Welsh secretary Cheryl Gillan has today presented the Creation Development Trust, a social enterprise set up to revitalise the local area near Bridgend, with the Prime Minister’s Big Society Award – the first one to be awarded in Wales.

Creation Development Trust was set up in 2000 by members of the local community to tackle social and economic problems in the region.

Since then they have helped local people and groups to set up projects to improve all aspects of life in Bridgend from the Creation café which is used to help develop internet skills to the Knitting Nannas group which produces knitted items for charitable organisations.

Last year over 700 people benefitted from training and development activities run by the Trust, 20% of which had a disability

The Trust’s most innovative achievement is the Garw Timecentre which is the largest timebanking project in the UK.

By volunteering for activities like running classes, planting in the local community or working as Street Ambassadors to look after local streets and their residents members earn credits which can be used to ‘pay’ to take part in other community activities.

When the scheme was extended to offer younger people a way to earn credits for activities like judo, cheerleading and social events police reported a 17% reduction in anti-social behaviour.

During her visit Cheryl Gillan met with Street Ambassadors, Knitting Nannas and members of the community currently involved in lantern making for the local Lantern Festival which has become a popular event which brings the local community together to celebrate the town’s mining heritage.

The Welsh Secretary also saw how the Creation Cafe is being used to develop internet skills.

Congratulating Creation Development Trust on the award, the Prime Minister said: “The idea behind Creation Development Trust really embodies the spirit of the Big Society – people working to help their own community deliver the improvements they want to see. I’m particularly impressed with how the Timecentre has become such an established part of the local community that people really see their time credits as a local currency.

“This award recognises the time and effort those behind the Trust have given for more than a decade to build it into such a remarkable organisation. I hope they continue to be a driving force to help everyone in the area build a community they can be proud of.”

Presenting the award, Welsh secretary Cheryl Gillan said: “It has been an honour to present the Creation Development Trust with their Big Society Award today.

"The staff and volunteers involved in making the local community a better place to live and work are truly inspiring and it is clear why they have been recognised for their work.

“The youth team and the street ambassadors, staff at the Real Food Shop, the Creation Café and the volunteers leading the art and knitting groups demonstrate great passion and determination. They show that by working together the local community is stronger; they are an inspiration to other communities across Wales."

Accepting the award, Dawn Davies, chief executive of Creation Development Trust, said: “I am thrilled to accept this award. It is a great recognition of all the work put in by everyone involved.

"We look forward to visiting Downing Street, sharing our progressive ideas with the Coalition Government and providing an insight to the kind of issues that affect rural communities in Wales.”

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