Valleys That Changed The World Annual Meeting

More than 60 delegates met at the Blaenavon Workmen’s Hall on Tuesday to discuss ideas for promoting the industrial heritage of the South Wales Valleys to new audiences across the world. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Valleys that Changed the World is a partnership of more than 70 organisations, led by Torfaen Council, that have come together to look at new ways of telling the story of the South Wales Valleys, and their importance to global history. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The partnership has produced a South Wales Route of Industrial Heritage, linking heritage sites in Swansea, Cardiff and Gwent, and created a Pioneer’s Trail, a tour of heritage sites as seen through the eyes of three ‘Valley’s Pioneers’ whose lives were typical of the people who would have travelled to Wales to work in the newly emerging industrial society. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Lewis Jones, Torfaen’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “The south Wales valleys played a huge part in industrialisation across the globe, all the while reshaping our own landscapes and our communities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“No single site can really tell the full story of our industrial past but by linking our sites together we can paint a more comprehensive, vivid picture of an extraordinary period in world history. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“This event was an excellent opportunity to bring representatives of historical sites from around the south Wales valleys together to look at new ways of working together to tell the story of our industrial past.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Valleys that Changed the World’ project is led by Torfaen council on behalf of a public, private and third sector partnership and has received funding from Welsh Government via Visit Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​