News 2021
Tree Festival
We were very pleased to support the local Christmas Tree festival at All Saints Church again this year, and our volunteers did an excellent job of making decorations from the woodland at our December volunteers morning. The tree looked very festive, we thought!
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Storm Arwen
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In the ten years we have owned the site, we have never seen anything like the devastation that greeted us on 27th November. The experts tell us that the problem wasn’t just the wind, it was the fact that it came from an unusual direction. Trees set their roots to brace against the prevailing winds, and normally this helps them to withstand gusts. This time, trees were unable to resist, and across the site we had to deal with 18 trees which had fallen across main paths or were dangerously hanging over them. For the first time ever, we had to ask people not to visit the site because we were concerned for their safety. We are very grateful to all the volunteers and to local firm ’Treehogs’ who spent hours clearing up and worked very hard to restore order out of chaos.
Llais y Goedwig Visit |
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On 18th September, we hosted a visit to Maes y Pant from ‘The Gathering’. This is the annual meeting of Llais y Goedwig, a Wales-wide organisation that is described as ‘the voice of community woodlands in Wales’. We are pleased to be a member, and very grateful for the support that they give us. The Gathering this year was held locally, and as part of the programme they asked if they could visit what they described as ‘the inspirational Maes y Pant’. We were flattered as well as delighted to oblige with a tour of the site, and we had some really good discussion about our achievements and our plans.
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Village Scarecrow Trail
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We were very pleased to take part in the village ‘Scarecrow Trail’ in August, and appreciated the creative talents of one of our directors! |
Community Survey
We were delighted with the results of our community survey about the importance of the site to local people, and the opinions about building a new play area. These graphs are taken from the results - 116 people took part. It confirms how much the local community value the site.
Actors by the Alyn
In July we were delighted that the former play area was used by a group called ‘Actors by the Alyn’ a children’s theatre group based in Rossett. Covid rules meant that they were not able to show off their talents (and hard work) to parents and relatives in their usual venue, but our open air space was ideal. A good time was had all.
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Repair to the Viewpoint Plaque
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We are very grateful to a ‘Friend of Maes y Pant’ (who chooses to remain anonymous) for his sterling work repairing the ‘orientation plaque’ at the viewpoint. It looks much better, and we are very impressed: Thank you! |
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Volunteering is back!
On Saturday June 5th we were able to hold our first volunteers'day for over a year.
A big thank you to everyone who came - we had a really good turnout, and got lots of valuable work done. The damaged play equipment is now almost all cleared, and we hope to remove the remaining logs next time, so that the site will be ready to receive the new equipment we are planning. We also did lots of very useful work securing and maintaining pathways including the steps up to the viewpoint. We look forward to re-establishing a regular programme of volunteer days again in the coming months.
A big thank you to everyone who came - we had a really good turnout, and got lots of valuable work done. The damaged play equipment is now almost all cleared, and we hope to remove the remaining logs next time, so that the site will be ready to receive the new equipment we are planning. We also did lots of very useful work securing and maintaining pathways including the steps up to the viewpoint. We look forward to re-establishing a regular programme of volunteer days again in the coming months.
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The Bench at the Viewpoint - 19th May
Martin Ducey was a very important figure in the early days of Maes y Pant, and was one of the group of people who worked hard to secure the site for the community. Sadly, he passed away before the land changed hands, but he is remembered at the bench at the Viewpoint.
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We have known for a while that the ground in front of the bench had worn away, and the bench was difficult to sit on, even for people with long legs! The push to do something about it, tho’, was when six year old Benjamin asked to go and visit Grandad Martin’s bench, and was very disappointed when he got there to find that he couldn’t get on it.
Making the bench more accessible was obviously important for everyone who wanted to sit on it, and we put our thinking caps on. A step needed to be substantial to be safe, but the site is a long way from any vehicle access. Anything big and heavy needed to be in smaller units to be transportable. We came up with the idea of a decking arrangement - wedges underneath to make a flat base, and decking planks to make a platform. Add in some concrete, stone blocks and a railway sleeper to make a solid edge, and Hey Presto! Anti-slip decking paint to go on the surface, and Martin’s bench is accessible again. P.S. The quadrant ‘identifier’ map from the Viewpoint is being repaired and will be replaced shortly.
We have known for a while that the ground in front of the bench had worn away, and the bench was difficult to sit on, even for people with long legs! The push to do something about it, tho’, was when six year old Benjamin asked to go and visit Grandad Martin’s bench, and was very disappointed when he got there to find that he couldn’t get on it.
Making the bench more accessible was obviously important for everyone who wanted to sit on it, and we put our thinking caps on. A step needed to be substantial to be safe, but the site is a long way from any vehicle access. Anything big and heavy needed to be in smaller units to be transportable. We came up with the idea of a decking arrangement - wedges underneath to make a flat base, and decking planks to make a platform. Add in some concrete, stone blocks and a railway sleeper to make a solid edge, and Hey Presto! Anti-slip decking paint to go on the surface, and Martin’s bench is accessible again. P.S. The quadrant ‘identifier’ map from the Viewpoint is being repaired and will be replaced shortly.
10th Anniversary Appeal - 15th March
The children’s play area was installed in 2017, with the aid of a grant from Tesco’s ‘Bags of Help’ fund. Last December one wall of the ‘fort’ was vandalised, and the remaining structure had to be taken down. The play area was closed whilst the directors considered how to make repairs. Unfortunately, on 26th February we found that the perimeter log wall had been broken down in several places and the area is not safe. Repairs are not possible, and it needs to be dismantled completely.
