Happy FIRst birthday to us! We are your local coffee roasters.

We have our roastery in North Cornelly and have been roasting for a full year now! We hit the floor running with this little business as we took it over while the business was still trading and managed to move the roaster and do some serious roasting training while still completing orders…phew!

We are a small family run business and the ‘Double Trouble’ name now stands for two sisters! Together with our very handy husbands (they didn’t have a choice to be fair) ha!

Now that we are settled ish) into your roles we thought we would introduce yourselves to our community.

We started Double Trouble Coffee Roasters because Emma (one half of double trouble) who owns The Hyde Out. Coffee & Cake Bar in Kenfig Nature Reserve, used this coffee from the very beginning, because of the great quality beans anddue to the fantastic ethos behind where the coffee was sourced. It’s roasted locally, with direct links with the farm and everyone is paid fairly. Sustainable farming and being carbon naturel as possible. We love that it’s delivered direct to us, roasted, then straight to your cup. Quality freshly roasted coffee!

When the business came up for sale, Emma was worried about the supply of her coffee… then it made sense to take over the business, so now The Hyde Out can have a consent supply of freshly roasted coffee, still keeping with the same great tastes and the same ethos.

We currently supply a few fantastic outlets in Bridgend and Porthcawl as well as the farmers markets at Kenfig Nature Reserve every 3rd Sunday of the month, Cowbridge every other Saturday or you can purchase online of course too.

www.doubletroublecoffee.co.uk

DTC only roasts 100% Arabica coffee beans.

We have up to 15 coffee beans from all over the world. Take a look through to see which ones you will choose. Or visit The Hyde Out to sample the Brazilian Santos, sometimes a special coffee makes it into the hopper!

Thanks for reading…see you at the markets.

Some Positive Progress

Porthcawl Town Council has employed a Grounds Person and for those of you who visit Griffin Park regularly you will see that there has been good progress with the groundwork over the last couple of weeks. We have new bins to tackle the increasing litter problems, there are new benches on the way and the really exciting news is that there will be new play equipment installed in May! This will mean that the play area will have to be temporarily closed for around six weeks, however the benefits are going to be worth it and the Town Council will keep the community updated regarding progress.

With the forthcoming Kings Coronation there will be a Picnic in the Park event at Griffin Park on Saturday 6th May 2023 times to be confirmed and the Town Council has arranged a big screen so that the community can come together with their picnic blankets and enjoy watching the occasion. On the day there will also be some recreational activities for the children and the Council would like to give any local food and drink (nonalcoholic) suppliers an opportunity to promote their produce. If you would like to hire a stall at a minimal cost for a few hours on the day - Please contact ceri.john2@bridgend.gov.uk, sarah. watkins@bridgend.gov.uk, for information).

Part of the Town Council’s 2023/24 precept includes ‘The People’s Budget’. The Town Council have set aside £20,000 to give members of the community the opportunity to participate in how their money is spent. Participatory Budgeting has been designed to complement the work a Town Council wants to achieve and helps promote community cohesion and resilience. Going forward with this project we are asking members of the community to put forward one suggestion that they feel will benefit Porthcawl – just remember the budget is £20,000 and the Town Council has to work within it legislative powers! Your passion could be Christmas lighting, Flower Displays, Community Events??? Just let us know and the most popular project will be carried forward. Just email the Town Council ceri.john2@bridgend.gov.uk or look on the Town Councils new website which will be launched on 1st April 2023 and will include a link to the Vocaleyes app which allow you to put forward your suggestion. Finally, Valleys to Coast are looking to engage the local community in helping them name the block of new homes on Old Station Road. They want residents to help them by suggesting names that mean something to the local community in respect of the area and its history. The final decision lies with BCBC but in other areas names residents suggestions have been chosen. Names in English and Welsh are welcomed however the final name will be in Welsh. For information: https://www.facebook.com/ValleystoCoast/posts/

Disabled Parking Spaces May Be Needed

I have been contacted by a disabled lady in Porthcawl concerned because she is often unable to park outside her home when other cars have taken the space. She has been in touch with BCBC to ask if they will create a designated parking space outside her home but she has been told that it is not council policy. Their response says that they have no statutory obligation to do so. They also say that providing these bays would have “considerable resource implications.”

