Home is important. It’s more than just a place. My hometown is Blaenavon.

Home gives a sense of belonging, of pride about where we are from and the communities that shaped us. It never leaves us, wherever we are in the world.

Maybe it’s the case that having this feeling is the same for everyone, but it’s most definitely a sense felt by the people of our valleys. We are from places where the word community really does mean something.

In our history, we saw that sense of community at work in the pioneering, compassionate spirit of the valleys people who fought to improve workplace safety and pay through unions. We saw it in the local people who campaigned for decent healthcare via the NHS, for proper housing and education for all. They campaigned from the start, when those things were the preserve of the rich and powerful.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen the same community spirit in the selfless dedication of local volunteers giving up their time to help others in the midst of a pandemic, looking out for each other or donating food to help others struggling to get by.

I also see that community spirit in the actions of our sports clubs, joining together to give people of all ages the chance to be a part of something uplifting and beneficial.

At a higher level, Pontypool RFC legend Ray Prosser was the embodiment of that spirit.

He was Pontypool’s gift to top level rugby and someone who gave immense pride and enjoyment to the people of his town and Wales as a whole.

Although opponents may not always have thought of his contribution quite as fondly when regularly being overrun by a rampaging Pooler pack!

Ray gave his town so much, playing a part that is impossible to overstate in helping place Pontypool on the world rugby map.

Thank you to Ben Jeffreys, whose decision to name the soon-to-be refurbished stand at Pontypool Park after Ray will ensure that the memory of that legacy will live on.

Ray’s achievements are plain for all to see. The stories of him as a character are compelling and inspiring. But others are better placed than me to comment on the tactical genius of Ray Prosser as a coach, or about his impact on the field.

That is why my tribute to Ray goes far beyond the rugby pitch.

Towns are more than bricks and mortar. They are communities born of common struggle and shared identity. No-one did more than Ray to build up Pontypool in that respect, to give the people of a town pride in where they come from and the ability to go out into the world with their heads held high. Thank you Pross.