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County Hall
Rhadyr
Usk
Monmouthshire
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Projects
Abergavenny Castle Events Feasibility Study
A feasibility study to identify the potential for events in both the castle grounds and within the museum building. This would include extensive community and business consultation to ensure that any events complement rather than compete with the existing local offer and have a sustainable legacy.
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Abergavenny Lido feasibility study
To fund a feasibility study on the return of a Lido to Abergavenny.
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Awareness Raising on Community Led Renewable Energy
This project provided both on-line and off-line marketing material in the form of a short film and summary leaflet focussing on the opportunities available for community led renewable energy in The Vale of Usk region.
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Baseline research into Non-statutory Services
The project identified non-statutory areas of activity significant to the rural community in The Vale of Usk by focussing on five separate communities, four in Monmouthshire, one in Newport.
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Be. Community Leadership Programme
The purpose of the ‘Vale of Usk Community Leadership Academy’ is to provide a suite of training and personal development opportunities at low or no cost to people who give their own time to support their communities.
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BEES
The BEES project was about bringing together beekeepers from across South East Wales to explore and develop a local/regional Queen Bee breeding programme to supply a quality bee with good characteristics and survivability to meet the needs of the local market.
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Building Resource for Farm Enterprise
The overall aim is to develop a pilot programme to support the local food economy so that more food consumed in Monmouthshire is produced in the region. whilst recognising that the issues are complex , this will entail significant expansion of sustainable production, stronger local supply chains and support for new small sustainable and profitable farming enterprises in the region.
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Carbon Literacy for Communities
The Carbon Literacy Project is an internationally recognised peer to peer training programme that promotes climate change understanding and empowers individuals/organisations to make positive change to reduce emissions.
This LAG project aims to support the further roll-out of the training by targeting community organisations who hold or manage assets where action must be accelerated to help us reach our net zero ambitions by the 2030 deadline.
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Catering Education Study
The Vale of Usk LAG commissioned a scoping study taking into account the catering education needs in the Vale of Usk area, with a view to developing it as a centre for culinary and culinary education excellence, building on its reputation as the “Food Capital of Wales”.
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Cluster Schools Education Project
The Aim of the project is to develop an active partnership with local schools and Abergavenny Food Forum. It is intended to develop a circular pilot project which will encompass all phases of produce /cooking /composting /growing /planting / vegetable harvest.• Educate pupils in provenance of foods – the growing cycle and seasonality and encourage different aspects of food cycle education in a practical manner, encourage shared experiences and influence curriculum activity.
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Communication First
The project is focussed on increasing communication for people living in Monmouthshire with complex needs, with particular emphasis on non-verbal individuals. At present software exists that can assist individuals to communicate thoughts and feelings in more comprehensive and meaningful ways, which are not being explored at present within the county.
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Creative Arts Co-Working Study
The Aim of the project was: To determine the appetite/feasibility of a technical, digital and creative co-working space(s) within the Vale of Usk Region.
The project will
-Build a fuller understanding of the tech, digital and creative sectors in the Vale of Usk
-Establish the appetite for co-working space in the Vale of Usk
-Determine the feasibility and optimum location, site and design of such a work space(s) and identify a model for this facility that is suited to the needs and challenges of rural areas (right mix of services)
-Produce a recommendation report from the above points
The Total Cost of the Project is approx. £10,000 with RDP funding of £8,000
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Creative Communities Toolkit
This project will run over a two year period and will provide a ‘Creative Communities Toolkit’ that will assist rural communities in Newport and Monmouthshire to become more resilient and sustainable. The kit will guide community groups through the process of setting priorities for their areas, allowing and encouraging them to take ownership of the community where they work, live and play.
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Digital Open Badges
The proposed project is to develop a digital evaluation tool which will deliver training, measure competencies and offer a platform for enhanced development of digital skills.
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Economies of the Future Study
The Aim of the Study was ‘To provide valuable insight and future thinking to guide economic growth in Monmouthshire in order to address current economic issues and capitalise on the forthcoming regional opportunities’
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eDNA Fungi and Beetles
This project is wildlife based and focuses on grassland, concentrating on two different, often overlooked species groups, with a common thread running through it of e(nvironmental) DNA.