I have contacted neighbouring councils Rhondda Cynon Taf, Vale of Glamorgan and Neath Port Talbot and all of them have a policy of providing these designated parking spaces although the numbers involved are relatively small.

This lady tells me that the situation has made her so anxious that at times she is afraid to go out in case she is unable to park near her home when she returns.

In order to gauge the scale of the problem, I urge anyone who needs a designated space outside his or her home to contact me so I can assess what demand exists. I can be e-mailed at Jamie.wallis.mp@parliament.uk

Help And Support For Unpaid Carers

From 1 April 2023, a new provider will be looking after the Bridgend Carers Wellbeing service.

As a well-established charity organisation, TuVida already has an excellent reputation for providing high quality services. Now it will support people living in Bridgend County Borough by offering expert health and wellbeing advice, access to breaks for carers, grant support, advice about caring, free training, and the Carers Emergency Card initiative.

The transition between providers will be seamless, and anyone who is already registered as an unpaid carer with the existing Bridgend Carers Wellbeing service will continue to receive help and support as normal.

The appointment of TuVida follows a recent retendering exercise, which was designed to ensure that local people could receive the best standard of services possible.

Many residents of Bridgend County Borough provide unpaid care for a family member, partner, friend or neighbour, and the Bridgend Carers Wellbeing service is designed to help them directly, building up a reputation for supporting unpaid carers and providing vital support and advice in the local community. I hope that many more will reach out and discover how the service can provide them with valuable advice and help designed to support them in their caring responsibilities.

Deadline date for the May issue is: SATURDAY 15TH APRIL

Deputy Leader Bridgend County Borough Council 01656 643643

Welsh Government Failing On Gp Recruitment

In November, I raised with the Welsh Government the fact that residents in Porthcawl are struggling to get GP appointments, despite the practice doing their best to see patients. The First Minister assured me that more clinician time would be released to help GPs, but local residents are still finding it hard to get an appointment.

Of course, the staff at the practice have worked incredibly hard to deliver the care that patients need. However, the Welsh Government is letting down local residents by failing to provide a strategy to ensure GP recruitment and retention.

There’s no doubt we’re facing a crisis in primary care, with one in five GP practices closing in the last 10 years.

Furthermore, a Royal College of General Practitioners survey last year found that a third of GPs in Wales did not expect to still be in the profession in five years’ time. The most recent annual Welsh Government data on full-time equivalent GPs showed that just half of GPs work full time.

As I told the Minister for Health in the Senedd, urgent measures must be taken to ensure that GPs are attracted into full-time work at their practices, and that patients are freely able to see them in a face-to-face setting.

INVESTING INTO EDUCATION, SKILLS AND TRAINING

By the time you read this, the demolition of Bridgend town centre’s former police station should be well underway as part of the preparations for the development of the planned all-new Bridgend College campus. With work expected to take up to twelve weeks to complete, access to Cheapside and local businesses will be maintained throughout the demolition process. While the site forms a significant part of Bridgend County Borough Council’s regeneration plans for the town centre, it also represents a huge £50m investment into higher education, skills and training for communities all across Bridgend County Borough.

Plans are in place to lease the site to Bridgend College and to enable the Cowbridge Road campus to relocate there. The college plans to create a state of the art net-zero carbon building, with learning and teaching facilities for post-16 education in Bridgend fit for the 21st century.

Community benefits will include a 200-seat theatre space, a coffee shop and flexible meeting spaces.

Catering for at least 1,000 staff and students, this represents a £50 million investment into skills and training for the people of Bridgend County Borough, one that will act as a catalyst for wider regeneration by increasing footfall, enhancing public transport facilities and supporting local businesses.

HOW SHOULD PUBLIC OPEN SPACE BE USED?

I’d like to thank everyone who took part in the recent sessions at the Grand Pavilion, which asked for views on how new public open space should be used.

The sessions showcased several potential options as well as designs for how the public open space could be developed to benefit residents and visitors alike.

