebrate
We invited people in the community to join us at the end of November to celebrate a sustainable Christmas with festive food and a pedal powered disco for the children, mulled wine and a mince pie for the parents, and workshops making Christmas goods from recycled materials.
The 100 spaces we had on offer for the event filled up quickly. Entertainment was provided by the U3A (University of the Third Age) singing group, who sang and held singing activities for the children. The food went down very well, and every scrap was eaten, no wastage here!
Powering a party
Everyone loved the pedal powered disco, and the snowman, with the children keeping the music playing, the snowman inflated and the Christmas tree lights powered all night. People power!
The workshops proved popular with everyone taking part, people loved
taking home the Christmas trees and baubles they had made using driftwood and
old pallets and learning a bit of pyrography.
Two of the volunteers who had been part of our blog writing training came to help out. Jamie Lee and Victoria helped with the workshops and we loved hearing how Jamie Lee’s Planting Trees to Save the World article inspired them to plant trees in a woodland sanctuary.
Llamau learners (who also took part in some of our previous workshops) came along with an interactive display. They asked people to make pledges for a sustainable Christmas and help the environment.
“The learners had a really good time working together to make the display boards up, and they all learned something new about sustainability, and we hope these messages will be passed on,” said a Llamau Learning 4 Life tutor.
There were some great pledges made and stuck onto the pledge tree. Here
are just some of them:
– Use cotton carrier bags for my shopping
– I promise to us as less plastic as I possibly can
– Wrap all my Christmas presents in newspaper!
– I will recycle as much as I can
– Pick up the plastic at the beach
People could also put in orders with Llamau for plastic free Christmas crackers and were given handy tips on environmentally friendly ways to wrap presents.
This is not the end
Samantha James, Operations Coordinator
at the EVi, was overjoyed with the success of the event and thought it was a
perfect end to the yearlong project.
“We’ve come to the end of this project and we’ve achieved so much here at the EVI,” she said.
“We’ve helped raise awareness of biodiversity and environmental issues and our volunteers have been integral to this. They’ve helped us with our communication campaign. After receiving training with us some of them have gone on to help other environmental projects. The Christmas event was great to cap it all off by involving the whole community in what we’ve been doing here.“
And this is not the end for the
EVI’s sustainability drive says Sam.
“This has just been the beginning of the EVI becoming more sustainable and greener. We have learnt lots of new skills and information along the way and strive to keep up this good work”.
Dros yr ychydig fisoedd diwethaf mae yna lawer wedi bod yn digwydd yn yr EVI i wella cynaladwyedd yr adeilad a’r ardal gyfagos. Wrth i ni gyrraedd diwedd y cyfnod yma o’n gyriad cynaladwyedd arbennig rydym yn gwahodd trigolion Glyn Ebwy i ymuno â ni mewn dathliad Nadoligaidd a chreu addurniadau sydd yn gyfeillgar i’r amgylchedd.
Ar ddydd Mercher, 27 Tachwedd rydym yn gwahodd holl aelodau ein cymuned i ymuno gyda ni rhwng 4yp a 7yh ar gyfer ein digwyddiad Hwyl yr Ŵyl i’r teulu. Bydd yna ddisgo pŵer pedal, bwffe i’r plant a gwydriad o win poeth a mins pei i’r rhieni. Byddem hefyd yn cynnal gweithdai ailgylchu hwyl yn creu coed Nadolig o froc môr a bôbls Nadolig… a hyn i gyd AM DDIM.
Mae’r digwyddiad yn cael ei gynnal i ddathlu diwedd ein prosiect cynaliadwy sydd wedi bod yn rhedeg dros yr ychydig fisoedd nesaf gyda £32,523 o ariannu gan Gynllun Cymunedau’r Dreth Gwarediadau Tirlenwi trwy’r WCVA. Mae’r EVI wedi bod yn fwrlwm o weithgareddau fel rhan o’r prosiect hwn.
Goleuadau Godidog
Y peth cyntaf i’w wneud oedd ceisio lleihau’r defnydd o ynni yn yr EVI. Roedd adolygiad ynni’r EVI eisoes wedi’i gyflawni ac yn amlygu’r ardaloedd yn yr adeilad oedd yn gwastraffu ynni fwyaf. Roedd yr arian derbyniodd yr EVI yn caniatáu i ni gyflawni’r gwelliannau awgrymwyd yn yr adroddiad adolygiad ynni. Roedd goleuadau yn wastraff ynni mawr, felly defnyddiwyd peth o’r arian i newid y goleuadau i gyd i rai LED, sydd yn defnyddio 90% llai o ynni. Gosodwyd sychwyr dwylo eco newydd yn y toiledau hefyd, sydd yn defnyddio aer oer yn hytrach na phoeth.