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Eisteddfod Country Kitchen
This project funded eight days of activities based around local food by promoting local chefs, eateries, ingredients and signature dishes to Eisteddfod visitors. It engaged with local schoolchildren and offered a demonstration kitchen.
The Vale of Usk LAG approved the application on 4th May 2016. Organisation and delivery of the activities took place from 29th July. The total cost of the project was £31,760, with an RDP contribution of £25210
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Energy Days
Monmouthshire Community Climate Champions pulled together a series of Energy Days to mark EU Sustainable Energy Week. The aim of EU Sustainable Energy Week was to promote secure, clean and efficient energy, and increase sustainable energy choices.
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Eurocook
The aim of this project was to teach language skills and knowledge of another cuisine and culture at the same time as catering skills.
The project was a pilot using the Italian language but it could have equally be delivered in other languages as appropriate. The learning was linked to cookery sessions with an Italian cuisine.
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Farm Options Study
To conduct a study into the potential future uses of a Monmouthshire county farm. The tenancy of the farm lapses, without a renewal requirement in early 2022.
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Farming Community Network Exhibition Unit
Farming Community Network (FCN) has obtained funding for a mobile facility to assist farming families and rural communities and offer them help with numerous issues such as health, ICT, and emergency services. With the Covid-19 virus, it is more important than ever. Specifically, funding is required to convert an existing unit and then to maintain it in roadworthy condition.
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Food Hubs Feasibility Study
The aim of this project was to conduct a feasibility study into the development of a food hub within The Vale of Usk LAG region. The study will identify current provision of food/produce and offer an evaluation of the different activities to shorten supply chains. It will evaluate the best options for the area and look at potential, suitable models of distribution in the UK and other countries. This will work towards ascertaining the most appropriate solution for the Vale of Usk and, if appropriate, the most suitable food hub model.
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Fully Charged
The aim of the project is to increase awareness of the potential economic benefits of installing car charging points in The Vale of Usk by running a 12 month pilot.
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Halls Together
There are approximately 80 community facilities in Monmouthshire and 15 within the rural wards of Newport. These facilities are valuable assets to the communities and are often underutilised. Each tends to work in isolation, so rarely takes advantage of any opportunities to share their own experience, and contribute to the ‘wellbeing’ of all other community facilities in the region.
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IoT and Independent Living
To pilot digital solutions enabling individuals with care needs to live safely and independently at home.
At the same time, there are still areas where connectivity to digital networks precludes access to any beneficial opportunities.
For the individual to benefit from digital technologies there must be:
1 Digital connectivity/network capability within the home
2 Informed knowledge of the digital technologies that are available, and how they can be installed and operated.
3 The ability to assess need and correlate these needs to digital technology capabilities
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Living Levels Accommodation Pilot
This project is for a study into visitor accommodation in the Gwent levels area to identify suitable options that are likely to be granted permission. Two pilot applications will be supported through the process.
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Llanover Community Halls Cluster
To trial the digital exploitation of community hubs by focusing on four villages within the Llanover ward of Monmouthshire
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Magor Three Fields Community Trust
LEADER funding was used to carry-out a Supply and Demand survey of all businesses, residents and voluntary organisations within Undy, Magor and surrounding communities.
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Master Planning for Heat Networks
To undertake an energy mapping and modelling study of The Vale of Usk area to identify potentially useful heating, cooling and power demand loads and potentially useful heat supply opportunities for the purposes of district energy scheme development.
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MCBT Educational Boat
The Community Boat project aims to renovate a canal barge and base the boat on the Monmouthshire Brecon Canal at Goytre Wharf, from where it would run regular trips for families and school parties, together with special trips for disabled and disadvantaged groups. The boat will be run as a community resource with any surplus income, over-and-above running costs being reinvested into education, canal maintenance and restoration.
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Mountain Bike Guides Training
The project is to provide additional recognised training & further skills training to Mountain Bike Guiding Business and volunteer MB guides for cycling clubs, enabling additional/enhanced activities to be provided to the customers and mountain bike clubs, as well as developing the reputation and professionalism of mountain biking in the Vale of Usk.
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Nature Isn’t Neat!
