Theme: How Green are Our Valleys?

“Green is the prime colour of the world and that from which its loveliness arises.”
– Pedro Calderon de la Barca

What does it mean to be green?
The colour green can have so many meanings - It is the colour of the environmental movement, a colour of fresh beginnings and new growth, and of a sense of calm. As Tae Yun Kim observed, "Green strongly influences the heart and helps alleviate tension. Positive qualities associated with green are generosity, humility, and cooperation." When we give something the green light, it's a sign to go ahead!

At TEDxNantymoel 2024, we will hear from an incredible array of passionate and inspirational speakers, sharing their ideas and stories on a wide array of topics including mental health and wellbeing, energy and social justice, active travel, and the environment. They will highlight issues and discuss new concepts, and most importantly provide insights and solutions in keeping with TED's new ethos that 'ideas change everything'

All talk recordings available at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKYdc9j4ZZ2cvnPOWIYM5Gc3-qkTrdILW&si=SItqnrN8AVCCRxIF

The Mem Community Centre
Waun Wen Terrace
Nantymoel, Bridgend, CF32 7NB
United Kingdom

Alison Westwood

Social Entrepreneur

Alison Westwood is a meningitis survivor, retired physiotherapist and social entrepreneur. She is also the Founder & Director of Baobab Bach CIC. In direct response to community need during the pandemic, four Community Pantries were opened to supply affordable food from surplus and support for families. This successful pilot project led to the formation of Baobab Bach CIC. Now four years in, with 15 pantries and 4 Community Gardens, Baobab Bach has saved in the region of 300 tonnes of surplus food from landfill and supplied 35,000 bags of affordable food to South Wales households. With the assistance of an army of volunteers and many expert partners, support for families and individuals has also been provided.

Carl Gough

Performance Storyteller and Social Business Consultant

Carl Gough has spent over 20 years as a Social Business Consultant and more than 12 years as a performance storyteller, using myths, legends, and folktales to inspire community connections. His previous career in zoological parks and biological research relegated to a footnote in his CV —until the pandemic! During lockdown, in a time of grief, these worlds collided, revealing a transformative opportunity that now shapes his work. By blending his passions for science, the environment, community development, and storytelling, Carl is driven by the ability of stories to empower change in a time of ecological upheaval. An internationally recognised storyteller, Carl has performed for BBC TV and radio and at major festivals like Glastonbury. Today, he harnesses the power of storytelling to drive positive change and inspire others to be legendary. His TEDx talk reflects his awakening to the deeper truths within traditional stories, which may yet offer solutions to the challenges of today

Dave Muckell

Employability Officer and Mental Health Campaigner

Dave Muckell is an Employability Officer, Life Coach, Business owner, and a director of Lads and Dads CIC. Dave is deeply passionate about empowering individuals and communities to thrive. He wears many hats including youth and community worker, life coach, mountain leader, walk leader, employment officer and bushcraft trainer, as well as a trainee Mountain rescue team member. His latest venture, Muckellmile, still in its early stages, will allow him to create even more opportunities for individuals, teams, and workplaces to thrive through tailored programmes of support. Dave has dedicated the past 20 years to breaking down the barriers that prevent people from reaching their full potential, particularly in the realm of mental health. As someone who has faced the challenges of poor mental health and navigated the complexities of being neurodivergent, Dave understands firsthand the importance of creating spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and supported.

Filippo Drera

Fleet Engineer

Filippo Drera was born and raised in northern Italy, and has been living in the UK for nearly three years now, splitting his time between Cardiff and London. At 18, he became a commercial pilot for an European airline, and he currently works as a fleet engineer for a UK airline, where he strives to balance the benefits and challenges of the aviation industry as it relates to environmentalism. He is passionate about how aviation can adopt sustainable practices to reduce the environmental impact

Julian Cash

Co-Founder, Community Furniture Aid

Julian Cash MBE is the co-founder and Chairman of a local charity called Community Furniture Aid, which was established ten years ago to furnish homes for people running away from domestic abuse, the homeless and people suffering from hidden poverty, by recycling unwanted household items donated by the public. To date Community Furniture Aid have furnished 820 properties and saved 500 tonnes of waste from going to landfill. This year their work was recognised by the prestigious Green World Awards, an incredible achievement (https://greenworldawards.com/green-world-award-winners-2024/)

