Projects

SWOAPG has been involved in various one-off projects since its inception, including:

Valleys Regional Park (2014)

Valleys Regional Park is an exciting, dynamic initiative to co-ordinate, drive and promote activities related to the environment and heritage and associated tourism activities across the valleys of South Wales, working in conjunction with the Welsh Government’s Heads of the Valleys and Western Valleys Regeneration Programmes, with marketing through the Valleys ‘Heart & Soul’ campaign, to change the reality and perceptions of the Valleys as a highly-desirable place to live, work and visit.

Over forty partners are involved to deliver these activities in a more effective, collaborative approach, both cross-sector and cross-boundary, towards a regional vision.

The overall objective is to enhance and promote the Valleys’ outstanding environmental and cultural assets thereby helping to regenerate the area.

The partnership’s activities cover the area that was essentially the former South Wales coalfield, defined as the Valleys Regional Park in the Wales Spatial Plan.

SWOAPG attends VRP Activity Group meetings and represents Members’ interests in this project.

The Big Pitch (2013)

Congratulations to Goleg Gwent – Valleys Marketing Team for Winning the Big Pitch 2013

Also prizes for 1st and 2nd Runners up went to – Team SWAG (Ystrad Mynach College) and Reality (Bridgend College)

You can watch a video on the project here

Blue Green Gym (2012)

SWOAPG was involved in the “Blue Green Gym pilot” . The Blue Green Gym (BGG) concept is focused on creating a memorable outdoor experience within the natural environment of the South Wales valleys, in the area bounded by the Valleys Regional Park (VRP).

The vision of the BGG is two-fold:-

  1. The BGG becomes the product / investment of choice for those organisations looking to deliver on their corporate social responsibility and gain access to high quality personal development training;
  2. That the BGG is a service that can be tailored to disadvantaged community sectors to provide a range of benefits including health and well-being, environmental awareness and economic opportunities.

Two pilot schemes were being designed for roll-out in 2012:

  1. Community product
  2. Corporate product

SWOAPG representatives sat on the BGG steering group seeking to protect and further the interests of our members and to ensure a collaborative approach to designing project pilots. A crucial aspect of our involvement has and continues to be ensuing that the pilot schemes:

  1. Are complementary to the existing service provision offered by providers;
  2. Do not displace or replace existing service provision by providers;
  3. Are innovative, different and new to attract new business into the Valleys; and
  4. Maximise the opportunities for members in terms of new business, staff training and recruitment.