This project will develop an area based pilot approach (village or town) to becoming a Pollinator Friendly area. It will engage with stakeholders to raise awareness to the need for all pollinators and what actions each of us can do to help reverse the decline in pollinators.
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Pen y Cae (off grid energy study)
The aim for this funding is to produce a costed feasibility study for an off-grid property which will become a small bothy-style centre for residential and day outdoor education activities.
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Renewable Energy Community Schemes (RECS)
A detailed feasibility study to identify acreage suitable for woodland planting, advise on the contribution to the reduction of surface water run-off from community orchards and identify suitable watercourses for the installation of micro hydro schemes with the direct benefit of providing power for local community use.
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Restoring White-tailed Eagles to Wales
A study to assess the feasibility of re-establishing a breeding population of White-tailed Eagles (WTE) within Monmouthshire, Newport, and the South Wales coast, restoring what was once part of Wales’ biodiversity, culture, and heritage prior to their extinction in the early 19th Century. Recent research has identified WTEs as a key missing component of marine and freshwater ecosystems in Wales.
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Robotics in the Community
The aim is to carry out a pilot for an outreach community education programme to help technologically-vulnerable people adjust to new technologies and engage with Robotics and AI at the advent of Industry 4.0.
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Rogiet Community Shop & Cafe
The concise aim at this stage of the project is to prepare to implement a permanent Community Shop and Café in Rogiet and to ensure we meet all the community, legal and statutory requirements associated with the pre funding bid stages of providing a new build community shop and café.
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Rural Transport Study
The Aim of this study was to understand the dynamics of rural transport in the Vale of Usk region and to develop suitable recommendations to solve the issues uncovered.
The Study contract was awarded to Systra Ltd which commenced on the 28th September 2017 and was completed February 2018.
The total project was £23,250 with RDP Leader funding £18,600
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Social Media Tourism Campaign
A social media tourism film campaign.
Around fifty, 30 second filmed local recommendations of visitor destinations within the Vales of Usk, places, events, activities.
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St Mary’s Priory Centre Project
The Priory Church of St Mary was originally a Benedictine priory founded in 1087 dissolved in 1538 then became the Parish Church of Abergavenny by gift of Henry VIII, and is sometimes called the Westminster Abbey of Wales. The Priory Church of St Mary is home to numerous unique treasures, the most extraordinary is the Jesse, carved from a single piece of oak in the 15th century; this depiction of the lineage of Christ is the only one of its kind in the UK and probably the world.
This project is £7,640 RDP Leader funding
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Tintern Abbey Trail Project
This project will develop and install a iBeacon trail around Tintern. Locations, with stories relating to Tintern Abbey, will be identified for a short walking trail outside the Abbey site and into the village; the project will include identification of locations, engaging interpretation, development of an app, installation of iBeacon technology and a bilingual guide leaflet.
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TV White Space Broadband Pilot
The aim of the project was to investigate and trial a newly available broadband technology which would enable rural communities to enjoy the same digital connectivity as in urban areas and, if successful, would be replicable in other rural areas.
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Usk Campus Development Study
This project commissioned external independent consultants to undertake a two stage study into potential developments at the Usk campus of Coleg Gwent.
The Usk site is an underutilised asset and it is clear it has potential to add more value to learning, local tourism and recreation offer, community benefit, and provide a sustainable income stream to support Coleg Gwent’s key activity.
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Venison Study
The feasibility study investigated the production, marketing and sale of locally produced wild venison in and around the Wye Valley AONB. The study area included woodlands experiencing highest impact from deer between Symonds Yat, Chepstow and Wentwood.
The cost of the project was £10,200 total project with RDP contribution being £4800.
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Village Hall Energy Make Over
The basic premise of this proposal is to select an energy deficient rural village hall and assist hall management with the securing of capital funding to improve its energy efficiency.
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Visitor Information Project
This project aims to develop a more sustainable visitor information across the Vale of Usk area. Activities will include a review of current provision and support and identify and develop appropriate local solutions.
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Wye Valley Woodland Project
The aim of the project was to inform, educate and advise landowners and the general public about protected woodlands of the Wye Valley and Monmouthshire and promote activity that would lead to their continued conservation and enhancement
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