Karen Zecca

Doctoral Researcher

Karen Zecca is a dedicated scholar currently pursuing her Professional Doctorate in Education at Cardiff Metropolitan University, where her research focuses on enhancing education for individuals with disabilities, particularly within physical education and sport. Her pioneering work includes the development of the Zecca Model (Zecca, 2024), a holistic framework designed to modernise the traditional social model of disability by integrating a diverse range of identities, such as gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. This model aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of disability in contemporary contexts, not just within education but across broader societal spheres. Karen’s perspective is uniquely informed by her experiences as a former elite athlete and wheelchair user, as well as her current experience with an invisible disability. These lived experiences profoundly influence her research, which emphasises fostering confidence and inclusivity.

Liz Clifton

Leadership Coach and Mentor

Liz Clifton is a Calm Life Leadership Coach, Nature Health Walk Leader, Reiki and Animal Reiki Teacher, Founder of Family Dog Connection Limited, Calm Club Membership and the take34u™️ mission. Her mission is to empower individuals (of any species) to create the clear, calm, connected, confidence and communication to choose to be themselves with anyone, anywhere at any time and take at least 3 minutes daily self care joy

Martin Downes

Lead Consultant: Learning & Development

Martin Downes FRSA is the creator of Start Something Good®, an innovative approach to co-designing solutions and creating fresh ideas for social change. Since March 2020 Martin has led over 50 hackathons with communities, public bodies, and Higher and Further Education settings across Wales, London and Scotland. Over 2000 people have taken part in these hackathons, including over 1100 young people. Martin works at Cwmpas as the Lead Consultant: Learning & Development and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Prior to this Martin was the Social Entrepreneurship Consultant for Social Business Wales delivering workshops and lectures on social enterprise on start-up programmes in communities and universities. Martin also managed Social Enterprise Academy Wales, a leadership and social enterprise learning programme, and oversees the Social Leaders Cymru leadership programme. Martin has been involved in public speaking for over 30 years, is a published author, and ran a creative agency

Natalie Sargent

Development Manager

Natalie Sargent is Development Manager for The Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Wales. Natalie has worked in the voluntary sector for 24 years. Having founded a social enterprise in 2000 tackling environmental issues, Natalie delivered workshops in schools encouraging young people to consider career paths in the voluntary sector. Natalie has a background in supporting third sector organisations responding to need – this could be funding, governance, volunteer recruitment/retention, signposting to specialist services. Natalie has been an Investing in Volunteers Assessor and Renew Wales Coordinator and over the last 10 years a large focus of her role has been to support communities to safeguard community assets (land and buildings) within the former Coalfield areas. Natalie has recently completed a year with Cardiff University Circular Economy and Innovation Communities focusing on the potential development opportunities for former brownfield sites.

Stephen Cunnah

Policy and External Affairs Manager

Stephen Cunnah is the Policy and External Affairs Manager at Sustrans Cymru, a charity dedicated to making it easier for everyone in Wales to walk, wheel and cycle. He leads efforts to shape and share the organization’s vision, focusing on creating healthier, greener communities through active travel. With a background in politics, Stephen previously worked as an aide to Mark Drakeford MS, forming a deep understanding of public policy and its interface with lived experience. As a Cardiff councillor representing the Canton area, a school governor, and a trustee for a children’s nursery, he is committed to building a sustainable future, particularly for young people, ensuring they grow up in safe, vibrant communities.

Toni Brace

NLP Practitioner

Originally from Liverpool , Toni Brace has lived in South Wales since 1995 . An advocate for personal development, Toni has attended and invested in many programmes over the last 8 years. As an NLP practitioner and body language trainer she has recently started coaching and helping those who perhaps would not normally have access to coaching. Toni has had her own journey with mental health over the last 10 years, and has a passion to empower people drawing on her experience, sharing the right tools to live their best life . From the very depths of her worst days on diagnosis to full and purposeful live she has today, Toni would like to help and inspire those who feel they have no voice.