RESIDENTS of Deiniolen gathered at their local school over the weekend to take part in what could be an important project in terms of the village’s future.

The Deiniolen Rural Futures event held was held at Ysgol Gwaun Gynfi on from 10am to 4pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Run by Severn Wye Energy Agency and the BRO Partnership and funded through a grant by the Big Lottery Fund in Wales, the event aimed to address local issues which may affect the future of Deiniolen.

The two-day event included a range of activities, such as a picture and film exhibition which took residents back in time - focusing mainly on the village’s slate-filled past.

Having started in 2017, the programme will support a total of 30 selected communities in the eligible counties of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Powys, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Monmouthshire.

The aim of the project is to support local economic development and help tackle rural issues in these areas.

Adrian Roberts, place co-ordinator for Severn Wye Energy, said: “The good news is that Deiniolen area has been chosen as one of the communities which will be supported during phase one of the Rural Futures Programme.

“I will be working closely with the people of these areas over the next year or so to help them create projects that are important to them.

“I will then be moving onto other communities throughout Wales so that’s why it’s important that the people of these areas in Gwynedd take control from the offset.

“The Rural Futures event itself was a great success as it took guests from the past into the present and made them look to the future too. We had over 200 people attend.”

Those who joined in with the event had the opportunity to share their stories and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of their local area over a cup of tea.

The Rural Futures project supports communities to address issues ranging from employment and income, transport, poor broadband and digital exclusion, housing and fuel poverty, and demand for welfare and advice services.

The aim is to enable people from within communities to identify solutions through developing the potential of their local assets to address challenges. Further info: https://www.ruralfutures.wales/