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Contact details
Ty Bro Ddyfi, 52 Heol Maengwyn, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8DT, UK. phone: 01654 703965 e-mail: info@ecodyfi.org.uk

Become a member of ecodyfi We want everybody in the Valley to join, so it only costs £1. Drop into Ty Bro Dyfi or send some stamps.

The information centre is open Monday to Friday between 10.00 and 3.00. You might even like to get involved in staffing it or in helping to run a project. Please come and see us!

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A brief look at some of ecodyfi's plans for 2004/2005

We have asked the Welsh Development Agency to fund some of the activities below. Others are assisted by Environment Wales with funding from the National Assembly and several by Powys and Gwynedd Councils.

PRIORITY ONE ACTIVITIES

Information & Resource Centre

Aim and objectives: Provide advice and assistance to individuals and groups trying to develop projects for community benefit, particularly those leading to community regeneration and more sustainable practices. We would like to:

• Improve and staff (with volunteers) the drop-in front room of Ty Bro Ddyfi, including the display window and notice boards

• Make the meeting room and other facilities available for suitable activities, including trialling 'surgery' sessions for Business Eye.

Ceinws Camp 2004

Aim and objectives: Regenerate Ceinws by putting Ceinws Forestry Camp to a more productive use, creating job opportunities and community facilities on the site. We are asking people what they would like to see happen there and how they could be involved. We would like to:

• Turn the ideas for the site into a funded business plan supported by the community

• Establish ownership and management arrangements.

Talybont workspaces for micro-businesses 2004 - 05

Aim and objectives: Re-invigorate the economic life of Talybont by enabling entrepreneurs to work there. A feasibility study identified demand for office and other work-spaces in north Ceredigion. There is interest in Talybont in the idea of owning and managing such a facility. We would like to:

• Prepare detailed plans and costs for a set of work-spaces

• Build support in the community with a view to managing the facility locally.

Stimulating horticulture

Aim and objectives: Foster a commercial horticulture sector locally. We would like to:

• Inspire a realistic confidence in some farmers that they can diversify into horticulture

• Establish a collaborative group of farmers to share knowledge, machinery and ways of bringing produce to the various markets

• Help establish some test plots and test marketing for the summer 2004 season.

Dyfi Biosphere Area

Aim and objectives: Increase the profile of the Dyfi Valley by enhancing our claim to be a beacon of sustainable development. The only Welsh member of an international network of special areas is in the Dyfi valley. We would like to work with the Countryside Council for Wales to:

• Organise a conference to explore the potential benefits of confirming the UNESCO designation (for a wider area than the present boundary)

• Hear examples from elsewhere in Europe

• Create new momentum for the concept, involving key stakeholders in the public sector and the local community.

Tourism Growth Area 2004 - 05

Aims and objectives:

• Increase tourism investment in the area to improve product

• Increase visitor numbers and quality of experience

• Extend visitor season

• Co-ordinate a sustainable and community led approach to tourism development.

Activity Tourism Marketing 2004

Aim and objectives: Increase environmentally-sensitive activity tourism. We would like to:

• Increase co-operation between activity providers.

• Increase co-operation between activity providers and accommodation providers

• Carry out joint marketing through brochure and internet for autumn/ winter 2004.

Dyfi Mountain Biking Trails Phase I: Epic Trails

Aim and objectives: Help Mach Off-Road Ltd to build and promote new routes in the Dyfi Forest.

Waste minimisation

Aim and objectives: Working mainly with householders & community groups, to facilitate individual & collective actions to reduce waste in the Dyfi Valley (particularly of materials & energy), thereby raising awareness of sustainability issues. Activities include:

• Schools recycling & composting

• Reusable nappy promotion

• Dyfi Valley Waste Audit

• Further home composting developments in all areas of Dyfi Valley

• where & how to reduce re-use recycle leaflet

Community Energy Fund

Aim and objectives: Spend money coming from the 'MS4' & 'community / Cilgwyn' wind turbines on schemes to raise awareness of the need to reduce carbon emissions and to save energy by practical means.

Machynlleth Kerbside & Composting Project

Aim and objectives: Convert Machynlleth's kitchen waste from a problem to be land-filled, into a valuable resource, creating jobs in the process. We would like to:

• Establish a system to collect from households and compost centrally

• Go on to use the compost for commercial growing.

PRIORITY TWO PROJECTS

Local Currency pilot

Aim and objectives: Encourage local purchasing by the voluntary sector and consumers. Working with Elemental Earth, we would like to run and evaluate a two-round trial / pilot of a Dyfi valley local currency.

Dinas Mawddwy wood-fuelled district heating

Aim and objectives: Heat part of the Mawddwy area from locally-available wood fuel in a carbon-neutral process. Working with Adfywio Mawddwy, we would like to carry out a detailed feasibility study into one or more options for a district heating system.

Dyfi Valley Way phase 1

Aim and objectives: Promote the Dyfi Valley Way as a walking trail, linking a number of communities and interesting sites around the valley. We would like to:

• Review, confirm and way-mark the route - aiming not to use permissive paths and working towards official status

• Help an artist to walk the way and produce an exhibition of linocuts of views and features, raising awareness of the route.

PRIORITY 3 PROJECTS

Machynlleth retail promotion 2004 /2005

Aim and objectives: Promote the unique retail offer of Machynlleth. Working with Elemental Earth, we would like to:

• Run wreath and Christmas gift-making workshops, both in schools and in the wider community

• Organise street procession using the wreaths and Christmas light switch-on to focus attention

• Create other specific products at other times of the year e.g. weekend breaks including cultural elements

• Explore potential for 'twinning' coach trips with another mid Wales town

• Stimulate more coverage in regional newspapers.

Corris wood-fuelled district heating

Aim and objectives: Heat part of the Corris area from locally-available wood fuel in a carbon-neutral process. Working with a new group called Cwmni Egni Corris, we would like to carry out an initial feasibility study and increase local interest in the idea of a district heating system.

Community Garden

Aim and objectives: Improve health through exercise and diet. We would like to:

• Set up a piece of land for people to garden for vegetables and flowers, targeting those who would most benefit

• Provide users with support and training.