£1.5m boost for local community projects

3 Aug 2021 03:05 PM

Thirteen community projects across Wales have been awarded a share of over £1.5m in funding by the Welsh Government.

The Community Facilities Programme funds well-used amenities to improve sustainability, providing opportunities for local people as part of their day-to-day lives.

The latest awardees up to £250,000 are:

The latest smaller fund awardees (up to £25,000) are:

The Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt, yesterday said:

Now more so than ever our communities and the wonderful facilities within them are centres for bringing people together and building back a stronger, fairer Wales for all.

Despite the extraordinary challenges we’ve faced during the past 18 months, community spirit and the resilience of Welsh people has shone through. The Community Facilities funding we are announcing today will continue to help bring our local groups together through support for local projects.

Speaking about what the funding will mean to them, Ceri Stilwell, Chief Executive of Bulldogs Boxing and Community Activities in Neath Port Talbot, yesterday said:

We are over the moon to have been awarded this funding which will allow us to extend and update our Development Centre in Port Talbot. It will also enable us to continue to support the community in this ever-changing world by providing us with increased space to offer our sessions supporting children and young people, as well as providing a safe space for veterans to continue to receive support.

Together we are stronger – more than a boxing club.

Partneriaeth Ogwen in Gwynedd was visited by the First Minister Mark Drakeford last week. Explaining the project, Meleri Davies, Chief Officer, yesterday said:

Partneriaeth Ogwen is a social enterprise with community, economy and sustainability at its heart and Canolfan Cefnfaes will be developed with these three themes in mind.

The boutique bunk house and business units will bring economic benefit to the area and the centre will also have a multipurpose community room. We already have a maker space and repair café planned and we'll be working with local partners on sustainable energy options for the building with two electric charge points due to be installed shortly.

Community Facilities funding is an important milestone for the project as we raise the capital funds to renovate this important community resource.

The Community Facilities Programme accepts new applications all year.