Tref fechan yw’r Bermo ar arfordir gorllewinol Gogledd cymru., tua 20 milltir i’r de o Borthmadog a 10 milltir i’r gorllewin o Ddolgellau . Mae’r boblogaeth o gwmpas 2,500, er mae hyn yn chwyddo’n sylweddol  yn ystod misoedd yr Haf gyda dyfodiad yr ymwelwyr gwyliau. Mae safon y tai yn eithaf isel ac mae gwaith yn yr ardal yn dymhorol ac yn gyflog  isel.
 
Tuedda’r safle carafannau lleol i ymwelwyr gynnwys adloniant ac adnoddau o fewn y safle ,gyda’r canlyniad nid yw’r ymwelwyr yn mentro allan i ddefnyddio  adnoddau’r  dref , ac felly nid yw’n cyfrannu’n helaeth tuag at yr  economi lleol .
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Mae’r ddaearyddiaeth leol yn creu anhawster wrth geisio denu diwydiant o ryw faint i’r ardal felly mae cyfleon gwaith yn y dre yn isel ac mae’r rhan fwyaf o bobl yn gorfod teithio i Ddolgellau neu ymhellach i ddarganfod gwaith.
 
Amcan
Un o amcanion Cymunedau yn  Gyntaf  yn Y Bermo oedd i ddatblygu y  gallu cynhenid ac ymrwymiad y gymuned , drwy nifer o fentrau . Yn yr astudiaeth achos yma rydym am ffocysu ar un fenter yn arbennig.
 
Gweithgaredd prosiect
Mae cydlynydd Cymunedau yn Gyntaf , Danny Jones wedi cydnabod fod tu fewn I’r Bermo nifer o bobl a oedd yn gymdeithasol wedi’u hynysu ac roedd angen I’w cynnwys yn y datblygiadau a oedd ar fin cychwyn yn y gymuned.
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Roedd am ddefnyddio dulliau gwahanol i’r cyrsiau hyfforddi arferol a dosbarthiadau T.G. a.y.b.,a darganfod rhywbeth a fyddai’n ennyn diddordeb a brwdfrydedd y gymuned.
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Gwahoddwyd Band o Fangor ,Y Samba Bangor i berfformio yng Ngyl Gerdd y dref ac o ganlyniad fe wnaeth nifer o drigolion lleol ddangos diddordeb mewn ymchwilio i’r  miwsig yma  ac o bosib ddatblygu band lleol. Fe wnaeth grp o bobl a oedd a diddordeb fynychu gweithdy gan Samba Bangor ac ar ôl y sesiwn dechreuol yma fe wnaeth nifer o bobl leol gwrdd i drafod sut y gallant ddilyn y diddordeb newydd yma a’i ddatblygu yn Y Bermo.
 
Gyda chymorth fe ysgrifennon nhw nifer o lythyron , yn apelio am arian ac o ganlyniad i geisiadau llwyddiannus fe lwyddon i brynu drymiau a’r cit ac ariannu sawl gweithdy a gynhaliwyd gan Samba Bangor. Dechreuodd y Band i gyfarfod pob nos  Fercher  i ymarfer a dysgu’r grefft o ddrymio samba ac o hyn fe ffurfiwyd Band Samba Y Bermo .
 
Yn fwy pwysig fe ddechreuodd y grp ddatblygu sgiliau newydd ym meysydd  sgiliau rheoli pwyllgorau, rheoli cyllid, cynllunio digwyddiadau a chynllunio busnes a fydd o fudd iddynt ac o ddefnydd yn eu bywydau beunyddiol.
 
 Chwaraeodd y Band yn eu gig cyntaf yng Nghynhadledd Cydlynwyr Cymunedau yn  Gyntaf  ym Mawrth 2004 ac ers hynny maent wedi perfformio mewn sawl gwˆyl yn y DU a’r cyfandir. Y syniad yw y bydd y Band Samba yn medru defnyddio arian o’u gigs i ddod yn hunangynhaliol ac yn gynaliadwy.

Erbyn hyn mae rhwng 20-30 o aelodau gydag ystod oed o 17 i 50 mlwydd oed, o gymysgedd o gefndiroedd cymdeithasol, daearyddol ac ethnig.Wrth gwrdd ag aelodau’r band mae’n amhosib i beidio â sylwi ar y  naws o frawdoliaeth , cyfeillgarwch a brwdfrydedd maent yn rhannu. Maent wedi adeiladu perthynas gref gydag agwedd groesawgar. Mae pobl na fyddent byth wedi cymryd rhan mewn datblygiad cymunedol o’r fath yn awr ynghlwm â’r gweithgaredd.
 
