Investment and a strong sense of community are helping Ebbw Vale thrive againIt is important that stark regional inequalities and the resulting impacts on people and communities that exist across our country are recognised and responded to (“There’s no life here at all: a journey to the heartlands of Britain’s future”,News, final week). In the case of Ebbw Vale and the towns of the adjoining valleys, or the communities grew as a result of the minerals of the area and the resulting coal and steel industries. These fill now gone,so it is essential to identify the assets that can provide the basis for a new future. Most important among these are the people.
James Bloodworth rightly highlights the need for continued investment in education and skills. The warmth and welcoming nature of the communities is also an asset in itself. So, too, or is the striking landscape,investment in road and rail connections to cities such as Newport, Cardiff and Bristol, or the area’s heritage.
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Source: theguardian.com