The volunteers who look after Pontardawe’s history have been given the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK.
Pontardawe Heritage and Visitor Centre is one of 250 groups, and one of only five in Wales, to win the King’s Award for Voluntary Service this year. It is run from the Old Stables beside the Swansea Canal.
Organisers describe the award as the equivalent of an MBE.
Chairperson John Jones said: “I am delighted that our group’s work has been recognised.”
He said the centre was run by “a small group of dedicated volunteers running a unique multi functioning venue”, adding: “This award reflects the hard work and commitment they have put in for the last 9 years.”
He chairs a committee of eight, with Meryl Hunt, Lynne Lloyd, Mike Fuller, Glenda Davies, Des Davies, Jane Carpenter and Judith Lewis.
Exhibits, heritage walks and a home for local groups at the Old Stables
Inside, the volunteers tell the story of the town through exhibits and information in Welsh and English, on the heritage and culture of the area.
Work by local musicians, artists and crafters is on show too, and the building doubles as a meeting space for community groups across the town.
It is also Pontardawe’s visitor information point, where walkers can pick up the local heritage trails and find out what else the town has to offer.
The centre’s work has reached beyond its own walls. In 2023 it won money from Neath Port Talbot Council’s community heritage fund for a travelling exhibition on David Thomas, known as the father of the American anthracite iron industry, to tour libraries and schools.
Royal garden party at Buckingham Palace next year
Representatives of the group will be presented with the award crystal and certificate by Louise Fleet, the Lord-Lieutenant of West Glamorgan, in the coming months.
Two of the volunteers will also go to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May or June 2027, alongside other winners from this year.
Wales Secretary Stephen Kinnock said it was “fantastic to see the hard work of volunteers across Wales recognised”.
He added: “They are often the backbone of their communities, and their contributions can help transform lives.”
Swansea-born former newsreader Sir Martyn Lewis, who chairs the award, called the winners “the UK’s remarkable army of postcode people”.
He said: “They spot a need, and they do something about it, quickly and effectively.”
The other Welsh winners are Skanda Vale Hospice and Strength Academy Wales, both in Dyfed, the National Coastwatch Institution at Porthcawl and the Cowbridge Physic Garden.
They join a list that ranges from a Greater Manchester charity supporting families after the loss of a child to a group providing palliative care in Dyfed.
The award was created in 2002 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee as the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, and carried on under the King. Winners are announced each year on 14 November.
Nominations for the 2027 awards are open until 1 December, with details on the King’s Award for Voluntary Service website.
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