Yn ddiweddar fe wnaeth RCCG o Gymunedau  yn Gyntaf gyfweld ag aelodau o’r band ac roedd pob un yn sôn am y ffocws roedd y band wedi rhoi iddyn nhw. Dywedodd un person wrthym taw drwy ymuno â’r band roedd hi am y tro cyntaf wedi  gwneud unrhyw weithgaredd cymunedol , ond drwy wneud roedd hi erbyn hyn yn llawn balchder ac yn perthyn i rywbeth. Ychwanegodd ei bod wedi dysgu llawer o sgiliau newydd gwerth chweil a oedd wedi helpu ei datblygiad personol.
 
Siaradodd y trysorydd hefyd am y sgiliau newydd roedd wedi dysgu wrth rhedeg y grwˆp cymunedol yma , yn cynnwys sgiliau trefnu, cynllunio cyfarfodydd, cyllido, cynnal a chadw’r cit, a chynnig am grantiau a.y.b.ac fe soniodd yn dwymgalon am bolisi drws agored y grp ac fel yr oedd y band wedi datblygu sylfaen gref a  hunaniaeth o fewn y gymuned.
 
Erbyn hyn mae’r band yn cael ei gydnabod fel band y dre. Siaradodd Danny Jones cydlynydd Cymunedau yn Gyntaf fod ‘buzz yn y dre’ yn bendant.
 
Oherwydd angen y dre am adnoddau gofal plant fe ddaeth rhai o’r aelodau yn ran o Bartneriaeth Gofal Plant Y Bermo – grwpiau gofal plant lleol yn cyd-weithio yn hytrach nac yn cystadlu efo’i gilydd. Mae arweinydd y Band wedi ennill swydd lawn-amser fel rheolwr Canolfan Gofal Plant Oasis y Bermo , sy’n cynnig gwasanaeth gofal drwy’r dydd i blant o 3 mis i 8 mlwydd oed. Mantais yw bod y ganolfan yn hyblyg ac yn gweithio o gwmpas yr oriau sydd angen ar y band i ymarfer a pherfformio , felly yn  cynnig cyfle i famau sengl ddod yn rhan o’r cynllun.
 
Mae aelodau o’r band hefyd ynghlwm â threfnu sawl achlysur cymunedol, yn cynnwys dathliad Nos Calan Gaeaf.
 
Crynodeb
Pan ymwelon ni â’r band , cyn ymarfer ar nos Fercher ,yn gynnar ym mis Tachwedd, noson oer os cofiwn, roeddem wedi ein syfrdanu gyda’r croeso twymgalon, er ein bod yn gymharol ddieithr.Ond yr hyn wnaeth ein taro bennaf oedd brwdfrydedd a balchder y bobl rheiny am yr hyn roeddynt yn gwneud a’r hyn roeddynt wedi’i gyflawni.
 
Yn yr astudiaeth achos yma rydym wedi canolbwyntio ar un grwˆp yn arbennig am ddau reswm :-

 
1. Fel y gwelir o’r gwybodaeth uchod , mae’r grwˆp wedi cyflawni llawer mewn amser byr ac mae’n enghraifft dda o feithrin galluoedd cymunedol.
 
2. Er mwyn disgrifio holl weithgaredd a grwpiau yn y Bermo fe fyddai angen astudiaeth achos llawer yn hwy na hwn .
 
 

Beth bynnag, nid yw hyn yn difrïo  unrhyw waith arall yn Y Bermo a ‘r hyn mae nifer o’r grwpiau gweithredol cymunedol yn y dre wedi’u cyflawni , yn cynnwys  grwpiau yr amgylchedd, garddio, miwsig, a chlybiau chwaraeon , y rhain i gyd wedi’u datblygu drwy gymorth Cymunedau yn Gyntaf.
 
Cysylltiadau
 
Am fwy o wybodaeth am Band Samba Y Bermo cysylltwch â Alison Williams ar  01341 281697.
 
Am fwy o wybodaeth am Cymunedau yn Gyntaf yn Y Bermo ,Partneriaeth Gofal Plant y Bermo, neu unrhyw grwˆp sy’n weithgar yn Y Bermo  Cysylltwch â
 Danny Jones, Cydlynydd Cymunedau yn  Gyntaf, ar  01341 280979 neu ebost  dannyjones@gwynedd.gov.uk.

Barmouth is a small town situated on the west coast of North Wales, approximately 20 miles south of Porthmadog and 10 miles west of Dolgellau. The population is around 2,500, although this does swell considerably in the summer months with the influx of holidaymakers. The housing is of fairly low standard and employment in the area is very much seasonal and low paid.
 
