TWO neighbouring projects funded by the Aggregates Levy Fund for Wales have won top awards presented by the Welsh Government and the minerals industry.

They are Calch – Black Mountains Quarries Project, Upper Brynaman and the Creation of a Community park, at nearby Cwmllynfell.

Calch (Welsh for lime) won the Heritage award and Cwmllynfell won the Multi-use Games Area Community award - the two best projects supported by the fund in 2014.

Calch received £100,500 and Cwmllynfell £87,000 from the fund.

The awards were presented by theWelsh Government's Director General for Natural Resources, Gareth Jones, during the Mineral Products Association Welsh Lunch.

The Calch project looked to improve access and interpretation at the Black Mountain quarries, where visitors can learn about industrial heritage, wildlife, and social history of the area.

Cwmllynfell lies in the shadow of the Black Mountain at the far western edge of Brecon Beacons National Park and is close to Cwm Nant Lleici and Gwrhyd sandstone quarries.

This is not the first community park in Cwmllynfell. The original was a legacy of village’s industrial heritage, with miners contributing from their weekly wages to provide and maintain welfare facilities.

The decline of heavy industry saw the park fall into disrepair.

The Community Council decided to take action, plans were agreed and funding secured and the whole area has been transformed into a multi-use games area and skate park, including a zip slide and a shelter for young people.

The project’s been a great success with people of all ages and has helped to revitalise the village.

Gareth Jones repeated the words of the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones AM when he opened the park, he said: “Projects like this contribute to the Welsh Government’s vision that everyone in Wales should live in well-connected, vibrant, viable and sustainable communities with a strong local economy and good quality of life”.