Rhondda Radio wins major National Lottery Heritage Fund grant

Community station Rhondda Radio has won a major National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to create a heritage trail through the iconic former mining valley.

The project will also include broadcast and online content and a specially designed training programme enabling local people to add their voices and stories to this new documenting of the Rhondda’s proud history.

Station Manager Lee Cole said: “Rhondda Radio is delighted to be at the heart of this project thanks to National Lottery players. Our mission as a community station is reflect the lives and interests of Rhondda people.

“Rhondda Heritage will bring our history to life in ways sure to excite and engage our listeners. And – due to the training we’ll offer – we’ll have a new generation of voices on air.”

The Rhondda Heritage project will have a physical presence on the ground up and down the Rhondda, as well as being on-air and online.

Training for volunteers begins this autumn and those involved will identify, collect and record oral testimony related to all aspects of Rhondda’s history.

Next year will see the construction of ‘Heritage Stations’ at twelve key locations across the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach.

History

Each station will illustrate a particular heritage theme, ranging from sport and artistic performance to the valley’s famed community spirit and Rhondda women’s history.

The stations will link to a year-long festival of heritage programming broadcast by Rhondda Radio in 2024, and available online.

The project will be led by Rhondda-born John Geraint, one of Wales’ most experienced documentary makers, and series producer and director of the BBC’s landmark history of the nation The Story Of Wales.

He said: “As someone reared in the Rhondda, it’s a dream come true for me to be able to help create a heritage trail which tells the valley’s story in this exciting and innovative way.

“As Creative Director, I’m keen to bring new voices and fresh perspectives to our astonishing industrial heritage and our long history of communal struggle for a fairer, better world.”