The local caravan sites for holiday makers tend to have full entertainment and facilities contained within the site, resulting in holiday makers having no need to venture in to the town to use its facilities, therefore not contributing that much to the local economy.
 
The local geography makes it difficult to attract industry of any size to the area so employment opportunities in the town are few and most people have to travel to Dolgellau or beyond to find work.
 
The Objective
One of the objectives of Communities First in Barmouth was to develop the capacity and engagement of the community, through a number of initiatives. In this case study we will focus on one initiative in particular.
 
Project Activity
The local Communities First Coordinator, Danny Jones, had identified that within Barmouth there were a number of people who were socially isolated and that there was a need to involve them in the developments that were beginning to take place within the community.
 
He wanted to use a different method to the regular training courses and I.T. classes etc, and find something to really grab the attention and enthusiasm of the community.
 
A band from Bangor called Samba Bangor were invited to come to the town’s Music Festival to perform and as a result, a number of community residents expressed an interest in exploring the use of this music and possibly developing a local band.  A group of interested people attended a workshop held by Samba Bangor and after this initial session, several local people met to discuss how they could pursue this newfound interest and develop it in and for Barmouth.
 
With assistance, they wrote several funding applications and as a result of some successful applications, they were able to buy the drums and kit and also fund a series of training workshops run by Samba Bangor. The Band then began to meet every Wednesday evening to practice and learn the art of samba drumming and the Barmouth Samba Band (Samba Bermo) was thereby formed.
 
Importantly, the group also began to develop new skills in the areas of management committee skills, financial management, fundraising skills, event planning and business planning, skills which they will benefit from and can use in their everyday lives.
 
The band played its first gig at the local Communities First Coordinators Conference in March 2004 and has since performed in a number of festivals around the UK and even abroad. The idea is that the Samba Band is able to use finance from their gigs to become self-supporting and sustainable.
 
There are now between 20 and 30 members and they range in age from 17 to 50 years and come from a mix of social, geographical and ethnic backgrounds. When you meet the members of the band you cannot help but feel the atmosphere of comradeship, friendliness and enthusiasm that they all share.  They have built a strong rapport and have a welcoming attitude. People have become involved who would not normally have taken part in any community development of this kind.
 
CFSN recently interviewed members of the band who all spoke of the focus that joining the band had given them. One person told us that joining the band was the first time that she has participated in any community activity, but that doing so had given her something to be proud of, something to belong to. She added that she had learnt many new and worthwhile skills, which had benefited her personal development.
 
The treasurer also spoke of the new skills that she had learnt in running this community group, including organisation skills, planning meetings, budgeting, kit maintenance, grant bidding etc. and spoke warmly of the group’s open-door policy and how the band had now developed a strong base and identity in the community.
 
The band is now perceived by all to be the town’s band. Danny Jones, the Communities First Coordinator, spoke of a definite “buzz in the town”. This is testimony to how integrated in the community the band and its members have become.
 
Because of the town’s need for childcare facilities, some members became involved in the Barmouth Childcare Partnership – local childcare groups working together, rather than in competition. The leader of the band has gained full-time employment as manager of the Barmouth Oasis Childcare Centre, which provides a full day-care facility for children aged 3 months to 8 years. The benefit is that the centre is flexible, working around the hours that the band needs to practice and perform, so allowing single mothers the chance to be involved.
 
The band members have also become involved in organising several community events, including a Halloween celebration.
 
Summary
When we visited the band, just before practice, on a Wednesday evening in early November, a cold evening as we recall!, we were impressed by the warmth of the welcome, even though we were comparative strangers.  What struck us most though was the enthusiasm and pride that these people had for what they were doing and for what they had achieved.
 
We have concentrated in this case-study on one particular group, for two reasons:-

 
1. As can be seen from the information above, this group has achieved a great deal in a short time and is a good example of local capacity building.
 
2. To describe all the activities and groups in Barmouth would require a case study of much greater length than this.

 
However, this does in no way detract from the other work going on in Barmouth and the achievements of the many community groups now active in the town, including environmental, gardening, music and sports clubs, all of which have developed with the help of Communities First.
 
Contacts
 
For more information on the Barmouth Samba Band, contact Alison Williams on 01341 281697.
 
For more information on Communities First in Barmouth, the Barmouth Childcare Partnership, or any other group operating in Barmouth, contact Danny Jones, Communities First Coordinator, on 01341 280979 or email dannyjones@gwynedd.gov.uk.