Abergavenny and Talybont-On-Usk were centre stage for walkers leading The Big Walk, an initiative journeying across Wales to shine a light on communities and projects that make wonderful things happen where they live. Team Wales visited the Henderson Hall and Abergavenny Community Centre.

An idea from the Eden Project made possible by the National Lottery, The Big Walk is designed to celebrate the people at the heart of Wales’ communities, who work together to make a positive difference locally, while sharing an invitation to everyone to bring their own community together for a Big Lunch on 3 June.

The Big Walk’s Team Wales were delighted with the warm welcome and the hot bacon butties which greeted them at Talybont. Henderson Hall is the community hub for the village. The Hall and the playground were refurbished with a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, made possible by players of the National Lottery.

The project has made a real difference to the village. The bike hub with purpose built bike washing and changing facilities has proved so popular that it has attracted a specialist cycle hire and repair shop to relocate nearby. The community have taken the centre to heart and at the end of every school day the upgraded playground is full of children and the nearby benches are full of people enjoying the atmosphere. A new, flat path known locally as the Trim Trail runs around the edge of the green surrounding the Hall and has proved very popular.

Claire Wright, project manager, explained, “Our project has bought everyone in the community together from the youngest to the eldest. The trim trail has been a huge hit with all ages, we see mums teaching their kids to ride bikes and pushing prams – some mums jogs round it with a buggy, older members of the community come and walk around it every day to get a bit of exercise. People use the training machines beside it, there is even a pod where you can sit and play music from your phone through loudspeakers – which are powered by winding a handle, the older kids are particularly fond of it.”

Abergavenny Community Centre has become the engine room for a range of social initiatives revolving around food. The Abergavenny Transition Town is an umbrella body for many active groups in the town, with more than 200 members. These include the Laurie Jones Community Orchard, Incredible Edible (which grows edible plants in and around the town) and The Food Assembly (which enables the community to buy local produce).

Chef Elaine Blanchard said, “The Community Centre really is the focal point for Abergavenny’s various food initiatives. It’s so exciting to see everyone working together. The idea of coming together over food goes back to the dawn of time and we are actively enabling the people of Abergavenny to get closer to the food they eat as well as their neighbours.”

?Jude Boutle from Llandrindod Wells who has 363 miles to cover in 18 days, has been overwhelmed by the support of people and projects along the route and said: “It means the world to see such welcoming faces when we arrive at local projects. We were welcomed with open arms by the people of Talybont and Abergavenny Community Centre and were overwhelmed at the level of commitment and care local people are giving to their communities.”

Jude set off from Morecambe on 16 May live on BBC’s The One Show, as part of The Big Walk. She is one of eight walkers, in four teams travelling to the four corners of the UK, helping to spread the word about The Big Lunch, the UK’s annual get-together for neighbours on 3 June. The Big Lunch was launched back in 2009 with the simple premise that great things happen when you bring people together.

Anyone can take part! Order a free pack and join millions of others across the UK for The Big Lunch on 3 June www.thebiglunch.com