大象传媒

It鈥檚 not Butetown anymore.

Grangetown is now the most diverse part of Cardiff, according to new research by Cardiff University.听

Given that Cardiff is the most diverse city in Wales, Grangetown is thus the most diverse part of Wales.

Dr Richard Gale, a human geographer at Cardiff University, conducted the research:

鈥淚t gives it a very special status in terms of wider debates about identity, Welshness and belonging. We need to understand Grangetown as an expression of Wales鈥檚 history in terms of identity. 鈥�

In this programme, reporter Selma Chalabi, who lives in Grangetown, talks to some of its residents:

Monika (pictured) runs a Polish delicatessen in the area with her husband called Delikatesy Mis. She came to Wales 15 years ago when free movement opened up in Poland.

鈥淚 was very young at that time. I always wanted to leave and try new things. Because I knew English, it was much easier for me to come to the UK. I鈥檝e always felt welcome. I鈥檝e never felt that people want to send me back home.鈥�

32 year old听 Pradyuman Halai lives in the area and is vice secretary of the largest Hindu temple in Wales 鈥� the Shree Swaminarayan temple.

鈥淲hen you come to a melting pot like Grangetown, you see different people living their lives in a different way. Yet they鈥檙e proud that they鈥檙e in this country. You鈥檒l see people living aside one another peacefully.鈥�

Ali Abdi was born in Grangetown to parents from Somaliland.听 He now works for Cardiff University as part of the Gateway Project. His job is to build a partnership between the university and the communities in Grangetown, which involves the development of a new community space in Grange Gardens.

鈥淭his space is going to be open to people of all faiths and no faith. It鈥檚 a very exciting time for Grangetown. It鈥檚 the up and coming place. In a time where politically there are a lot of people looking for division, we should be looking at what unites us.鈥�

Marilyn Jenkins, owner of Davies Framing. She was born in Grangetown in 1953.

鈥淚 feel nostalgic for the past. Families knew each other then. We had more independent shops.鈥�

听