Suggestions to enhance the menu will be gratefully received.
Come along and see for yourself! You will be sure of a warm welcome, and a lovely lunch.
Croeso cynnes i bawb

The Chewsdays Steering Group met at the end of July and thanked God for a most successful first year. Surplus funds at the end of the year are to be ploughed back into the project, and grants will also be sought to buy new kitchen equipment, and to keep the hall looking fresh and welcoming for our guests.

Chewsdays is a Castle Square project in partnership with, and serving, the local community. It is managed on behalf of the church by a steering group including representatives of other local churches and the Chaplaincy of the University of Glamorgan.
We are grateful for the support in cash and in kind of the Ecumenical Chaplaincy, Libanus Baptist Church, Pontypridd Town Council and other local partners.

There is a warm welcome for students and staff of the University, others who work in Trefforest, local residents - and anyone who happens to be passing! As you can see from the pictures above, we have been delighted to have the company of a wide variety of people in our first few weeks.

Chewsdays is open every Tuesday except for a short break at Christmas, Easter and in the summer.

 

Minister Gethin Rhys of Castle Square United Reformed Church (pictured with members of the team) said, "Tuesdays will never be the same again in Trefforest once they become Chewsdays at Castle Square. This will be an ideal way for students to become part of the community and for local people to meet the students who make their homes here while they are studying - and everyone can enjoy a great meal deal at the same time. We look forward to welcoming young and old alike."

One of the team reflects on the first term of Chewsdays

Who would have thought a year ago that a thriving lunch club would be operating in our Church Hall every Tuesday! Just a small chapel like ours taking on a venture like that? No way – but in fact, as we all know, Chewsdays is up and running and what a success it has been.

Our aim was to help bridge the gap between the University and the community and the link was to be between the Chaplaincy of the University and the closest Chapel - Castle Square. A meeting was held and representatives of the churches and chapels in the area, the Chaplaincy and the local council attended. The seed was planted and after much debate it was decided to proceed on the basis that a lunch would be held once a week and that the University would assist with the design and build of a new kitchen. It was a big project and required a great deal of skilled work to be undertaken before we could open our new venture in September. The staffing of the venture is provided by twenty volunteers from our own members and friends from other churches in the area. Most were willing to undertake the Food Hygiene Certificate and a course was organised at Castle Square and it is pleasing to report that all passed.

We have been very fortunate to receive generous donations of cash, equipment and furnishings for which we are very grateful. The loan of tables from Libanus has also been of great assistance.

Chewsdays was officially opened on September 27 by the Vice Chancellor of the University and we have gone from strength to strength. The feedback from our customers has been very positive with the quality of the food and the friendly atmosphere being especially mentioned. The volunteers are enjoying themselves and are finding that the work is becoming easier week by week. It is particularly pleasing to be working with the members of other denominations from Treforest and Pontypridd.

Regrettably we are not seeing as many students as we would like but the response from the community has been excellent. It is not our aim to make a profit from the enterprise but we do have to cover our costs and I’m pleased to say that we are doing so.

This is just one of the ways in which the Church can serve the people of Treforest. May I say a very big thank you to all those involved with the project who give so freely of their time to prepare and serve the food and also, of course, to our customers who so faithfully support us.

      Buffie

Chewsdays officially launched

    

On Thursday 27th September 2007, the Chewsdays project was officially opened by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan, Prof. David Halton, after a short ceremony involving also Cllr Jane Ward, Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Revd Gethin Rhys, minister of Castle Square Church.

Prof. Halton and Cllr Ward both welcomed the intention of the project to include all members of the local community, student and long-term resident alike. Prof. Halton referred to the serving of Fairtrade refreshments at Chewsdays, and added that the University of Glamorgan hoped shortly to become a Fairtrade university. This would be a small contribution to a fairer and more just world, just as Chewsdays was a small contribution to a fairer and more friendly local community.

 

The launch was attended by members of the University Chaplaincy team, including [left photo] Revd Vaughan Rees (Ecumenical Chaplain) and Mrs Janice Harris (Admin. Assistant, who is also an Elder at Castle Square and a member of the Chewsdays team), and [right hoto] Fr Gareth Leyshon (Roman Catholic Associate Chaplain and Priest at St Dyfrig's Catholic Church, a close neighbour of Castle Square) and Revd Ray Vincent (Associate Chaplain). Also pictured are (far left) Revd Gethin Rhys, minister of Castle Square church and (far right) Revd Simon Walkling, minister of St David's Uniting Church, Pontypridd.

 

The launch was the culmination of many hours of careful preparation by the team, who had laid out a tasty spread of samples from the full Chewsdays menu, and were at work in the kitchen up until the very last minute. All the visitors enjoyed the food, the relaxed atmosphere and the launch of this new opportunity for the community of Trefforest to come together.