Submitted by crinadmin on
The Cynon Valley in Wales, United Kingdom, is struggling with the
consequences of economic decline. With funding from Save the
Children Fund and the Bernard Van Leer Foundation, the Cynon
Valley Project started work in two communities, Fernhill and
Perthcelyn, in the Cynon Valley. The Project's Focus was on early
childhood work and community development. Though starting at
about the same time and under similar conditions, the two
communities developed in completely different directions. One
community continued its early childhood work, among other
activities, while the other concentrated on community action.
Through the voices of parents, community workers and child care
workers, this booklet charts the development of the work in both
communities and analyses why their directions diverged so
radically. The author's careful observations, as an external
evaluator, add human interest to the story. The thread that
underpins this study is that the people making up communities
must have the strings of development in their own hands to pull
themselves and push others in the direction that they decide is
important. Equally, funding agencies must be prepared to be
flexible and react to changes in direction if real development is to
take place.
Owner: Alain Thoma