As part of our continuing entrance project grant we are hoping to have a few more improvements in the underpass area this coming week and then again next month. You won’t miss them !

Several of Cardiff’s parks and green spaces have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award again this year but now members of the public are being urged to vote for their favourite, in order to be named the nation’s park of the year. The annual People’s Choice Award gives the public the power to decide which one of the 1,448 Green Flag sites should be named park of the year with an online vote. Voting closes on 1st October 2013 and the winner of the 2013 People’s Choice in Wales will be announced on 3rd October. If you fancy voting for Cefn Onn, please visit this website (ww.greenflagaward.org.uk)  and click on the ‘Vote for this site’ button – it only takes a couple of seconds – and tell your friends to do the same !!

Following previous articles (24/4/12 and  14/6/11) the author and photographer, Mike Slocombe, has kindly contacted us to inform us of an update (9/8/13) to his website –  Urban75. Thanks Mike.

Many will have seen the refurbished gates, new gate posts, and the new archway welcoming visitors and hopefully many future generations to the Parc. The mural is now finished (thanks to Peaceful Progress for a fantastic piece of work) and amongst other things, the bench and notice boards are in place. We are not done yet though! Our project continues with planned refurbishment of parts of the building and some very good news from Network Rail this week that the tatty fencing in the underpass can be replaced. Details of all parts of the Entrance Project, which we hope to complete within the next 2 or 3 months, are on the Parc notice board. Our next volunteering days in the Parc are Sunday 21 July and Sunday 11 August if you have time to join us for 2 hours.

Comment and suggestions welcome (until Wed 5th June 2013).

Members will be aware that as part of the Friends grant funded Entrance Project we have asked an artist to consult with various groups of park users and propose a relevant, representative, interesting and historical mural to brighten up the underpass.

Outline concept:

A full description of the concept and example content is on display on the Park noticeboard and also attached here – Mural consultation poster. We welcome any further comments and suggestions that you may have (click on ‘leave a comment’ below) and these will be factored into the Friends Committee discussions with the artist in order to finalise the outline image.

Cardiff Council are coordinating Cardiff’s first annual walking festival between 4th and 12 May. This will be promoting and celebrating all the great work provided by the large variety of organisations and community groups who offer walks in Cardiff. Check out the events programme on their website. In particular note the Cefn Onn Spring Walk (Sat 4th May, 10:00 – 13:00) and the North Cardiff Ridgeway Walk from Taffs Well to Cefn Onn (Sat 11th May, 10:00 – 16:00).

Congratulations to Anewn Morris (age 6) who was the first person to try out the new series of animal & plant brass-rubbings that Cardiff Council Parks Dept have just installed around the lower woodland section of the Park. Well done Anwen !