Gelligaled Park Community Action Group
Latest News
December Update
Published 16/12/25
Breakfast With Santa
A fantastic breakfast with Santa on Saturday morning, lots of wonderful feedback from parents. A massive contribution from Emma Watts, who went above and beyond in sourcing the food for the breakfast, with donations from Castell Howell, A J Andrew’s fruit and veg and Central Bar and catering supplies.
Also, a massive thanks to all the Trustees who worked their socks off behind the scenes to make the event a success.
A big thank you to Tracey Star and Heaven Griffiths for helping out too. Finally, thanks to all who attended. Permission was given by parents for the selected photos among the lots that were taken that day. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
LET THERE BE LIGHT
After an eventful series of setbacks, the group succeeded in setting up the fully lit Christmas tree as promised in our earlier post.
The initial difficulty was with the tree height. However, on replacing the tree the lighting contractor was not satisfied that lights could be safely attached. With the help of RCT personnel we were able to resolve the issue, and the fully lit tree was finally installed on 10 December – a week later than we had originally planned.
MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR
NADOLIG LLAWEN A BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA
Published 07/12/25
Christmas Carol Concert
Well, we knocked it out of the park again. Some saying our best of the three annual concerts so far.
A massive thank you to our wonderful community for coming out again to support our concert in such awful weather – we think you will all agree such a great start to Christmas at St Stephen’s Church being full to the rafters again.
Huge thanks go out to :-
All at St Stephen’s Church
Father Peter Gale
Bodringallt Primary School
YGG Bodringallt
Melody of Harps
Christmas Tree
Our tree in 2024 was the best to date. A short note to update all on the progress with this year’s tree.
The tree was installed by our suppliers on schedule. However, on Monday 1 December, the contractor installing the lighting was concerned that the tree was too short to make a safe connection for the electricity supply from the nearby light. The tree supplier was immediately contacted and has agreed to replace the tree. However, the weather has been so bad that he has been unable to replace immediately but will do so when conditions permit.
Watch out for the replacement and lighting in coming days.
November Update
Published 05/11/25
Gelligaled Park Community action Group has a full programme of events planned for December.
28/29 November – 5 December 2025
The first of these will be the installation of the annual lit Christmas tree in the Peace Park, Ystrad. The tree and lights are funded by the group and licensed by the local authority.
5 December 2025
The installation of the tree will be quickly followed by the third of the annual Christmas Carol Concerts organised by the group and will be held at 7.00pm, 5 December in St Stephen’s Church. A full programme of carols, songs and music has been arranged with local primary schools, local musicians and singers all taking part to provide another memorable night of festive celebrations.
Programmes are available at the door on the night and the price of £5.00 includes a free raffle for a sumptuous hamper of Christmas goodies.
13 December 2025
“Breakfast with Santa” is a new festive treat hosted by the group.
To be held from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon on December 13 at Ystrad RFC Clubhouse. The event will provide a light breakfast and an opportunity for children to meet Father Christmas and tell him directly of their Christmas wishes. All children will be presented with a chocolate selection box as a gift. Tickets priced at £8.95 per child are available from Ystrad RFC clubhouse or may be paid at the door at the event.
2026
Discussions are already advanced for a programme of events through the first half of 2026.
Included in this planning are:
- A fund-raising concert
- A programme of Welsh culture and food to celebrate St David’s Day
- A “Festival of Sport” including rugby, cricket, basketball and other sports
KEEP VISITING OUR FACEBOOK PAGE – GELLIGALED PARK COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP; OUR WEBSITE – WWW.GELLIGALEDPARKCAG.CYMRU; AND OUR NOTICEBOARD AT THE PARK ENTRANCE FOR FUTURE UPDATES ON ALL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES BY THE GROUP.
October Update
Published 10/10/25
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
A FESTIVE TREAT
Meet Santa for breakfast and take away a selection box
Ystrad RFC Clubhouse
Saturday, 13th December 2025, 10:00am to 12:00 noon
£8.95 per child
Tickets available from Ystrad RFC clubhouse or pay at the door
Hosted by Gelligaled Park Community Action Group
OCTOBER – PLANTING IN THE PARK
The six planters sited around the park have now been replanted with a selection of winter flowering pansies and primulas. These plants should provide for a colourful display in early spring
DECEMBER 1 – ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE
The Christmas tree has been ordered and will be installed in Peace Park, Ystrad (in front of St Stephen’s Church) at approximately 1 December. A lighting contractor will then attach the Christmas lights to provide a seasonal celebration over the holiday period.
