Communities First
The Communities First Programme is a Welsh Assembly Government initiative. It is an outcome focused programme working in the most deprived areas of Wales.
The new phase of the programme will concentrate on three strands: Learning, Prosperity and Health.
There are now four Communities First Clusters in Neath Port Talbot:
- Neath Cluster which includes, Neath Town Centre, Neath East, Fairyland and Briton Ferry.
- Afan Cluster, which includes Glyncorrwg, Cymmer, Gwynfi, Cwmafan and Pelenna.
- Western Valleys Cluster, which includes Banwen, onllywn, seven sisters and Ystragynlias and Ystalyfera.
- Sandfields/Aberavon Cluster
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council are Lead Delivery Body for the Neath, Afan and Western Valley Cluster and NSA Afan are the Lead Delivery Body for the Sandfields and Aberavon Cluster.
The structure of the LA clusters are predominately the same across the three areas, consisting of a cluster manager, three project managers and three development officers. The Neath and Afan Clusters also have a specific employment & Skills development worker.
All four of the clusters has had their delivery programmes agreed and have individual project plans for each of the three main themes for this programme. As well as the project plans each cluster has also produced an engagement strategy, which outlines how the cluster will engage with their communities and other organisations to meet their stated outcomes.
Officer Contacts –
- Communities First Strategic Officer – Angeline Spooner Cleverly
- Cluster Manager Afan – Mari Shufflebotham
- Cluster Manager Western Valley – Dean Cawsey
- Cluster Manager Neath – David Edwards
- Cluster Manager Sandfields & Aberavon – Christine Esposito