Forward 4 Fairyland formed in 2003 as a response to concerns about litter, fly-tipping, drugs, arson and other anti-social behaviour in Fairyland Estate, Neath.
Led by a group of dedicated residents passionate about transforming their estate, Forward 4 Fairyland quickly secured support of several important local organisations and immediately made big strides to improve the area, removing more than 100 tonnes of fly-tipping in their first 18 months.
After scaling back activities during the pandemic, the group relaunched in late 2023. They have gone from strength to strength ever since thanks to effective publicity and a series of engaging community events, including fun days, parties, community litter picks and so much more.
How did Forward 4 Fairyland get started?
Sadly, back in 2003, Fairyland Estate had a reputation for litter, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. We wanted to challenge this perception and reignite a sense of community pride.
With the support of our local Keep Wales Tidy officer and Communities First Team, our efforts quickly paid off, with physical improvements taking place in the estate and events being held for residents.
We started to be recognised for our work, and awards soon followed.
What have been your biggest successes?
We had funding from The Big Lottery in 2005 (now known as The National Lottery Community Fund) to build a football pitch on a patch of land that was regularly used for fly-tipping, fires and abandoned cars. This area is still going strong, and we are now developing a community garden having recently been awarded a Local Places for Nature Development Package from Keep Wales Tidy and having received funding from the Welsh Government Sustainable Food Partnership Fund.
We also converted an old run-down car park into a children’s play area and now have a caravan which is used as a community hub where we host meetings and sell food in our tuck shop. We are currently in the progress of restoring the play area by working with a local artist to paint a mural on a dull and dreary wall as well as installing basketball hoops within the area.
How did the pandemic effect your work?
It’s not always easy running a community group and we’ve faced a lot of challenges over the years.
Although some of us continued to litter pick as individuals during the pandemic, the group itself lost momentum. The cost-of-living crisis then took a toll, and we had difficulties recruiting new members to drive things forward.
It wasn’t until the end of 2023 that we properly regrouped, new members were recruited and started to plan a series of community events and activities.
How do keep residents interested in your work?
We’ve always tried to mix things up a bit. Since reforming, as well as hosting regular clean-ups, we’ve worked with local partners to include activities like recycling awareness days and pumpkin carving. We even hosted a small half-term party after a recent clean-up, with a bouncy castle and games to help attract more families.
We never want people to feel like being a member of Forward 4 Fairyland is a chore. Our group is about more than just litter; it’s about people coming together, overcoming loneliness and having fun!
What local relationships have helped your publicity efforts?
There was a range of people and organisations involved when Forward 4 Fairyland was first established, including local councillors, Communities First, Neath Port Talbot Council, Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service (NPT CVS), South Wales Police and Mid and West Wales Fire Service. They all helped in spreading the word about what we were trying to do.
We’ve built strong relationships with local journalists over the years, so we tend to get good coverage when we issue press releases about our activities.
Connecting with our local Members of the Senedd and Members of Parliament has been important too. They’ve often come along to our events, seen firsthand what we’re doing, and gone on to share our news through their communications channels. Our local MS even nominated our group for an NPT CVS award.
In 2024, we hosted three prestigious guests including the then First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford, HM Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan and The High Sherrif of West Glamorgan, enabling them to better understand what our group are doing on the ground.
Do you have any other advice for other community groups looking to improve their publicity efforts?
What’s next for Forward 4 Fairyland?
By the end of 2025, we hope to have finished restoring our children’s play area, have a new mural and have basketball hoops installed. Anything else done in the play area will be a bonus.
We also hope to have our community garden fully established by the end of the year with a variety of fruit and vegetables growing, as well as attracting more wildlife to the area.
Finally, we’d like to involve other Fairyland residents, making more people aware of who Forward 4 Fairyland are and what we do in the community.
Fairyland was once a forgotten community with residents that felt disempowered. We have worked to reignite community pride while bringing people together so that residents’ collective voices ring more loudly in the offices of those organisations that can help. Luke Lavercombe
Luke Lavercombe
To find out more about Forward 4 Fairyland, follow them on Facebook.
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