DECEMBER 5 – ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT
The annual Christmas Concert organised by Gelligaled Park Community Action Group will again be held in St Stephen’s Church Ystrad at 7.00pm on 5 December.
The programme for the concert has now been finalised and final fine tuning is in discussion with artists to better describe their contribution. Our lady harpists are returning for a third year supporting choirs from Bodringallt Primary School and YGG Bodringallt. A selection of artistes will contribute a programme of quartets, duets and solo elements in the programme complemented by an opportunity for all attending to join in with singing popular carols.
Following the concert all attendees are invited to light refreshments – tea/coffee and mince pie at the Player’s Lounge, Ystrad RFC Clubhouse.
DECEMBER 13 – BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
This year the group are organising a treat for children and parents.
A “Breakfast with Santa” will be held from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon on December 13 at Ystrad RFC Clubhouse. The event will provide a light breakfast and an opportunity for children to meet Father Christmas and tell him directly of their Christmas wishes. All children will be presented with a chocolate selection box as a gift. Tickets priced at £8.95 per child are available from Ystrad RFC clubhouse or may be paid at the door at the event.
Further events are being planned for the Christmas season, so please visit our Facebook page, noticeboard, and web site for any updates.
September Update
Published 17/09/25
OCTOBER – PLANTING IN THE PARK
The colourful display of begonias in the six planters donated by Gelligaled Park Community Action Group over the summer is now coming to an end. A selection of winter flowering pansies and primulas has been purchased and will be planted in the planters in early October to provide colour in late winter/early spring.
DECEMBER 1 – ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE
The Christmas tree has been ordered and will be installed in Peace Park, Ystrad (in front of St Stephen’s Church) at approximately 1 December. A lighting contractor will then attach the Christmas lights to provide a seasonal celebration over the holiday period.
DECEMBER 5 – ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT
The annual Christmas Concert organised by Gelligaled Park Community Action Group will again be held in St Stephen’s Church Ystrad at 7.00pm on 5 December.
Final details for this year’s programme are well advanced and will be detailed in our October update. Again, local schools and artistes will form the solo elements of the programme complemented by an opportunity for all attending to join in with singing popular carols.
Following the concert all attendees are invited to light refreshments – tea/coffee and mince pie at the Player’s Lounge, Ystrad RFC Clubhouse.
DECEMBER 13 – BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
This year the group are organising a treat for children and parents.
A “Breakfast with Santa” will be held at 10.30am on December 13 at Ystrad RFC Clubhouse. The event will provide a light breakfast and an opportunity for children to meet Father Christmas and tell him directly of their Christmas wishes. All children will be presented with a chocolate selection box as a gift.
August Update
Published 15/08/25
Gelligaled Park Community Action Group are organising the following events for Autumn/Winter 2025. Further details will be posted nearer the dates. Please reserve these dates for your diary.
- 10 October: Fund Raising Live Band, Ystrad RFC Clubhouse
- 1 & 2 December: Christmas Tree & Lights, Ystrad Peace Park
- 5 December: Christmas Concert, St Stephen’s Church, Ystrad
- 13 December: Breakfast with Santa, Ystrad RFC Clubhouse
June Update
Published 11/06/25
Thanks To Asda
Karen Thomas, Community Champion – Asda Tonypandy presented a cheque for £2,500 to trustees of Gelligaled Park Community Action Group.
The funds were used to purchase and plant two new planters in the park, adding to the four originally provided by the group. The amount donated by Asda is much appreciated as it allows GPCAG to further improve the facilities and surroundings within Gelligaled Park.
Future, planned activities for 2025 include:
- A Christmas Concert, Friday December 5, 2025, Emmanuel Christian Fellowship Church (Tabernacle) Cross Street, Ystrad.
For further details and regular updates of the group’s ongoing activities and ambitions for the park, visit this website, the group’s Facebook page or from the regular postings at the noticeboard at the park entrance.
May Update
Published 23/05/25
Flower Planters
Two planters have been purchased and will be placed in position at the end of the month. The planters will be sited either side of the path leading into the MUGA. The planters were purchased with the support of funds donated by Asda Foundation Grant. This brings the total number of planters provided by the group to a total of six.
