ORGANISATIONS
It is not clear when the Girl’s Club was formed, but the first newspaper report that I have is for 1 April 1939 and the last for 3 November 1940 when a series of socials and concerts were organised with the latter activity entertaining evacuees from Sheerness.
In April 1940, Mr Cyril Spiers, manager of Cardiff City A.F.C., invited the club’s football team to play against Cardiff City Reserves and, following the game, which Fochriw won by two goals to one, three club members were signed on for Cardiff, these being J Dadge, E Jones and E.M. Lewis. In December 1940 the club membership was 80.
Reported activities of November 1940 included a weekly mixed club with talking picture shows, one of which was sponsored by Fry’s of Bristol. Each shows attracted about 200 children.
Nothing more is reported until April 1943 when the Fochriw branch of the Local Education Authority (L.E.A.) Youth Movement went on a hiking tour to the Brecon Beacons arriving at Torpantau by train, walking to Brecon from whence they made their return rail journey. Mr Emlyn Evans being the warden. Other activities included fund raising concerts for various war effort appeals. The centre was open on Mondays and Wednesdays and offered physical education, choir, music appreciation, handwork, dramatics, discussion and debating, photography, aeroplane modelling, camping and hiking , and each meeting concluded with a religious epilogue.
The centre was successful in various categories in the Youth Eisteddfod held at Bridgend during May 1945, the successes being Choir 2nd prize, P.T. 2nd and 3rd prizes, club magazine 1st prize, log book of journeys 1st prize, poem 1st prize, short story 1st prize, Gymanfa Ganu programme 3rd prize.
It is not sure as to when the youth activities ceased but following another large gap in reports the next report was for March 1960 when it was advised that a meeting had been held to form a club to provide recreational activities for boys upwards of 12 years old. I can recall this happening and the Welfare Committee made available the old Reading Room (originally the English Baptist Chapel/Salvation Army Citidel) to which members of the club set to and renovated the interior of the building.
The building comprised one large hall with a smaller “committee” room off it and to the right, and to the rear was a smaller room, the access to which was some three feet off the hall floor level, there originally being a stage at this end.
Feverish activity took place, with the rear small room being fitted with new plumbing with the intention of making it into a kitchen. The “committee” room was used for activities such as model making and, since it contained a fireplace, the manufacture of lead soldiers was very popular, the lead being melted in a container over an open fire and poured into proprietary metal moulds. This greatly increased my army of toy soldiers and it was great fun, however, in today’s Health and Safety climate, such an activity would not be allowed. I also recall there being a grand piano in the hall that had been left to deteriorate.
Other activities included the construction of a table-tennis table, three football teams, entries into the NCB boxing championships, gymnastics with the equipment being loaned by Bargoed Y.M.C.A, art, drama, craft, aircraft modelling and cycling.
In April 1940, Mr Cyril Spiers, manager of Cardiff City A.F.C., invited the club’s football team to play against Cardiff City Reserves and, following the game, which Fochriw won by two goals to one, three club members were signed on for Cardiff, these being J Dadge, E Jones and E.M. Lewis. In December 1940 the club membership was 80.
Reported activities of November 1940 included a weekly mixed club with talking picture shows, one of which was sponsored by Fry’s of Bristol. Each shows attracted about 200 children.
Nothing more is reported until April 1943 when the Fochriw branch of the Local Education Authority (L.E.A.) Youth Movement went on a hiking tour to the Brecon Beacons arriving at Torpantau by train, walking to Brecon from whence they made their return rail journey. Mr Emlyn Evans being the warden. Other activities included fund raising concerts for various war effort appeals. The centre was open on Mondays and Wednesdays and offered physical education, choir, music appreciation, handwork, dramatics, discussion and debating, photography, aeroplane modelling, camping and hiking , and each meeting concluded with a religious epilogue.
The centre was successful in various categories in the Youth Eisteddfod held at Bridgend during May 1945, the successes being Choir 2nd prize, P.T. 2nd and 3rd prizes, club magazine 1st prize, log book of journeys 1st prize, poem 1st prize, short story 1st prize, Gymanfa Ganu programme 3rd prize.
It is not sure as to when the youth activities ceased but following another large gap in reports the next report was for March 1960 when it was advised that a meeting had been held to form a club to provide recreational activities for boys upwards of 12 years old. I can recall this happening and the Welfare Committee made available the old Reading Room (originally the English Baptist Chapel/Salvation Army Citidel) to which members of the club set to and renovated the interior of the building.
The building comprised one large hall with a smaller “committee” room off it and to the right, and to the rear was a smaller room, the access to which was some three feet off the hall floor level, there originally being a stage at this end.
Feverish activity took place, with the rear small room being fitted with new plumbing with the intention of making it into a kitchen. The “committee” room was used for activities such as model making and, since it contained a fireplace, the manufacture of lead soldiers was very popular, the lead being melted in a container over an open fire and poured into proprietary metal moulds. This greatly increased my army of toy soldiers and it was great fun, however, in today’s Health and Safety climate, such an activity would not be allowed. I also recall there being a grand piano in the hall that had been left to deteriorate.
Other activities included the construction of a table-
In May 1960 the Fochriw Y.M.C.A. was officially formed upon the election of an executive committee. Subscriptions were 2/- for workmen on joining and 1/- per week thereafter and 1/- for schoolboys on joining and 6d per week thereafter.
Between May 1960 and May 1964, being the last newspaper report that I have, the Y.M.C.A. continued to grow, however, the last report intimated that there were “problems that will be overcome” and “better public support” was called for.