Parish Profile

The Parish Profile Includes:

Location

The parish of St. Theodore, Port Talbot is located in the eastern region of the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot, near to the coast, in South Wales. The parish church of St. Theodore lies in the shadow of the Corus (Steel Company) Port Talbot plant which, along with the docks, makes up the whole south-western band of the parish through which travels the main Swansea to Paddington railway artery connecting West and South Wales to London. The eastern boundary is the Goytre Valley located between the hills of Mynydd Margam and Mynydd Emroch. The main motorway link, the M4, connecting West and South Wales with the national motorway network, passes through the parish with Junction 40 at our centre. The northern boundary reaches to the Aberavon Rugby Football ground and the southern boundary just beyond the location of the old Groeswen Hospital (to which Fr. Colin was Chaplain) - which is now the Groeswen Parc housing development.

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Parish History

St. Theodore's church, designed and built by John Loughborough Pearson R.A., was consecrated in 1897 as part of the Parish of Margam. In 1901 the Parish of St. Theodore, Port Talbot was formed. Since then three sections of the original parish have been redistributed to become part of the parishes of Maesteg and Margam and to form the parish of St. Agnes (now part of the Rectoral Benefice of Aberavon). In addition to the parish church of St. Theodore the parish at its formation included the Holy Cross Chapel of Ease (built 1827) and in 1915 St. Peter's Mission Church was opened in the Goytre. The present incumbent is the parish's eighth having arrived in July 1996.

Former incumbents of the Parish of St. Theodore, Port Talbot are:

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Present Parish Facts & Figures

Parish Population: 7,000 c.

Electoral Roll: 202

Communicant and Occasional Offices
  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Christmas 191 195 194 202 214 214 218 206 219 222 225 2131
Easter 200 199 200 206 194 241 241 234 229 225 215 206
Pentacost 141 139 125 123 128 136 136 118 123 137 98 107
Trinity III 124 98 116 101 103 128 128 109 125 112 139 115
Baptisms 26 19 17 20 12 24 25 25 20 12 16 21
Confirmations 16 16 17 10 8 7 17 17 13 10 12 13
Weddings 7 10 10 7 10 17 12 12 12 16 9 13
Funerals 38 49 63 51 56 46 35 35 57 45 21 34

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Population & Housing

Approximately 7,000 parishioners are housed in approximately 2,750 homes which are predominantly of terrace type construction. The vast majority of homes in the parish were built 1880 - 1910. A newer housing estate was built on a disused coal handling / train engine yard in the 1970s. There have been several new developments of private and social housing within the parish since 2000.

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Education

Four small schools lie within the parish: Central Infants, Central Junior, Eastern Infant & Junior, and Duffryn Lower Comprehensive. Good relations exist with all four schools which visit St. Theodore's for curriculum purposes as well as utilising it as a venue for concerts and Christmas services.

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Unemployment

The parish has historically been in the heart of industrial south Wales with coal, tin, iron and steel forming the main source of employment. However, unemployment remains a feature for many in the parish.

According to the, Annual Local Area Employment Force Survey 2000 Data – Activity Rates:
"Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council has one of the lowest employment rates in Wales with only 62.4% of those of working age being economically active. Only Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent had a lower rate at 58.8% and 60.3% respectively, with the Wales average being 74.4%."
While according to the March 2002 Nomis unemployment rate in Neath Port Talbot was 8.7% compared to the overall figure for Wales of 5.3 % and overall figure for Great Britain of 5.2%.

For the period April 2008 - March 2009 the unemployment rate in Neath Port Talbot was 6.8% which matched the overall figure for Wales while the overall figure for Great Britain was 6.2%.

For the period April 2008 - March 2009 the Neath Port Talbot employment rate had risen to 71.4% of those of working age being economically active, while the rate for Wales had risen to 75.8% and for Great Britain 78.9%. (Nomis)

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Socio-economic Factors

The area as a whole is economically and consequently socially deprived as most clearly evidenced by the European Union placing Neath Port Talbot County Borough within the Objective One Funding Area. The E.U. definition of an Objective One funding area is: "To help redevelop regions seriously lagging behind the European Union average". Whilst never commonly wealthy what was a thriving port town exporting coal, iron and steel worldwide, is now officially considered to be one of the most economic and socially deprived areas in Europe.

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Parish Life

The parish is served by the parish church of St. Theodore and St. Peter's, Goytre celebrating the Eucharist on a Sunday and Vigil Mass of Sunday respectively.

The first Sunday in the month, the parish gathers together for a Parish Family Eucharist. Evensong is held in St. Theodore's church weekly as are other midweek services.

The Parish Hall is located on-site with St. Theodore's church and is utilised for many social functions of the parish, church groups, and is hired by organisations and individuals. After its recent redevelopment it also houses a Parish Shop and Coffee Shop, both open throughout the week.

Within the parish there are four non-conformist chapels of varying denomination and a Roman Catholic Church. Good ecumenical relations exist. Many ecumenical and Civic services are held in St. Theodore's Church since it is the largest church in Port Talbot.

The Port Talbot Branch of the Royal British Legion is situated in the Parish and the Vicar is their Chaplain.

The Port Talbot Dock's Mission to Seafarers is situated in the Parish and opens daily when a ship is berthed. Parishioners staff the Mission to welcome seafarers from all over the world. The Vicar is the Hon. Chaplain to the Mission to Seafarers.

The Parish Magazine sells 280 copies every month, indicating the broad base of support there is within the parish.

For more details of parish life over the past year see Parish Report.

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