Making a Difference since since 1937
The Trust began life in 1937 as the Merthyr Tydfil Educational Settlement, at a centre called Gwaunfarren House. It was one of several settlements which provided education and welfare services to people during the depression of the 1930s. The settlement ran for four years until Gwaunfarren house was requisitioned as a maternity hospital during the Second World War.
The ownership of the building was transferred to the Ministry of Health in 1948 and it was agreed to use the proceeds of the sale for charitable purposes. However it took until 1954 to agree a price for the building and there are no records of any meetings of the Trust until 1964. It wasn’t until 1968 that the Trust awared the first grants to local groups.
In 1998 a new updated Trust Deed was developed and agreed with the Charity Commission. In 2003, the Trust agreed to use a working name “Merthyr Tydfil Community Trust”.
Although the settlement and Gwaunfarren House itself have long gone, Merthyr Tydfil Community Trust continues to help people in need today.
The Trust is managed by a maximum of 7 trustees and 1 trustee appointed by Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil (VAMT). The Trustees are:
Kevin Eddy (Chair)
Ian Davy (Secretary)
Carol Hindley (Treasurer)
Christine Meredith
Bernard Morrissey
Tony Thomas
Suzanne Davies
Emily Whiteman-Cranston