Organised in line with the Placemaking Wales Charter, businesses and residents were encouraged to view exhibition boards, speak to regeneration staff and give their thoughts on the proposals.

Potential ideas have included skateparks, pump tracks, ‘splash park’ style water-based facilities, an open-air amphitheatre and performance venue, community gardens, green walking routes, outdoor gym and multiuse game zones, space suitable for staging seasonal events such as visiting speciality markets or Christmas ice rinks, and much more.

The exhibition materials from the event are available to view online at the council’s website and you have until 7 April to submit your comments.

Bridgend County Borough Council is committed towards ensuring that the open spaces within the planned regeneration area respond to the needs of current and future generations, and I am really pleased to see how people have welcomed this opportunity to have their say on the future of Porthcawl.

Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council

Tel: 01656 643643

Dental Patients Need New Surgery

I know that many Porthcawl residents were patients of the Broadlands Dental practice in Bridgend, which decided last year that it was going private. Those who could not or would not pay for private dental care were promised at the time by the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board that they would be transferred to alternative NHS practices.

I have recently asked the board for an update. They tell me that 3345 patients, including those from Broadlands, are still waiting to be re-assigned to other NHS practices. In the meantime, emergency dental care is available at a clinic staffed by the board in Gilfach Goch although I fear that this is almost impossible to reach on public transport from Porthcawl. However, they tell me that a new dental practice is due to open in Bridgend by the end of this year and will take many if not all of those waiting locally.

This situation is not of the health board’s making but it reveals the precarious state of NHS dentistry in Wales with dentists complaining bitterly about the new contract that they have from Welsh Government which they claim gives them less money and is leading to many giving up NHS practice altogether.

DR ALTAF HUSSAIN Regional Senedd Member

Tel: 01656 643643

GET IN TOUCH!

I am the newly appointed Local Sustainable Development Coordinator for Sustainable Wales, based here in Porthcawl, wishing to work with the community to encourage sustainable living and reduce our town’s impact on the environment. I am optimistic that simple changes yet urgent actions can build a sustainable future.

My name is Ella Williamson and have a Masters in Climate Change, Development and Policy, therefore I have an understanding of climate change and how we can improve our routine behaviour and make changes/create action to lower our impact.

I live in Porthcawl, love our seaside town and hope to help bring positive changes to the area, which will make Porthcawl a more sustainable seaside town.

I would welcome the opportunity to talk to your community group and discuss some simple actions that will make a big difference! I am sure you have noticed the changes in our natural world, for instance the wild and sporadic weather or the very rare sighting of a bumble bee.

Also ‘Better Porthcawl’, is a developing network of groups, which engages with the council on regeneration of the town’s waterfront. I can also share updates I have with you.

Contact: ella.williamson@sustainablewales.org.uk tel. 01656 783962

Crew Member To Run Marathon

Porthcawl RNLI is delighted one of its own volunteer crew; Gareth Charnock is running in the TCS London Marathon 2023 for Porthcawl RNLI.

Gareth said: ‘I’ve been a volunteer at Porthcawl RNLI for almost 7 years and during that time been involved in numerous incidents and rescues. I’ve seen first hand how public donations to the charity save lives, which is why I wanted to take on this challenge and raise further funds for Porthcawl RNLI. ‘I’m really pleased to have been chosen for an RNLI charity place and as owner of Porthcawl Health and Fitness; I’m looking forward to the personal challenge of running the marathon. I’ve been running in shorter events for some time but this will be my first full marathon. It will also be the first time I’ve visited London, so I’m looking forward to seeing all the sights and landmarks too. Porthcawl RNLI lifeboat operations manager, Philip Missen MBE said: ‘Gareth is a great example of how far our crews are willing to go to support us. He’s an integral part of our volunteer crew but also no stranger to raising funds for us either. Over the years he’s organised regular fundraising events for us, often getting his gym members involved too.

‘The RNLI is proud of its long heritage and tradition of voluntary fundraising. It is only thanks to thousands of people like Gareth, raising funds for us, that we can continue to save lives at sea.’

To sponsor Gareth (all donations will go to Porthcawl RNLI): https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/porthcawl-rnligareth