The spring flowers were replaced with summer plants in the four existing planters by trustees and volunteers. This selection of begonias will bring much needed colour through the summer months.
Dates For The Diary
The annual Christmas Carol Concert will again be held on December 5. Unfortunately, it is believed that St Stephen’s Church is closing. However, Emmanuel Christian Fellowship Church in Cross Street, Ystrad have kindly agreed to support us with this year’s concert. The concert will be complemented by the lighted Christmas tree in the Peace Park, Ystrad again forming part of the Christmas activities sponsored by the charity.
Further details of all events will be regularly posted and available on our Facebook page, this website, and on the noticeboard.
Consultations
The group met with cabinet members and officials of RCTCBC in late February to view the park and discuss many areas for improvement. It is great news to receive the announcement that the authority is investing heavily in expanding the existing children’s playground with new play equipment and renewing and improving the skate park and surrounding areas. GPCAG will continue to liaise with officials of RCTCBC to ensure we continue to expand the facilities and appearance of Gelligaled Park. For full details of the Gelligaled Park investment visit: Facebook – Emma Watts & Geraint Jones Labour Councillors for Ystrad and Gelli
Later this year GPCAG will organise a series of public consultations to gain further advice on improving facilities within the park. In previous consultations the provision of a community café came out as a priority. There was also much discussion on what could be done to improve the area around the old paddling pool. Details of dates and methods of consultation will be posted on our Facebook, website, and noticeboards.
April Update
Published 07/04/25
Noticeboard
The noticeboard will provide more accessible information on the group’s activities and those of other park users such as Ystrad RFC and Porth CC.
If you are planning an activity in the park, please let us know so that we can include details on the board.
Flower Planters
A further two planters have been purchased and will be placed in position in late May. The planters will be sited either side of the path leading into the MUGA. The planters were purchased with the support of funds donated by Asda Foundation Grant. This brings the total number of planters provided by the group to a total of six and is bringing much needed colour to the park.
Regrettably, there has been a degree of vandalism. The daffodils planted by the local schools using bulbs provided by the group in 2023 have been torn out and scattered around the park. In addition, plants in the planters have been stolen. These acts deprive park users of the experience of colour and a sense of spring freshness enjoyed by the vast majority of residents and visitors.
Trees
Approximately 16 new saplings have been planted at various points around the park in an effort to replace the mature trees lost to storms and age. These saplings will mature into trees providing a range of colours through flowering and leaf colour. Many thanks to the collaborative efforts of the departments within RCTCBC.
Easter Eggs
The group has funded the purchase of 220 Easter Eggs. These eggs were donated to YGG Bodringallt and Bodringallt Primary for the schools to distribute to each pupil.
Benches
Gelligaled Park Community Action Group is in discussion with RCTCBC Parks Department to fund the purchase of three benches for siting within the park. These benches will provide areas of relaxation for park users and sports spectators.
The benches will complement the six flower planters provide by GPCAG at areas along the central pathway, and the path leading into the MUGA. The group is currently waiting on advice from potential funding sources to assist with the purchase of these benches – the total cost of which is approximately £6,900.
Mindless
Published 12/03/25
In October 2022, Gelligaled Park Community Action Group purchased over 400 daffodil bulbs at a cost of £150 for planting in the park by the four local schools – Ysgol Hen Felin, Pontrhondda Primary School, YGG Bodringallt, and Bodringallt Primary School.
In the spring of 2023, many of these bulbs were lost when vandals rode bikes over the growing plants and tobogganed down the small slope. Now in spring 2025, further mindless vandalism has destroyed the remaining plants.
Many complain at the lack of facilities and loss of beauty in the park but the efforts of those with a genuine love of the park and what it offers the residents of Ystrad and the wider community are frustrated by these mindless and moronic acts of vandalism. Gelligaled Park Community Action Group is working to improve the facilities and attractiveness of the park. In March 2025, in conjunction with RCTCBC, they have initiated a planting exercise to replace trees lost to storms, age, and previous acts of vandalism. The programme has, to date, planted over 16 new trees in the park – flowering cherry, flowering plum, malus, rowan, etc – that will bring colour and shape to many areas. Let us try to make sure that these efforts are not lost.
March News Updates
Published 04/03/25
St. David’s Day Lunch
Gelligaled Park Community Action Group hosted a free St David’s Day lunch at Ystrad RFC Clubhouse on Friday 28 February.
