Celebrating new community learning investments at the Rhondda campus

In the past year, the college has been hard at work at the Rhondda campus to develop a variety of new facilities and provisions to enrich learning experiences.

Over £4m of community learning investments, which are part-funded by Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme, form part of the college’s plans to continually invest in new facilities and equipment that will allow learners across its catchment area to have access to the latest training opportunities and career paths. 

On Wednesday 17 November, we celebrated the completion of our new campus facilities and the opportunities created for the college community.

The event invited learners, staff, and guests from the wider Rhondda community to discover how the new investments are helping to continue Coleg y Cymoedd’s commitment in creating a ‘true community college’, which includes the creation of new partnerships formed with local community groups.

In addition to presentations delivered by the Principal Karen Phillips and Deputy Principal Jonathan Morgan, guests were invited to join a tour of the campus, followed by a lunch cooked and served by the college’s catering learners at the recently opened Colliery 19 restaurant.

Carolyn Donegan, Director of Learner and Campus Services at Coleg y Cymoedd’s Rhondda campus, said: “The journey from planning to developing the new facilities has not been easy with many hurdles along the way.

“With the major facilities now completed, we’re overjoyed to see how far we’ve come since the project’s early stages.  Welcoming and celebrating the new investments at the event was an amazing experience and we’re excited to see the new opportunities these will bring to our staff, learners and wider Rhondda community.”

The latest investments at the Rhondda campus include the opening of a new fully equipped workshop and craft room, a purpose-built restaurant and advanced culinary training facility, and modern shower and changing facilities for the campus sports field. With learners and staff having made a return to in-person teaching, the new spaces will provide learners with the space, tools, and resources they need to gain industry-standard training that will help them excel in their chosen career.

A dedicated room designed to help learners with additional learning needs (ALN) to develop independent living skills, has been developed to ensure that Coleg y Cymoedd’s provisions for ALN learners meet the standards set out by Welsh Government’s ALN Bill.

Alongside the brand-new provisions, the college has formed partnerships with local community groups such as Welsh Rugby Union’s women’s teams, Ysgol Hen Felin, Rhondda Cynon Taf’s Youth Engagement and Participation Service, and dance and drama charitable group Ransack Dance. These partnerships aim to strengthen the college’s relationship with the wider community and further enrich learning experiences across the college through the introduction of new initiatives facilitated by the groups and held at the Rhondda campus.

Carolyn added: “The new facilities mean that we are able to host more events and initiatives directly at the campus which both learners and members of the public can benefit from.

“Through the college’s partnerships with the wider Rhondda community, learners and staff can have access to a network of local groups and organisations right on their doorstep and enrich their learning and teaching experience further.”

Share!