WIREDGOV

Transforming old pumphouse buildings, chapels, and drill halls into community spaces and creating sustainable enterprises, arts venues, and business hubs are among projects sharing in £444,941 of grants from the Big Lottery Fund.

The money, from the £9 million Community Asset Transfer 2 Programme (CAT2), aims to provide both capital and revenue funding to support the transfer of assets, such as land and buildings to community ownership. The assets can be transferred from individuals, the public or private sector.

Nine initial grants of up to £50,000 each are helping projects develop their ideas before being invited to submit developed applications to the second stage of funding with the aim of securing grants of between £300,000 and £1,150,000. (Read full project descriptions)

The Drill Hall, in Chepstow, receive £50,000 to develop their proposal that involves the extension and enhancement of an existing Drill Hall to create a sustainable arts and community venue. The project will improve the facility to also provide additional meeting space, studio, bar, storage and kitchen space to cater for activities and private functions.

In Blaenau Gwent, Gwent Wildlife Trust receive £49,435 to develop their plans for the renovation of a former pumphouse to provide a flexible multi use space. The improvement to existing areas and the creation of additional floorspace will create a multi-use workshop, flexible training rooms, meeting space, kitchen, gallery, exhibition space, shop and bike hire facility, storage and open plan café.

Welcoming the grant, Veronika Brannovic, Living Valleys Manager at Gwent Wildlife Trust, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be receiving this development grant from the Big Lottery Fund. It will allow us to take our plans to redevelop the former pumphouse in the area to the next level, and eventually create a fantastic facility for the whole community to enjoy.”

Elsewhere, in North Wales, Hafod Ceiri in Gwynedd receive £50,000 to develop their project that involves the transfer of a grade 2* listed chapel to create a multipurpose and sustainable enterprise.  Use of the facitility will include enterprise and business workshops, café, holiday units, a heritage centre and a gallery for cultural performances.

In Wrexham, Brymbo Heritage Trust receives £50,000 to develop plans for renovating / redevelopment of the Brymbo Steelworks Site, specifically the transfer of the 1920's built Machine Shop building. This will create a visitor reception area, heritage skills learning centre and small business hub.

John Rose, Wales Director of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “This programme is helping Welsh communities to become stronger and more sustainable by assisting them to obtain and develop assets and improve where they live. By helping to transfer assets to enterprising organisations that actively involve and benefit the communities they serve, we are ultimately helping more people to benefit from their local community assets and also generating local income and employment.”

“Money from the CAT2 programme is being used to help community groups to regenerate and reinvigorate the assets and develop manage and sustain them to improve their livelihoods and neighbourhoods. Through this programme, groups will be encouraged to use the asset to generate multiple income streams and provide quality services and amenities.”

Further Information:

Alex Davies - Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 01686 611720
Public Enquiries Line: 0845 4 10 20 30                           
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow Big Lottery Fund Wales on Twitter: www.twitter.com/biglotterywales
Find Big Lottery Fund Wales on Facebook: www.facebook.com/biglotteryfundwales

Notes to Editors:

• The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
• Since June 2004 we have awarded over £6.5billion to projects that make a difference to people and communities in need, from early years intervention to commemorative travel funding for World War Two veterans.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion has been raised and more than 500,000 grants awarded.