Trehafod station mosaic recognised at UK railway awards

A station mosaic created by young artists from Trehafod andPorth has won a certificate of excellence at a major UK railwayawards ceremony.

The artistic talent of youngsters from Porth County CommunitySchool, Hafod Primary School and Trehafod Youth Club was recognisedat the Association of Community Rail Partnership Awards with theproject being awarded second place overall in the 'Community ArtSchemes' category.

Local youngsters completed the mosaic, which is on display atTrehafod Railway Station, in April (2006). The 24ft long mosaicdepicts the journey of coal by train from the Rhondda Valleys toCardiff and is part of a 'Pit to Port' project to illustrate localculture and history and how the hard working people of the Rhonddahelped to shape the prosperous Cardiff docks area.

The artwork positions a traditional mining scene, with coalcarried by steam engine, alongside a modern day Cardiff Bay anddiesel trains that link valley communities with the Capital.

Rhian Forsey, of Porth County Community School, said:

We are thrilled with this award and it's wonderful tosee the pupil's hard work being recognised in this way. Our schoolshave a long history of community projects and in particular muralwork on railway stations. We constantly strive to maximise thepotential of our students and this project has taught them newskills and has certainly lifted their self esteem.

She continued:

By placing the mosaic at the station the work of ourstudents has been seen by thousands of motorists and railpassengers entering and leaving the Rhondda Valley. We hope itwill prompt them to think about their heritage andculture.

Wayne Cresswell, station manager for Arriva Trains Wales,said:

The mosaic has made a huge difference to the appearanceof the station and it's great to see the project being rewarded inthis way. The mosaic fought off strong competition from similar artprojects from across the UK and the award is a credit to the youngartist's hard work and enthusiasm.

The project was supervised by community artists Ceri Walters andChris Partridge of the Mobile Arts Project who worked with pupilsat after school clubs. The project was supported by CommunitiesFirst and the Heritage Lottery Fund.