Old St Mellons, South Glamorgan

Old St Mellons, South Glamorgan, has won the Communcations category for the 2008 Calor Village of the Year® award for Wales.

With a population of just under 1,800, the village of Old St Mellons is situated to the north east of Cardiff in South Glamorgan.

Despite its close proximity to Cardiff, Old St Mellons is very successful at maintaining a ‘village’ feel with a warm and welcoming community that is proud of what it has achieved to benefit residents of all ages and is keen to share its success.

Excellent local facilities include a pre-school housed within the Village Hall which fulfils an ever-increasing need for quality, rural day care. The local primary school is also central to village life and pupils are encouraged to get involved in the many events organised by the Community Council.

A thriving Village Association, which organises events and raises funds to invest back into the community, also plays a key role in Old St Mellons’ village life.

Both young and old are encouraged to get involved in the decision making process within the village. Surveys specific to their requirements are being prepared and all residents are encouraged to join members of the Community Council at their monthly meetings.

When it comes to communications, Old St Mellons is particularly successful. New residents are welcomed into community life with a Community Council newsletter, noticeboards located throughout the village, a church website and a fantastic village website (www.oldstmellons.co.uk).

This website is not only a great source of information for villagers; it also holds information relating to events and facilities that might be of interest to visitors thus encouraging tourism.

ICT (information communication technology) is being used innovatively in the community with a webcam that can be accessed via the village website.