A similar if not identical community project to that of our own Kenfig.org local history project (listed above) but called Cynffig Chronicles has been set up in the same locality as that of our own. This alternative history project had been granted £49,600.00 Heritage Lottery monies [ HLF Grants Database Results ] to research, document and create a local history website - exactly the same purpose as that of our own project.

The Cynffig Chronicles is a project between Bridgend County Borough Council, 8 schools and local community groups operating within North Cornelly, Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribbwr areas. (This is outlined in the HLF Grants Database Results as above)

As the Kenfig.org website is run as a local community group within the same areas as this other project, there are questions that need answering as to why the Kenfig.org LCG were not notified or made aware of this situation as we are a community group operating within the same areas where a possible conflict of interest could arise and more so as our local history website project has been granted Heritage Status by the National Library/Government and where our works are held in high esteem both within the local communities and within the academic fraternity as a whole.

The Kenfig.org website project is funded by The Welsh Assembly Government and Bridgend County Borough Council. Why does the Bridgend County Borough Council wish to create a similar if not identical website project in the same communities as that of a website project which they are already funding and supporting which is well established within the Internet and academic worlds to no end? The Kenfig.org website is permanent online and is an on-going resource with information being added to the site on a continual basis - it is also being archived for posterity through the National Library of Wales and The UK Web Archiving Consortium.

We outlined some technical issues surrounding the domain name registration of the cynffig chronicles project - as this has been registered to a 3rd party other than the grantee of the lottery funding themselves. [ WHOIS Domain Name database ]

As there are public monies involved with this situation we felt it was acceptable to outline this as the grantee of the lottery monies for cynffig chronicles project has no administrative rights what so ever over the domain name that they are using and marketing throughout the local communities (in essence the grantee of lottery monies for cynffig chronicles (BCBC) does not own the domain name cynffigchronicles.co.uk) - this could provide serious implications for the project if left unchecked.

We were merely attempting to outline and advise Bridgend County Borough Council of these situations that have arisen through the information portrayed. We are concerned of a conflict of interest between both projects which in essence are one and the same and, which, could cause problems if left unchecked.

The questions posed still remain unanswered. The Welsh Assembly Government are currently investigating this whole situation with a view of attaining an amicable resolution between all parties concerned.

Rob Bowen (Chair/Webmaster - Kenfig.org LCG)