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What does it mean to feel that you belong? For the thousands who gathered at RCT Pride in Pontypridd, the answer could be found in new friendships, first Prides, local performers and the sight Ynysangharad War Memorial Park transformed into a place where LGBTQI+ people could simply be themselves.
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The Valleys Briefing
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A primary school in the Caerphilly County Borough could face closure due to falling pupil numbers and growing financial pressures. The Governing Body at Deri Primary School has written to parents this week advising them that a consultation may be undertaken in the near future to seek views about closing the school from September 2027. Over recent years, Deri Primary has worked closely with the Local Authority to address the financial challenges it faces. Despite the considerable efforts of school leaders, staff and governors to manage resources effectively and secure the long-term sustainability of the school, declining pupil numbers have continued to present significant challenges. The school currently has 57 pupils on the roll. Surplus places are currently at 29% and are projected to be over 60% by 2031. This continued projected decline means that the school would be unable to deliver a balanced budget. If this school closure impacts you or someone you know, please email laurencrosbymedlicott@gmail.com.
The last time taxi fares increased in Blaenau Gwent wsa in June 2022, due to a cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine, which saw fuel prices peak at £1.99 a litre. A consultation has been held into increasing the fares in Blaenau Gwent, and as part of the consultation 118 taxi drivers and cab drivers were asked for their views. Only three responded. This has been interpretted by councillors as meaning that the taxi drivers do not want an increase. “They could be worried that a fare increase is going to cost them work as people are not going to afford it,” Councillor Lisa Winnett said. She’s suggested freezing fares and planning to look at them again if there are extenuating circumstances.
There was a large protest in Aberdare last week, with 100 people gathering after a man in Aberdare was convicted of a series of sexual offences involving a child. The man is due to be sentenced on 2 October, and had been released on conditional bail. The protest led to the police issuing a dispersal order to manage the crowds.
“You belong here too”: RCT Pride celebrates LGBTQI+ community across the valleys
Thousands gathered at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park in Pontypridd at the end of July to celebrate RCT Pride.
While featured headliners including Courtney Act, Lady Leshurr, Michael Marouli, Flor and Amrick Channa were popular favourites on the day, Rhys Pursey, an RCT Pride trustee based in Rhondda Cynon Taf, told The Valleys Lead that some of his favourite moments were seeing people make new friends, witnessing someone attend their first Pride, seeing local LGBTQI+ performers celebrated by their own community, and watching thousands of people turn a valleys park into a space filled with Pride.
“There is sometimes an assumption that if LGBTQI+ people want community, culture or Pride, they need to travel to Cardiff, Bristol, London or another large city,” Rhys said.
“We fundamentally disagree with that. Queer people shouldn’t have to leave their hometowns to feel visible. For somebody growing up LGBTQI+ in Treorchy, Pontypridd, Aberdare, Mountain Ash or one of our smaller valleys communities, seeing Pride happening where they actually live can be incredibly powerful.
“It says: you belong here too.”
It’s exactly the reason RCT Pride was founded in 2019. The organisation has since grown from what was originally Rhondda Pride into an organisation working across Rhondda Cynon Taf and the wider South Wales Valleys.
Although visibility of the LGBTQI+ community has improved “enormously” in the valleys, Rhys said visibility doesn’t “automatically mean equality.”
“We see businesses, community organisations, elected representatives and residents actively wanting to support Pride and stand alongside the LGBTQI+ community,” he said.
“At the same time, some parts of the public conversation have become much harsher, particularly around trans and non-binary people. We have therefore seen progress and backlash happening simultaneously.”
It’s why he and others are grateful for the support of visible allies such as MP Alex Davies-Jones and MS Sara Crowley, both who attended the event in July.
“Both are deeply committed to RCT Pride and to the communities we represent, and having elected representatives who don’t simply turn up for a photograph but genuinely engage with and support our work is enormously valuable,” Rhys said.
“It sends a very clear message that LGBTQI+ people are part of these communities and deserve to be represented.”
A relatively unacknowledged challenge facing LGBTQI+ people in the south Wales valleys is the geography of the region.
“If virtually every specialist LGBTQI+ service, cultural event or safe space is concentrated in Cardiff, that isn’t genuinely accessible to everyone in the valleys,” he said.
“Transport costs money. Trains and buses stop running. Disabled people face additional barriers. People living in some of our more isolated communities can face significant barriers simply accessing support.
“That is another reason grassroots organisations matter. We need to bring support to communities rather than continually expecting communities to travel to support.”
Demand for RCT Pride’s services has increased in recent years, according to Rhys, but the nature of that demand has “evolved.”
