A COMMUNITY centre open day aiming to provide Amman Valley residents with opportunities for the future is taking place this Thursday.

The focus of the Cwmaman Community Centre event is to allow local residents to enroll on community education courses, join local clubs, or even start up their own local club, and to begin reinstating the Centre as a hub of community activity.

The centre has been working closely with partner providers WEA Cymru, Coleg Sir Gar, LearnDirect, Swansea University (DACE) and Aberystwyth University to ensure that they can provide access to as broad a range of topics as possible.

Cwmaman Town Council recognises the vital role that education, skills and qualifications can play in a person’s life chances.

As a result, the Centre has identified providers of everything from needlecraft to history and counselling to woodcarving to ensure that all residents can access the service at a level appropriate to their needs.

During the open day, there will be a number of providers present to discuss courses, a range of demonstrations to inspire peoples’ interests and also free refreshments and activities for children, and the opportunity for children to record their wishes for their local area.

Cwmaman Community Development Officer, Rovert Venus, said: “Having worked in education for a number of years, this is a topic that is very close to my heart.

“I have seen first-hand the impact that a robust community education service can have on the lives of individuals and it has an important role to play as a stepping stone, a source of encouragement and confidence, for people to move forward into college and university”

Cllr Kevin Madge, Mayor of Cwmaman, said: “Community education doesn’t only help improve the skills locally; it plays an important role in the social lives and personal well-being of the individuals that engage with it.

“In Cwmaman we hope to provide access to enjoyable social activity and to support developing skills in equal measure. We have a number of excellent partner providers onboard and I am looking forward to the exciting times ahead”

The open day takes place on Thursday, August 11 from 11am until 6pm and for further information or queries you can email education@cwmamantc.org.