Roedd drafftiau a gwres yn broblem yn yr adeilad mawr, hanesyddol yma. Rhai o’r problemau mwyaf oedd drysau’n cael eu cadw’n agored, gwresogi ystafelloedd gwag a defnyddio gwresogyddion trydan drud. Cafodd hyn ei ddatrys wrth osod dyfais cau drws awtomatig ar y drysau i gyd, rheolyddion awtomatig ar y rheiddiaduron a mesurwyr ynni. Cafwyd gwared ar y gwresogyddion trydan cludadwy a gosod gwresogyddion wal ynni effeithlon newydd gydag amserydd 10 munud. Roedd y pympiau gwres o’r awyr, gosodwyd pan adferwyd yr adeilad dros ddegawd yn ôl, angen eu trwsio gan am eu bod yn aneffeithlon bellach. Yn y gaeaf roedd rhaid defnyddio’r boeler nwy wrth gefn i gynhesu’r adeilad. Caniataodd yr ariannu yma i ni drwsio’r pympiau, ac felly gallem unwaith eto wresogi’r EVI gyda’r pympiau ynni effeithlon ran amlaf.
Ysbrydoli’r Gymuned
Fel rhan o’n prosiect cynaladwyedd roeddem yn awyddus i gynnwys y gymuned wrth gynnig cyfleoedd gwirfoddoli a hyfforddiant. Y bwriad oedd dysgu sgiliau a hysbysu’r cyhoedd am gynaladwyedd a’r hyn gallant ei wneud. Yn fis Ebrill cynhaliwyd gweithdy llygredd plastig yn yr EVI ar gyfer Diwrnod y Ddaear. Rhannom wybodaeth am gyffredinrwydd plastig yn ein bywydau a’r hyn gellir ei wneud i leihau hyn.
Yn fis Mehefin cynhaliwyd gweithdy garddio bywyd gwyllt gyda Eggseeds i gynyddu bioamrywiaeth yr ardal. Bu’r gwirfoddolwyr ifanc yn adeiladu sawl gwesty trychfilod a bomiau hadau. Mae’r gwestai trychfilod lliwgar yn sefyll yn falch o flaen yr EVI.
Grym mewn Gwybodaeth
Rhan bwysig o’r prosiect i ni ydy annog pobl yn yr ardal i’n helpu i rannu’r neges cynaladwyedd. Rhoddwyd gwahoddiad i’r rhai oedd â diddordeb helpu rhannu’r neges i fynychu dwy sesiwn hyfforddiant gwahanol. Roedd y cyntaf yn weithdy blogio a chreu fideo. Dysgwyd sgiliau cynllunio a chreu fideo eu hunain. Er mai dim ond diwrnod oedd ganddynt i wneud popeth, llwyddwyd i greu’r fideo canlynol hefyd, yn dangos yr holl waith oedd wedi bod yn digwydd yn yr EVI hyd yma.
Roedd yr ail sesiwn yn weithdy ysgrifennu blogiau. Dewisodd y mynychwyr bwnc oedd o ddiddordeb iddynt a chreu sawl erthygl yn hyrwyddo’r neges cynaladwyedd ac effeithiolrwydd ynni. Roedd yr erthyglau yn cynnwys sut i leihau’n defnydd o garbon, plannu coed, te cynaliadwy a mwy. Mae’r erthyglau yma i gyd wedi cael eu cyhoeddi ar y wefan yr EVI. Mae’r rhestr lawn i’w weld yn yr Erthyglau Perthnasol isod.
Ymunwch â ni
Mae’r digwyddiad Hwyl yr Ŵyl yn ffordd o ddathlu’r holl waith sydd wedi’i gyflawni ac i barhau i rannu’r neges cynaladwyedd mewn ffordd hwyl wrth greu addurniadau Nadolig i fynd adref gyda chi. Felly i ailadrodd – disgo pŵer pedal, bwffe, gwin poeth a mins peis – a glywsoch chi ei fod yn rhad ac AM DDIM? Ymunwch â ni i ddathlu a chreu gan gofrestru’ch diddordeb yma:
Over the last few
months the EVI has been doing lots to improve the sustainability of the
building and the surrounding area. As we come to the end of this period of our
special sustainability drive we’re inviting the residents of Ebbw Vale to join
us in a Christmas Celebration and create some environmentally friendly
decorations.
