The newly crowned Welsh champion Tredegar opened its rehearsal doors to members of the Dulais Valley Silver Band on the weekend for a workshop rehearsal afternoon.

It's part of an emerging connection that came from a concert earlier in the year in celebration of the Onllwyn 'Palace of Culture' — one of the Miners Welfare halls set up in communities throughout the UK following the findings of the Sankey Commission in 1919, and also the venue featured in the BAFTA Award winning film 'Pride'.

Our involvement in the film has given us a wonderful connection to the area and to be able to help the band, which is working so hard to rejuvenate itself is something we are delighted to be involved inAlwyn Powell

Connection

Band Chairman Alwyn Powell told 4BR: "Our involvement in the film has given us a wonderful connection to the area and to be able to help the band, which is working so hard to rejuvenate itself is something we are delighted to be involved in."

Members of the band will now head back to Onllwyn in May for a special event which will see the Dulais Valley Silver Band perform in a concert that will commemorate the lives of Mark Ashton (one of the founders of the Lesbians & Gays Support the Miners action group) who helped to raised tens of thousands of pounds for the community during the 1984 Miners' Strike, and Hefina Headon who went on to become an MP after her involvement in the struggle.