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We know from the messages of support we’ve received from the community how much the play area has been appreciated over the past few years, and we have started an appeal to raise funds to replace it. We estimate it will cost about £30,000 to provide more robust new play equipment and fencing. We are actively seeking grants, but we will need to provide some funds ourselves, too, hence this appeal. It is ten years this year since MyPAG took over the site, so we are making this our ‘tenth anniversary appeal’. We are delighted with the response so far - Thank you very much to everyone who has been so generous. If you would like to contribute, please go to www.gofundme.com/10th-anniversary-appeal
We know from the messages of support we’ve received from the community how much the play area has been appreciated over the past few years, and we have started an appeal to raise funds to replace it. We estimate it will cost about £30,000 to provide more robust new play equipment and fencing. We are actively seeking grants, but we will need to provide some funds ourselves, too, hence this appeal. It is ten years this year since MyPAG took over the site, so we are making this our ‘tenth anniversary appeal’. We are delighted with the response so far - Thank you very much to everyone who has been so generous. If you would like to contribute, please go to www.gofundme.com/10th-anniversary-appeal
Car Park - Open
From today, March 13th, Covid 19 restrictions in Wales have moved from 'Stay at Home' to 'Stay Local'. The car park at Maes y Pant has therefore been reopened .
Play Area Closed - February
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We're sorry that we have had to close the play area for the foreseeable future. A combination of rotting wood and some vandalism means that we are concerned about safety. We are putting together plans to replace it, so watch this space for news about fundraising. |
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New Bike Route Signs
New signs have been erected at the main entrance and on the top path this weekend (21/22 February). They indicate the 'one way' circular route for bikes and the way to the bike trails. We will be adding further signs along the route as soon as we can.
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Car Park Closed - January
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The Maes y Pant car park is closed until the current lockdown restrictions are eased. Please do not drive to the site to exercise. We have been advised by our PCSO that there has been a significant increase in the number of cars at Maes Y Pant with people driving to exercise on site. Please can we remind everyone that the current exercise guidelines in Wales state, 'Your exercise should start and finish from your home' and 'this should not involve people driving to a location away from home'. (gov.wales) Thank you for helping to keep the people in our community safe. |
EssentialsMag Article - January
By Chair Ian Happs
This is my first ‘MyPAG update’ for EssentialsMag, and I’d like to start by acknowledging the debt we owe to the two Trustees who stood down at our AGM in October.
Trevor Britton has put a huge amount of work into MyPAG over many years, most recently as Chair, and on behalf of the Trustees and the community I’d like to pay tribute to everything that he’s achieved.
We are very grateful, and pleased that he is staying on the Board, so that we can continue to benefit from his expertise.
I’d also like to thank Sue Kelly, who retired as secretary at the same meeting. Sue’s amazing skills with fundraising and grant applications mean it is no exaggeration to say that without her input the site would never have been secured for the community in the first place.
Sue has been a mainstay of the organisation ever since, and she will be much missed.
Thank you, both!
The new cycling routes seem to be working well. By the time you read this, the permanent signs will be in place, and we are grateful for the support of both cyclists and pedestrians in keeping to the paths and sharing the site safely.
The next five year plan has now been approved by the Trustees, and I’m very pleased that it follows the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t mend it’ philosophy. This has been a difficult and turbulent year, and we are conscious that Maes y Pant has been a much-needed and
much-appreciated haven of peace and tranquility for many people and a vital refuge for wildlife. Looking ahead, we intend to continue trying to balance the needs of the many different users, along with our fundamental remits of conservation and community resource.
We are aware that the increase in visitors using the site has impacted on our neighbours, especially with car parking, and we ask everyone to be mindful of other people’s needs.
As the new signs say, ‘Share with Care!”
We are hopeful that the regular volunteer groups which used to meet monthly will be able to restart in the new year, and look forward to more people being able to be involved. If ‘hands-on’ isn’t for you, you can always become a ‘Friend’, using the information in the ‘About us’ tab of our website, www.maes-y-pant.com
This is my first ‘MyPAG update’ for EssentialsMag, and I’d like to start by acknowledging the debt we owe to the two Trustees who stood down at our AGM in October.
Trevor Britton has put a huge amount of work into MyPAG over many years, most recently as Chair, and on behalf of the Trustees and the community I’d like to pay tribute to everything that he’s achieved.
We are very grateful, and pleased that he is staying on the Board, so that we can continue to benefit from his expertise.
I’d also like to thank Sue Kelly, who retired as secretary at the same meeting. Sue’s amazing skills with fundraising and grant applications mean it is no exaggeration to say that without her input the site would never have been secured for the community in the first place.
Sue has been a mainstay of the organisation ever since, and she will be much missed.
Thank you, both!
The new cycling routes seem to be working well. By the time you read this, the permanent signs will be in place, and we are grateful for the support of both cyclists and pedestrians in keeping to the paths and sharing the site safely.
The next five year plan has now been approved by the Trustees, and I’m very pleased that it follows the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t mend it’ philosophy. This has been a difficult and turbulent year, and we are conscious that Maes y Pant has been a much-needed and
much-appreciated haven of peace and tranquility for many people and a vital refuge for wildlife. Looking ahead, we intend to continue trying to balance the needs of the many different users, along with our fundamental remits of conservation and community resource.
We are aware that the increase in visitors using the site has impacted on our neighbours, especially with car parking, and we ask everyone to be mindful of other people’s needs.
As the new signs say, ‘Share with Care!”
We are hopeful that the regular volunteer groups which used to meet monthly will be able to restart in the new year, and look forward to more people being able to be involved. If ‘hands-on’ isn’t for you, you can always become a ‘Friend’, using the information in the ‘About us’ tab of our website, www.maes-y-pant.com
