Our Community Challenge made a welcome return this, bringing our staff and contractors together to provide a day’s free maintenance or building work to two local facilities.

Staff, volunteering a day of their time to work on these projects have made a big impact transforming spaces across the borough over the last 15 years.

First up this summer was Taibach Welcome Garden, a space loved by locals especially older residents and local school children. Our team were tasked with giving the place a fresh new look. From the fence to the bench, and even the giant planters for the community Christmas trees, the team rolled their sleeves up and painted it all! And the best bit, we finished just in time for a big celebration to mark 100 years of the nearby Talbot Memorial Park.

Next up was Neath Methodist Church affectionately known as the “Penny-Brick Church”, after the community bought the bricks to build it in 1914. A cornerstone of the Neath community ever since, it offers a welcoming space for worship, and a wide range of community activities like art groups, knitting clubs and charity fundraisers.

The church’s upstairs space, which hosts the Llansawel Art Group and other community events, was in need of a refresh. Our team of staff volunteers stepped away from the day job and stepped up to transform the area with a fresh coat of paint. Contractors D&M provided supplies and helped lighten the painting load.

Our community challenge is more than just a lick of paint. It’s about supporting our communities whether that’s sprucing up a community garden or preserving an historic space that brings people together. It all makes a difference, and we are proud to be doing our bit.

Barbara, a lifelong member of Neath Methodist Church, was delighted that we could support them:
“The church is old and has become dilapidated and we really needed the help of somebody to come in and do some work for us. We were delighted Tai Tarian and their contractor D&M could help. The improvements mean that we can offer our rooms to the community and for anyone we can support and help in any way.”

Roxanne our customer and community engagement officer added:
“Once again, we had many applications for this year’s community challenge, so it was a difficult decision to pick our winners. However, both Taibach Welcome Garden and Neath Methodist Church were in real need of a makeover, we are proud to have made a difference to them.”

Applications for the 2026 Community Challenge will open in the new year, so keep an eye on our website and social media feeds for more details.