Chief Executive Update
Neil Kinnerly • April 9, 2020
Share post
Below, the Chief Executive writes his thoughts on how the Town Council are facing the current crisis, our support for the local food bank and how we can all pull together during these difficult times:
Hi everyone and a Happy Easter to you all. I trust the coming few days will be enjoyable for you despite the current restrictions that we are all experiencing. It certainly is a very strange period for many of us and this Easter holiday will be like none other I suspect. Like many of you I will be missing spending time with my sons, their partners and our gorgeous granddaughters but we will be following government advice to stay indoors to protect others and in our small way to help ease the pressure on the NHS.
The Town Council has been through a period of steep change in recent weeks and like so many other organisations we are adjusting to all that this means for our staff and our working practises. A number of our activities have been significantly scaled back and we are adapting to video conferencing and using technology a lot more. I thought it would be good to tell you about one of the things we have been doing which is working with and supporting Pontypridd Foodbank and our local supermarkets to ensure that the most vulnerable among us are cared for and have enough to eat. We are partnering with Cllr Andrew Morgan and his teams at RCT Council along with Mandy and her team at the foodbank to ensure that stocks of food which had reduced in recent weeks are kept high enough to meet increased demand. Last week the foodbank fed nearly six times more people in a week than in the same period a year ago! This is scary but not unsurprising as many people have lost their jobs or are finding life challenging at the moment. Coming on top of the recent floods it does seem that Pontypridd and the surrounding area has had more than its fair share of challenges recently. As you will see from the photos Mandy and her team are continuing their brilliant work (whilst keeping 2m apart as much as possible) and have moved to delivering food parcels rather than people calling to the foodbank which reduces travel, the number of visitors and the chances of infection. The wonderful folk at TraVol Community Transport are using their fleet of vehicles and their volunteers to deliver the parcels on behalf of the foodbank … so massive thanks to them.
So why write this short message? Well, firstly, to say a huge thank you and well done to all those community groups – such as the foodbank – who are caring for and serving their communities at this difficult time. The wonderful spirit and desire to help that I saw during the flooding and in recent weeks has moved me once again. I love how our communities look after their own and want to make sure no one goes without. Secondly, and importantly, to ask for your help. When you go shopping in the coming days/weeks please remember to put a little something in the foodbank collection points (the big baskets near the tills). Donations have been down recently because of limits on what can be purchased and because people are naturally concerned for their own families. However, please – if you are able – buy an extra couple of tins (e.g. fish, meat, fruit, veg, potatoes, UHT milk) or packets (e.g. mash) of something and put it in the collection points near the tills. You just don’t know what a difference that will make to someone who is unable to put food on the table for their families at the moment.
Thanks for reading and again … have a restful and blessed Easter weekend.”
Tony Graham
Chief Executive/Town Clerk – Pontypridd Town Council
Recent Posts
A Summer-long extravaganza for all the family!
Meadow Street Community Garden Welcomes the Prince and Princess of Wales
COMMUNITY AND OUTDOOR INITIATIVES OFFICER (PRIMARILY BASED AT MEADOW STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN) 34 hours per week Actual Salary: £25,058 (based on NJC SCP 11 FTE £27,269 pa) This post is funded until 31 st March 2026 after which a decision will be made on retaining the role subject to funding. Following recent staff changes, the Town Council wish to recruit an energetic Community Engagement and Outdoor Projects Officer who will work closely with the Community Development Manager and her team to implement our community engagement and outdoor project plans primarily based at our award winning Meadow Street Community Garden but also assisting at our various assets across the Town Council area. This role will be crucial in continuing the work of establishing the Town Council as a key anchor organisation within the area and ideally will develop or community engagement strategy as part of the Council’s Forward Development Plan (which is available on our website). This role will be important in continuing the development and success of the Community Garden and taking the learning from this project to other projects. The right candidate for the post will be creative, knowledgeable in this area, enthusiastic and be excited to work with us to expand and enhance our community offering and help support, grow and expand this project, dealing with community groups and the public and initiating other forward facing projects and events. If you feel you meet the requirements, then please contact us. There will be an opportunity to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Please apply using the application form answering all questions and addressing the job description and person specification in detail. The application form should be submitted along with a covering letter and no CVs are required. The closing date for applications is 9.00am Monday 24 th March. To apply please visit: Latest Staff and Casual Vacancies For further information please email info@pontypriddtowncouncil.gov.uk or telephone: 01443 490740.