Sold out film festival calls for improved access to land for our communities to do the little things
for nature on Dydd Dewi Sant 2025.
Community Land Rights Organisations Tir Pontypridd held the first Our Land, Our Nature Film
Festival – Ein Gwlad, Ein Natur, Gŵyl Ffilm Festival at YMa Pontypridd on 1st March.
The evening was held as a fundraiser for Tir Pontypridd, a community led organisation setting
up as a Community Benefit Society to secure land for community use.
“Helping to ensure and protect community access to land is at the core of Tir Pontypridd’s
mission because it is our shared access to land that helps us to reconnect with and care for
nature” said Ken Moon chair of Tir Pontypridd
Ninety-two people attended the sold-out event, which screened seven short films exploring the
issues of land access and nature responsibility across the UK, Wales and Pontypridd and
helped to raise around £360.
The seven short films were:
Our Land by John Harding is a short film about the campaign to keep wild camping legal
on Dartmoor, the last place it is legal to do so in England.
Wild Service on the River Roding by Right to Roam documents community efforts to
clean up the River Roding restoring its habitats as a place for people and nature.
Neighbourhood rides by Trash Free Trails tells the story of a community project at Ashton
Court supporting young people to access and care for nature.
Access Land by The British Mountaineering Council highlights their advocacy for access
to the land and the fundamental importance of connecting with nature.
Healthy Rivers by Groundwork Wales follows Jordon on a journey of personal discovery
and mental healing though caring for our rivers and nature.
Natur Pontypridds film shows how local artists declared Pontypridd a Nature Reserve
exploring and celebrating care for nature and biodiversity in the area.
Mapcyhoeddus introduces the Public Map Platform to transform the planning system by
enabling communities to contribute to better decision making.
These inspiring films stimulated two short panel discussions which were chaired by Ken Moon of
Tir Pontypridd. Audience members asked the panel, all of whom had been involved in the films,
what people could do in their own communities to protect and campaign for their dwindling rights
of access.
“People in Pontypridd, as they are in Cwmparc, as they are in Craig-yr-Hesg, as they are
elsewhere, are tired of having little to no say in how their land is used, in what’s extracted,
what’s left behind, and where they can go. They’re tired of wealth being extracted at great cost
to the wellbeing and health of their neighbours and friends”. said Eben Myrddin Muse of the
British Mountaineering Council.
Outdoor educator, author and International Mountain Leader Emma Linford talked of how “this
barrier” of exclusion from from land is what needs changing; “There should be no barrier, just
education, responsible access and agency”. “…rather than feeling disempowered, it was obvious
through films that showcased local initiatives and collaborations that this community is very
active in making change that looks after itself”.
“Conversations like the ones that occurred on Saturday night need to bleed into Welsh politics
and into Welsh policy. It’s great that we have community organisations like Tir Pontypridd
showing the way”, said Eben.
Discussions also looked at the role of citizen science in collecting data, and how institutions like
Cardiff University could have a stronger role to play in the future in supporting communities like
Pontypridd to make use of that data to campaign for change and better decision making for our
communities.
Tir Pontypridd started as a small community initiative to secure land for community use during
lockdown and incorporated as a Community Benefit Society in February 2025. If you’d like to
support their work towards securing their first plot of land, then you can join via their website
www.tirpontypridd.org
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