On Wednesday,
27th November we invite all members of the community to join us between 4pm and
7pm for our Festive Family Fun event. There will be a pedal powered disco, a
buffet for the kids and a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie for the parents.
We’ll also have some fun recycling workshops turning driftwood into fun
Christmas trees and creating Christmas baubles… and we’ll be doing all this
for FREE.
The event is being held to celebrate the end of our sustainability project that has been running for the past few months with £32,523 funding from the Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme through WCVA. A load has been going on at the EVI as a part of this project.
The Light
Fantastic
The first thing we did was attempted to reduce energy consumption at the EVI. An energy review that had been carried out previously at the EVI highlighted where energy was being wasted the most in the building. The funding the EVI received allowed us to carry out improvements based on recommendations made in the energy review report. Lighting was a huge energy waster therefore some of the funding was used to convert all the lighting to LED, which uses 90% less energy. New eco driers that use cold air rather than cold air were also fitted in the bathrooms.
Drafts and heating were also an issue in this large, historic building. Doors being left open, heating empty rooms and expensive electric heaters being used was a big issue. This was solved by fitting automatic door closers on all the doors, automatic controls were fitted on radiators and energy meters were installed. The portable electric heaters were banished as new energy efficient wall heaters were fitted with 10-minute timers. The air source heat pumps that were installed when the EVI underwent restoration over a decade ago were in dire need of repair works as they had become inefficient meaning that in the winter we had to rely on heating the building with a back up gas boiler. The fund allowed the repairs to take place meaning the EVI was once again being heated primarily through the energy efficient pumps.
Community Spirit
As a part of our sustainability project we wanted to involve the community by offering volunteering and training opportunities. The aim was to teach skills and inform the public about sustainability and what they could do. In April we ran a plastic pollution workshop at the EVI for Earth Day. Here we shared information about the prevalence of plastics in our lives and what we could do to cut down on this.
In June we held a wildlife gardening workshop with Eggseeds to increase the biodiversity of the area. Young volunteers built bug hotels and made seed bombs. The colourful bug hotels take pride of place at the front of the EVI.
Knowledge is
Power
An important part of the project for us is that we encourage people in the area to help us share the sustainability message. We invited those that were interested in helping us spread the word to attend two separate training sessions. The first was a blogging and video creation workshop. Attendees learnt skills on how to plan and create their own videos. They also, despite only having a day to fit in everything, managed to create the following video detailing all the work that had gone on at the EVI so far.
The second session
was a blog writing workshop. Attendees chose a subject that interested them and
created a number of articles to promote the sustainability and energy
efficiency message. Articles included
how to cut down on carbon, planting trees, sustainable tea and more. All these
articles have been published on the EVI website. Check them out in the related
articles below.
Join us
This Festive Fun event is our way of celebrating all the work that has been done and to keep spreading the sustainability message in a fun way by creating some Christmas goodies to take home. To reiterate – a pedal powered disco, buffet, mulled wine and mince pies – and did we mention it was FREE? Join us to celebrate and make by registering your interest here:
Comments Off on Lighting EVI in purple to mark World Polio Day
On the 24th October, World Polio Day, thousands of Rotary clubs around the world will hold events and fundraisers to recognise the progress in the global fight to end polio.
International Rotary members have contributed $1.9 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries from this paralysing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $8 billion to the effort.
The plan locally is to light up Ebbw Vale Institute in purple. Purple is chosen to represent the children who in many countries, have their little finger painted with a purple dye so it is clear they have been immunised.
The Rotary Club of Ebbw Vale work tirelessly to raise funds for local good causes, placing them right at the heart of their local communities.
Recent & upcoming rotary activities include:
Donation to EVI defibrillator Unit, enabling local people to access this life saving equipment
Planting Purple Crocus bulbs for World Polio Day at several schools, EVI & Ebbw Vale Hospital, planted by local children
Selling Poppies at Tesco for British Legion, with 3 wreaths by be laid at Ebbw Vale
Inviting Young Carers to a show at the Motorpoint, Cardiff
Providing chocolates for Ebbw Vale Hospital for Christmas
If you would like more information about Ebbw Vale Rotary Club or would like to be considered for membership of this prestigious organisation, which has been in existence worldwide since 1905, please contact:
Fred Prosser, President Elect, Ebbw Vale Rotary Club tel:01495 306072
