A community mural designed by schoolchildren in Cwmbran has been praised by politicians.
Pupils from Our Lady Of The Angels RC School met Jayne Bryant MS, cabinet secretary for housing and local government, Cllr Anthony Hunt, leader of Torfaen Council and Cllr Dave Daniels, Torfaen Council’s executive member for adult services and housing, at an event hosted by Bron Afon Community Housing at the site in Victoria Street in Old Cwmbran.
Bron Afon commissioned Newport-based mosaic and visual artist, Stephanie Roberts, to develop the mural with designs from children from the nearby school.
Stephanie also worked with local residents to create a second mural, which has been placed in green space near The Maltings and Malthouse Close in Llantarnam.
Both artworks feature aspects of the natural environment, including flowers, birds, bees and water representing the Afon Llwyd. They are designed to reflect the importance of engaging with the green spaces of Cwmbran in active living or for nurturing wellbeing.
Funding for the mural project came from Bron Afon as part of planning requirements for their block of flats built in Victoria Street by local firm, WK Plasterers, in June 2023.
The £1.4m cost for building the flats, which are part of Bron Afon’s development programme to help tackle the housing crisis, came from Welsh Government’s Social Housing Grant, supported by Torfaen Council.
Jayne Bryant MS said: “It was wonderful to visit the Victoria Street development where local school children have worked alongside a local artist to create such a beautiful mural that truly belongs to the community.
“I was so pleased to see how our £1.4m investment has made a real difference to address local housing shortages while supporting a range of differing needs.
“Affordable housing remains this Government’s priority and developments like this are a wonderful example of how we are not only building more homes but also creating vibrant communities where people can thrive.”
Alan Brunt, Bron Afon’s chief executive, said, “This is a fantastic example of the kind of project we want to encourage to enhance our communities and make them great shared spaces for everyone to enjoy.
“I want to say a big thank you to Stephanie, to the children of Our Lady Of The Angels RC school and to the residents who got involved to create such wonderful, eye-catching artwork.”
Stephanie Roberts said, “This project reflects the togetherness of community making – creating meaningful pieces of public art inspired by the natural world around us and our lives within it.
“Working with the children on the designs, colours and patterns and showing them a variety of artistic techniques was such a joy, especially heightened by their interest in the creative process and handling of materials.
“Their enthusiasm for the project and their creativity shone through at every step and it’s great that their brilliant artwork is there for all to see in Victoria Street.”