Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is working with partners to establish a war memorial and Roll of Honour in Ynysangharad Park.

Following a decision by the Council’s Ynysangharad War Memorial Park Cabinet Committee in March this year, a stakeholder group comprising Rhondda Cynon Taf, Pontypridd Town Council and the Royal British Legion has been formed with a view to setting up a public appeal to raise funds for the project.

Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor Russell Roberts, said: “Ynysangharad Park is a wonderful memorial to the brave residents of Pontypridd who lost their lives in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts.

“However, whilst there are already two small monuments in the Park to the war dead, these do not contain the names of the fallen and we believe we should have something more fitting to recognise and honour their sacrifice.

“This is a very emotive and sensitive subject and we are working closely with the Town Council and the Royal British Legion.

“It is envisaged that a public donations fund be launched this autumn and that appealing for contributions from the public would be appropriate since it would enable greater ownership and identification from the people of Pontypridd.

“Alongside any money raised, as part of its decision in March, the Cabinet Committee decided to allocate money to the project from the Park’s Trust Fund, which the Council is responsible for administering in its Trustee role.

“Help will also be sought from the public in the highly sensitive and important task of compiling the list of names for the Roll of Honour. It is proposed that this include the fallen from within the former Pontypridd urban district (and current Town Council) boundaries.

“We are currently investigating what records exist and intend to publish a provisional list and encourage members of the public to come forward with any additional information.

“Our MP, Owen Smith has also agreed to contact the Ministry of Defence to support the process.”

County Borough Councillor Robert Bevan, Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, added:

“Whatever is done needs to have the support of the public and we welcome people’s views on this matter.

“Public support and funding for war memorials is an established tradition and in addition to money set aside from the Park’s Trust Fund, it is proposed that public donations will be sought to enable a new war memorial and Roll of Honour to be established.”

“A vital part of the work will be ensuring that the names inscribed on the memorial are as complete and accurate as possible and we will be asking for the public’s help on this.”

Roger Davies, Chief Executive of Pontypridd Town Council, said:

“All councillors across all political parties are fully supportive and the Town Council and the Mayor are looking forward to working with the unitary authority to bring the project to fruition.”

Owen Smith, Member of Parliament for Pontypridd, is also supporting the project and has offered his assistance, stating:

"As the memorial comes together, I will be working closely with the Ministry of Defence to make sure that our Roll of Honour recognises the bravery of each of those that has fallen in the line of duty".

Mr Stanley Power, Secretary of the Rhondda and Pontypridd County of the British Legion, said:

“I very much welcome moves towards a Roll of Honour in Ynysangharad Park to honour those who lost their lives in the world wars and conflicts since.

“This will not alter the fact that the Park itself is the memorial to our fallen heroes but a Roll of Honour would be a fitting way of embellishing the way that the Park serves this purpose.

”Both Rachel Jury, the Secretary of the Pontypridd Branch, and I will continue to offer the Royal British Legion’s help in this process.”

The Park was established in 1923 and itself serves as a memorial to the fallen of the First World War and subsequent conflicts although there is no official Roll of Honour to complement the monuments that currently exist in the Park. As such, the Council is supportive of calls for Pontypridd to have a more fitting memorial to its residents who gave their lives and, as Trustees of the Park, is leading moves towards this.

Notes to Editors:

Public subscription was one of the original funding methods for Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, which since its opening in 1923 has served as a memorial to the fallen of the First World War and subsequent conflicts.

Currently, there are two war memorials situated in a triangular areas south of the bandstand – a stone cross on a plinth dedicated to the dead of the two world wars and the Korean war, and a memorial in the form of a stone boulder to the fallen, honouring the dead of the Falklands War. However, neither monuments contain the names of the world war dead and therefore do not constitute a Roll of Honour.

At its meeting of 18 March 2010, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Ynysangharad War Memorial Park Cabinet Committee agreed that a meeting of stakeholders be led by the Council with a view to launching a public appeal to raise funds for a Roll of Honour for Pontypridd and that a sum of £25,000 be committed from the Trust Fund to the appeal. Due to its role as trustees of the War Memorial Park, the Council is responsible for administering any monies that are held on its behalf.