Reawakening the South Wales industrial environment: Pontypridd Canal Conservation Group – Pontypridd, South Wales - 27/04/2016

We’re thrilled to reveal the five treasure organisations that will be receiving funding through our first ever Global Giving Circle. These five treasures show the fantastic range of Welsh culture and heritage being celebrated across the world.

Since 2010, the Pontypridd Canal Conservation Group has been steadfastly working towards the restoration of the only remaining double-lock system on the Glamorganshire Canal, which was instrumental in its contribution to the growth of South Wales as global industrial hub.

Many decades on from the demise of Welsh coal, there are only two lengths of the Glamorganshire Canal still in water - at Forest Farm, North Cardiff, and at Pontypridd.  

The project relies entirely on a group of mostly retired local volunteers who benefit both from the physical and social aspects of the work as well as from the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of local history. 

The Group’s next plan is to remove a large reinforced concrete dam installed as part of a conversion of the lock chambers into water tanks in the 1950s. This will be no small task, especially as the intricacy of the space means that the work can only be carried out by hand. Donations to the Global Giving Circle will allow the group to hire the tools they need to breathe life into a significant area of Welsh industrial heritage.

The Global Giving Circle is a new way of giving back to Wales uniting a worldwide network of donors in showing their love for Wales. Donate today by visiting the Global Giving Circle JustGiving page and support these ‘Welsh Treasure’ organisations working in communities around the world.

All donations received up to our first £5,000 target will be matched pound for pound, and split equally between the five treasures, thanks to the Pears Foundation. Once this target has been reached, all additional donations will go to our Fund for Wales endowment to support local communities across Wales, and will also be matched thanks to our Fund for Wales Big Lottery Match Challenge.