Welcome to the Ynyshir & Wattstown Communities First website.

 

Ynyshir meaning "long island" or "long meadow" housed the Lady Lewis, Ynyshir and Standard Collieries.

Wattstown was named after Edmund Watts who sunk the National (Cwtch) Colliery in 1881.

 

Before the sinking of the pits in the Rhondda Valleys, the people who lived here mainly occupied isolated farms. The discovery of coal brought with it, people from England and Wales attracted by the prospect of work.

Conditions made for a difficult home life, as well as working life for the miners and their families, sometimes overcrowded and unsanitary. However people took great pride in the appearance of their homes and these experiences only served to enhance the sense of community for which the Welsh Valleys are renowned.

From the 1950s the pits of Ynyshir and Wattstown were closed down, causing widespread unemployment. The National Assembly for Wales have designated Ynyshir and Wattstown "Communities First" areas. This means that we are part of a programme to regenerate disadvantaged communities through targeted intervention and access to funding. This in turn with the support of the community should improve access to health services, better facilities, improved housing and employment.