Councillors urge trustees to save Aberfan “beacon of hope”

Councillors have given an emotional plea to the current trustees of the Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre to get round the table and help keep the “beacon of hope” open.
At a Merthyr Tydfil full council meeting on Wednesday, March 20, councillors across the chamber expressed their concern at the situation and called on Wellbeing Merthyr (Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust), which is the current trustee of the building, to engage with the council so services can keep running at the centre.
 
Councillor Darren Roberts, who represents the Merthyr Vale ward where the centre is, said it’s not just a building but an “integral part” of a well-knit community
He said the pool took up the slack and stepped in while the Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre pool has been out of order.
Cllr Roberts said: “Staff have gone above and beyond to deliver the very best services that they can.”
He said they know what impact the closure of the centre would have saying “it would be devastating” adding “I won’t stand back and let that happen.”
Cllr Roberts said he’d do all he can to keep it open, adding that the current trustees need to “urgently resolve” any outstanding issues and engage with officers adding that their decisions mean the future of the centre is secure.
Councillor Jamie Scriven said the situation deeply concerns him, adding that they carry the weight of history with the echoes of the tragedy.
He said that the centre was a “beacon of hope” and a “sanctuary of healing” after the Aberfan disaster.
He said there has to be accountability on all parties for where they are and they have to recognise the “unwavering support” of the people of Merthyr Tydfil.
Cllr Scriven said it has come more than just a building, it has become a lifeline, adding that it’s incumbent upon them that the beacon continues to shine bright.
He called upon the council to “leave no stone unturned” and said they must ensure that the centre continues and called on the trustees to co-operate saying that failing to do so is a “complete disservice to the memory of Aberfan.”
Councillor Scott Thomas, another Merthyr Vale ward councillor, said it is “vitally important” that services are secured not just in the short term but in the long term and said he will support the council with his whole heart.
Councillor Brent Carter said he had been brought up with stories of Aberfan and for him it is personal.
He said the Labour group would “always stand shoulder to shoulder” with the community of Aberfan, staff and unions.
Cllr Carter said they will “fight with everything we have in us” to make sure Aberfan keeps its community centre.
Councilllor Clive Jones said to the trustees of Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust: “For goodness sake. Sit down with everybody and deal with this issue.”
He described the “utter nonsense” of going back and forth with solicitors which he said is just continuing this and it should not happen.
He said: “Get round the table and sort this out once and for all.”
Councillors agreed to the continuation of discussions with Wellbeing Merthyr to ensure that a leisure and library service are provided from Aberfan after the end of the management agreement, for the undertaking of a full due diligence exercise in relation to the acquisition of the trusteeship of the centre and surrounding land when possible and for an update report to come to the April council meeting.
It comes after fake signs erected at the centre wrongly informed locals the centre was closing  from April 1 which sparked a backlash in the community.
The council confirmed it was a hoax and said it is working with Wellbeing Merthyr to ensure the site stays open after Wellbeing Merthyr’s contract to run leisure and cultural services in the county borough ends on March 31 and the council said it is confident that services at Aberfan Community Centre will continue beyond April 1, 2024 with council now working to a new date of April 30.
A report went before full council setting out the situation around the centre,  the legal complexities around the charity, and the running of services from the centre after the end of the contract as well as the legal technicalities if councillors become trustees for the centre.
Council officers made it clear that if councillors did become trustees they would do so as individual councillors and the building would not be an asset of the council itself.
They also said that they can’t begin the due diligence exercise until the trust has approached the council saying they want councillors to take over the trusteeship so the ball is in the trust’s court.
Speaking at the full council meeting, the leader of the council Councillor Geraint Thomas said the charitable law situation is a “real challenge” but one he is sure they will resolve.
He said all 30 councillors are fully behind the local members and the people of Aberfan to get that building back in their control.
He asked the trustees to please speak to the council and give them back the keys.
He also said “Between 1988 and March 30, 2015 Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre was managed by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council as trustees for the Aberfan Disaster Fund and Centre. The centre has never been a council asset and the council has never ‘owned’ it.
“Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust Ltd – now known as Wellbeing Merthyr – was created from the council’s former leisure services department.
“The belief was that by creating a charitable trust the service would be better protected at a time of austerity, and have more opportunity to access grant funding, in turn providing a better service for the people of Merthyr Tydfil.
“Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust Ltd. took over leisure services in Merthyr Tydfil on April 1, 2015.
“Following Charity Commission approval in October 2015, Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust Ltd became the trustees of The Aberfan Disaster Fund and centre. The transfer of trusteeship of the building occurred in April 2016.
“In December 2023 full council made the decision to end the agreement with the trust, as the result of a number of concerns in relation to the delivery of the contract.
“Over recent months the council has been attempting to work with Wellbeing Merthyr on the managed termination of that contract, which includes the continuation of services at Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre.
“Whilst we were initially working to a date of March 31, this has extended to April 30, 2024.
“The complication with Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre is that the building is vested in the current trustees and does not automatically revert to the council at the end of the current contact, therefore we face some additional legal hurdles in relation the centre.
“To take over services there we need to have permission from the trustees.
“Our aim and priority is to keep all leisure facilities open, including Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre, and we have reached out to Wellbeing Merthyr as the trustees of the centre to ensure the seamless continuation of service.
“Any decision in relation to Aberfan centre rests solely with the current trustees so my plea to them is to please work with us to ensure a seamless transition of service for the people of Merthyr Tydfil.”
The report said advice of the Charity Commission will be sought on councillors becoming trustees and councillors would need to be aware of Charity Commission guidance and their governance code.
The only finance available to the trust is the income that the centre generates and it is not open to trustees to use council funds to run the centre. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​