0:10 Voluntary organizations in Merthyr and all across Wales are vital to the health and well-being of people in our communities.
0:20 We collaborate, we connect, we cooperate, and we innovate. And in times
0:27 of greatest hardship, we keep showing up. We keep being there. But we are struggling to make ends meet.
0:38 We go from year to year not knowing whether our contracts will be renewed, not knowing whether we can open our
0:47 doors, not knowing whether we can support the people who rely on us, and not knowing whether our jobs are safe.
0:58 It has never been this bad.
1:02 So, what would happen if we weren't there? Because we weren't there.
1:12 Because we weren't there, we wouldn't be able to keep dancing.
1:19 Because we weren't there, I can't go back with because we weren't there. I'd be getting in trouble all the time.
1:27 I wouldn't have anything to do with my evenings. Because we weren't there. Our songs would not be sung.
1:35 Because we weren't there, many families would lose that sense of belonging, culture, and community that makes Merthyr feel like home.
1:45 Because we weren't there, I wouldn't get the chance to meet people and volunteer
1:59 because we weren't there.
2:08 Because we weren't there, people will be overwhelmed by their debt and money worries and all that comes with it.
2:15 Because we weren't there, 9,000 people would not have been supported to live independently at home in Merthyr.
2:22 Because we weren't there, almost 300 older people in Merthyr would have missed out in unclaimed benefits totaling 1.4 million.
2:32 Because we weren't there, all of our disabled staff would be out of a job.
2:38 Because we weren't there, LGBTQ plus people would have to fight alone just for the right to exist.
2:45 Because we weren't there, vulnerable young people wouldn't have a place to call home.
2:52 Because we weren't there, I'd have to face my abuser in court alone.
2:57 Because we weren't there, I wouldn't know what a healthy relationship looks like.
3:02 Because we weren't there, my child wouldn't be able to access play therapy.
3:09 Because we weren't there, I wouldn't be able to drive patients for their treatments.
3:16 Because we weren't there, I wouldn't have had the support that I needed after my diagnosis, and I wouldn't have had so much fun
3:24 because we weren't there. They wouldn't have had the courage to go to a hes because we weren't there.
3:31 We'd have had no support following the loss of our loved ones to cancer.
3:38 Because we weren't there, I wouldn't have the toolkit to manage my mental well-being.
3:44 Because we weren't there, people could be waiting for months or years without the mental health support that they need.
3:52 Because we weren't there. Geraint isn't here.
4:03 Choose us, fund us, or lose us.
4:11 Because one day we might not always be there.
During our CLN session on 24 April, we gathered important feedback on the value and future success of the Network.
April’s workshop reaffirmed that the CLN is a trusted space for connection, insight, and regional collaboration. Networking and relationship-building were celebrated as a key strength, supporting stronger partnerships and shared understanding across the system.
Your feedback from April guided our discussions on 17 July.
Session Outline - 17 July
Natasha Weeks, Head of Public Engagement CTM UHB
Networking Break (20 minutes)
Population Needs and Well-Being Assessments for Cwm Taf Morgannwg (1 hour)
Population Needs and Well-Being Assessments (PNA) for Cwm Taf Morgannwg
The PNA is a statutory requirement under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, jointly produced by the Health Board and Local Authorities with partners, including the third sector. Updated every five years, the PNA is key to how services are planned, funded, and delivered across the region to meet the needs of the local population.
We are at the start of the next PNA cycle (2027-2032). Community voice is central to this process and the CLN plays a vital role as a bridge between communities and decision-makers, ensuring lived experience and CLN insight directly shape the PNA and the services that follow.
We look forward to shaping this important work together.
If you know of other organisations that should be part of the CLN, please email Natasha Weeks: Natasha.Weeks2@wales.nhs.uk
Two important videos set the context for our discussions:
Funding: "Because We Weren't There..."
Produced by Merthyr Valleys Homes on behalf of the voluntary sector and developed with Merthyr Tydfil's Third Sector Leaders' Forum, facilitated by Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil (VAMT), this powerful film highlights the invaluable contribution of voluntary and community organisations in supporting local people, reducing isolation, creating opportunities and strengthening community wellbeing.
Watch the film:
Importance of lived experience in amplifying community voice: "My Dream Home"
Lisa French, Participation Manager at Innovate Trust, and Mark Richards, Co-Chair of the Learning Disabilities Home Workstream, shared the development of My Dream Home - a practical resource designed to help people with learning disabilities and their families understand housing options, available support and the journey towards independent living.
Watch the film:
BSL and Subtitles:
The Regional Partnership Board will support the development of a strategic commissioning framework for the voluntary and community sector across Cwm Taf Morgannwg. Over the coming months, the RPB team will work through the CLN with CVCs, voluntary and community sector organisations, and statutory partners to develop a shared understanding of current investment and commissioning arrangements, identify opportunities for improvement and agree principles for future partnership working. A progress update, including emerging proposals, will be brought back to the Community Leaders Network in October.