03/28/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

Community farm, arts scheme and mental health charity among facilities to prosper under £3.7m community fund

THIRTY six community projects across Wales are set to benefit from £3.7m thanks to funding announced today.

The Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme provides grants for organisations to buy and improve well-used community-run buildings and projects.

Funding is awarded at two levels; small grants of under £25,000 and larger grants of up to £250,000, and is open to applications all year round.

157 projects have been funded since the programme launched in 2015 and this latest round brings the total grants to £28.2 million.
Today’s £3.7m announcement will enable almost £9m worth of projects to be delivered across the country.

In west Wales, the projects awarded £25,000 and under are:

· People Speak Up, Llanelli – purchase of a mobile pod which can be taken to any location to seek the views of local people on a range of issues;

· Clynfyw Care Farm, Boncath – create a commercial kitchen, storage and training facility;

· Star of the Sea Culture CIC, Borth – improve their kitchen and toilet facilities;

· Llanarthne Village Hall – extend their facility to create a community café, external toilets and showers;

· Crosswell Youth Community Centre, Pembrokeshire – refurbish the centre to improve access and toilets;

· Pembrokeshire Weightlifting – adjustments to their facility to enable better access to its health and fitness activities.

The projects awarded up to £250,000 are:

· Haverhub, Haverfordwest – transform a former post office, yard and sorting office into a community facility and venue for events;

· New Quay Memorial Hall – renovate the hall to safeguard the community’s current use is continued, including repairs to the roof and damp;

· Bethesda Chapel, Narberth – extend the church building to improve disabled access, provide better kitchen and toilet facilities and improve the entrance;

· Penparcau Community Forum, Aberystwyth – extend its facility to provide more space for new and existing activities including its 500 strong youth club;

· MIND Pembrokeshire – purchase and improve a building to act as a base for its activities.

People Speak Up, a social arts and wellbeing project based in Llanelli offers workshops, training and volunteering opportunities as well as engaging communities in conversations about their area.

Eleanor Shaw, founder of People Speak Up, said:

“By receiving funds from the Community Facilities Programme, we’re able to commission, design and build a bespoke mobile Speak Up pod that will travel around urban and rural communities.

“It means we can help tackle loneliness and isolation by bringing people together, supporting them to work with professional storytellers, writers and artists to have a voice.”

The Deputy Minister and Chief Whip Jane Hutt said:

“Our Community Facilities Programme is a fantastic opportunity which supports local projects to evolve and grow for their area and its needs.

“Offering grants likes these to community-led projects helps to improve regularly-accessed and much needed facilities. These include anything from community centres and religious venues to spaces for art and sports.”

Applications for the Community Facilities Programme are open year-round and organisations can find out more by searching for Community Facilities Programme on gov.wales

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