Pontrhydfendigaid community woodland Coed y Bont has been awarded a Green Flag by Keep Wales Tidy – the international mark of a quality park or green space.

A record-breaking 127 community-managed green spaces in Wales have met the high standards needed to receive the prestigious Green Flag Community Award. This means that Wales now holds a third of the UK’s community Green Flag sites.

The flag will be flying at Coed y Bont in recognition of its excellent facilities and commitment to delivering great quality green space. Coed y Bont is an award-winning community woodland on the edge of Pontrhydfendigaid on the road to Strata Florida Abbey. Underpinned by a Management Agreement with Natural Resources Wales, a group of local volunteers has worked tirelessly over the past few years to develop this woodland for the local community to enjoy, as well as a haven for wildlife.

Local resident Selwyn Jones said: “I really enjoy going to Coed y Bont. I go there most days. It’s a great place to go for a walk.

"It’s also so interesting because there is so much variety, some of the paths are easy access and some are in wilder parts of the wood. It’s a good place for local people and for visitors to the area.

“I think the people of Pontrhydfendigaid are so lucky to have Coed y Bont, it’s so peaceful yet it’s so close to the village.

“The volunteers should be proud of what they have achieved for the community and I think it’s wonderful that their work has been recognised by the Green Flag Award.”

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now