The lunch was attended by over 40 people and consisted of cawl, bread rolls, Welsh cakes, cup-cakes and tea/coffee.
The cawl was prepared by Emma Watts at The Greenfield using vegetables donated by A Andrews (Fruit & Veg) and the meat was donated by Clinton Roberts. Bread rolls were donated by Denise Bevan and the cakes were prepared by Linda Llewellyn. Many thanks to all and to Ystrad RFC for allowing us to use their facilities.
Noticeboard
The group is expanding its reach by easing methods of communication. While the website (www.gelligaledparkcag.cymru) and the group’s Facebook page are regularly visited, they do not reach many who do not use social media. To help reach a wider public, the group has purchased a noticeboard to be installed at the entrance to the park. With the assistance of RCTCBC Parks Dept, the board will be installed in late March.
Noticeboard, Benches And Trees
Published 10/02/25
Noticeboard
The Group is installing a noticeboard at the entrance of the park in late March/early April.
The noticeboard will provide more accessible information on the group’s activities and those of other park users such as Ystrad RFC and Porth CC.
Benches
Gelligaled Park Community Action Group is in discussion with RCTCBC Parks Department to fund the purchase of three benches for siting within the park. These benches will provide areas of relaxation for park users and sports spectators.
The benches will complement the four flower planters provide by GPCAG at areas along the central pathway, and with a further two planters to be installed in late Spring in the area to the sides of the path leading to the Multi-Use Games Area.
Trees
The winter storms have resulted in a loss of more than 23 trees at various sites around the park. In addition to robbing the park of colour and character, the resulting remains of tree stumps contribute to a general air of decay and distress within the park. This detracts from the park’s attraction and gives users a sense of abandonment.
GPCAG has arranged with the appropriate departments within RCTCBC to initiate a planting exercise to replace the lost trees. The planting exercise, which will include a selection of tree types, is intended to return spring and autumn colour to all areas of the park include parts that have previously been much neglected. The planting programme will form part of RCTCBC’s winter planting programme for trees and will replace many of those that have been lost.
Events Programme For First Half 2025
Published 15/01/25
The second successful Christmas Concert organised by the group showed how our community welcome and enjoy an event that brings residents together. Unfortunately, the Christmas tree installed in the Peace Park suffered with Storm Darragh and spent a rather lopsided holiday. However, now that Christmas and New Year are behind us, the group is looking to build community participation in our future events.
Our programme for the first half of 2025 will include:
Further events are being planned for the latter part of 2025 with the intention to hold the third annual Christmas Concert in Ystrad at the year end. Please check back with us on regular intervals for updates and further advice.
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
The tree and lights are up – in time for our annual Christmas Concert on 6 December 2024
The concert includes participants from local artistes – the Melody of Harps includes recognised expert harpists from Ferndale as well as Shrewsbury and Llandrindod Wells. Our keyboard, professional musician is local boy Connor Fogel. Connor is a regarded musician and composer with West End experience and wider recognition. Connor is supported by singers Morgan Stoddart and Sydney Richards providing a wealth of singing talent.
Programmes are available from The Greenfield or from Ystrad RFC clubhouse. Alternatively, programmes can be purchased at the door on the evening.
Along with a programme purchase, attendees are provided with a free raffle ticket. The raffle prizes include a dazzling Christmas hamper, and the draw will take place in St Stephen’s Church Hall immediately after the concert when complimentary refreshments and mince pies will be available to all.
Please come along for an enjoyable programme of music and an opportunity to support a local charity with the ambition of developing facilities in Gelligaled Park and the wider community for all residents.
2023
Flowers Return To The Park
Gelligaled Park C.A.G. are responsible for bringing flowers back to the park. With the financial support of the Neighbourhood Networks Fund and the help of chidlren from Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bodringallt, Ysgol Hen Felin and Bodringallt Primary, we’ve planted daffodil bulbs around the park.
In addition, we funded and purchased several flower planters. Again local children from Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bodringallt and Bodringallt Primary helped to plant the flowers. This project was also supported by ASDA Tonypandy.
Community Christmas Tree
Gelligaled Park C.A.G. funded and organised a community christmas tree and ‘switch-on’ ceremony for Christmas 2023.
Community Christmas Carol Concert
Gelligaled Park C.A.G. also organised a community carol concert that took play in December 2023 in St. Stephen’s Church, Ystrad.