About Bridgend

Madeleine Moon MP

From the Valleys to the Coast

The constituency of Bridgend is beautifully situated between the Welsh valleys to the north and the gorgeous Bristol channel coast line to the south. Bridgend (in Welsh: Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) is a town in the traditional county of Glamorgan and the main town in the county borough of Bridgend in south Wales. It is roughly midway between the principal city Cardiff, and Swansea. The river crossed by the original bridge which gave the town its name is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes through the south of the town. Bridgend has greatly expanded in size since the early 1980s and now has a population of around 40,000.

Some facts about Bridgend!

Employment

The Jobseekers Allowance claimant count in Bridgend has fallen from 2,003 people in January 1997 to 1,110 people in January 2007 – a drop of just under 50% to only 2.4% of constituents

The number of people who have been helped into work in Bridgend by the New Deal:

- 1,050 young people since 1998 as of August 06

- 850 lone parents since 1998 as of August 06

- 70 elderly people since 2003 as of August 06

Incapacity Benefit

Nationally, the number of people receiving incapacity benefit has fallen by 42,000 in the year to August 2006 and is at a 6-year low

Helping older people

·18,050 received the Winter Fuel Payment in Bridgend last year

·3,890 helped by Pension Credit in Bridgend by 2006