Frontline Heroes Across RCT Recognised

Throughout these unprecedented times, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has continued to collect refuse and recycling, with teams going over and above to keep the service running.

The Council collects refuse and recycling from over 110,000 properties every week, collecting tonnes of household recycling and waste, and with residents staying at home, it’s great to see that more and more people are recycling for RCT!

One of our frontline staff members, Lloyd Morgan, aged 20, from Pontypridd, is just one of the many heroes that make up the collection crew. Lloyd should currently be studying automotive design at University of Wales Trinity St. David, but due to the pandemic, Lloyd has joined the crew to help ensure that recycling and waste across RCT continues to be collected.

Some students may have used the time to stay at home and study but Lloyd, who is no stranger to the team as he often joins the crew during holiday periods, decided he wanted to roll up his sleeves and help.

Lloyd said: “It made perfect sense for me to roll up my sleeves and help out – I already know the role and I just couldn’t sit around knowing that there was something I could be doing to help.

“The thanks that we have received from residents has been overwhelming and it makes a huge difference for us all. We’ve had residents leaving us chocolates and cold drinks, plus messages of thanks stuck to the bins and in windows – it’s amazing really.

“I know some of the boys have had to move out of their homes to protect vulnerable family members so they can still come to work – I’m privileged and lucky to be part of the crew and the team really is going above and beyond.”

Every day, right across the County Borough, thousands of frontline heroes are continuing to provide a vital frontline service to residents – from social care at

home, to housing the homeless, to providing vulnerable residents with meals to their door, to teachers providing childcare at hubs for children of essential workers, and supporting businesses to get vital financial support.

More than 630 Community Meals are being delivered to vulnerable residents every day across Rhondda Cynon Taf, while £36.9M has so far been distributed in business grants, and over £8,700 has been issued in Free School Meal Funding. Frontline heroes are also looking after around 350 children every day in childcare hubs for essential and key workers to continue to go to work.

These unprecedented times have also called for a huge community spirit, and here in Rhondda Cynon Taf, there is no shortage, with over 1,110 volunteers coming forward to join our frontline heroes, third sector organisations and community groups and over 8,800 vulnerable residents have been in touch for help with shopping, medicines and errands.

Councillor Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Heritage Services, said:

“During these unprecedented times which are affecting every one of our lives it’s amazing to see everyone coming together (from a distance) to help keep essential services running or to ensure that our most vulnerable residents are looked after.

“Our Council frontline staff are among those continuing to do their very best to provide a service to the public and I know that as a County Borough we are truly thankful for this.”

The Council has recently reinstated it bulky waste collection service, which is available to book online at www.rctcbc.gov.uk/bulky and is now offering a recycling bag online delivery service at www.rctcbc.gov.uk/bags for those who can’t get to one of the essential/key shopping outlets to collect them.

All Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) in RCT currently remain closed, although the Council will look to re-open these facilities as soon as the Welsh Government guidance permits us to do so.

Residents are being asked to help keep themselves and our crews safe, by washing their wheelie bins and caddy handles before and after collections and to ensure that they are maintaining social distance guidelines by giving the teams a supportive cheer/message from 2 metres away.

For latest updates on the services affected by coronavirus, visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/PublicHealthRCT

Stay Home. Protect The NHS. Save Lives.