Valleys people called upon to help shape positive future

A marketing campaign has been launched to position The Valleys as the Heart and Soul of Wales, building on the investment in the region to date and helping shape future plans to boost the local economy for years to come. For the first time The Valleys will be marketed through a campaign that will focus on promoting their attractions to local people and visitors.

Research carried out has shown The Valleys are seen by many people as the Heart and Soul of Wales, reflecting the warmth of Valleys people, strong sense of community and the area’s unique industrial past, turning rural Wales into the world’s first industrialised nation.

The first phase of the campaign urges the one million people that live in the 540 square miles that make up The Valleys, to have their say on what makes them most proud of the area in which they live. They are being invited to ‘Go on, do us proud’ and explain why they love The Valleys. Their views will feature in follow-up marketing campaigns and help shape future spend in the area. Feedback will be featured on the campaign website www.heartandsoulofwales.co.uk.

Using the brand ‘The Valleys - Heart and Soul of Wales’, the local authorities, which cover the former South Wales coalfield, have joined in partnership with many other statutory bodies and third sector organisations that make up The Valleys Partnership, working in collaboration with the Heads of the Valleys and the Western Valleys Strategic Regeneration Programmes. Together they are promoting positive perceptions of the area encouraging more visitors and attracting potential inward investors, as part of a wider integrated environmental programme. It is an important strand of the Welsh Assembly Government’s regeneration strategy.

Initial research has revealed that Valleys residents already think very positively about the areas in which they live and are now being urged to spread the word.

"The natural beauty of the area is unparalleled, and the mountains are stunning," says one of the campaign’s ‘ambassadors’, Mavis Ashford of Ton Pentre. "Some people have an idea that the Valleys are unsightly and full of slag heaps, but they couldn’t be more wrong. When they come up here they are surprised by just how lovely it is." She added, "Lots of people have the wrong idea about life here. But we aren’t only about greenness, scenery and interesting places to visit – we’ve also got great communities. There is something special about Valleys people."

The Heart and Soul branding will be seen across The Valleys and anyone with a business, pub, club or community group is being asked to get involved and join the campaign to put The Valleys firmly on the map. Arriva Trains Wales has also climbed on board and are using their trains and platforms to promote the message.

The Heart and Soul of Wales campaign covers local authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend, northern areas of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot and eastern Valleys of Carmarthenshire.

Welsh Assembly Government Deputy Minister for Regeneration Leighton Andrews said: "The Valleys have changed beyond recognition in just a generation. The area has become a great place to live, with an excellent environment, lots to do and plenty to be proud of. We know that’s what many people think. The ‘Heart and Soul of Wales’ campaign is a way of taking that message to a wider audience, to attract more people to come and see for themselves."

He added, "The Valleys have good transport links and they are easily accessible to visitors. Coupled with large scale investment by the Welsh Assembly Government’s regeneration strategy, local people can play a part in changing old fashioned perceptions about what they feel is the Heart and Soul of Wales."

Valleys people are being urged to share their views and say why they love The Valleys. Comments can be submitted through www.heartandsoulofwales.co.uk or by texting ‘VALLEYS’ followed by your name, town and message to 60777.