Christmas comes early for community projects as Minister announces £2.8m million boost

Ten community projects across Wales are set to celebrate after being awarded a share of over £2.8 million.

The Community Facilities Programme provides organisations with capital grant funding of up to £500,000 to help tackle poverty by creating and improving buildings and facilities to be used by the local community.

Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, today announced the latest projects set to benefit from the popular scheme:

• Friends of Llanfairfechan Community Library in Conwy will receive almost £32,000 to refurbish the library, fitting new windows and purchasing movable bookcases to make the space more flexible for use by the whole community.
• Penparcau Community Forum in Ceredigion will benefit from £490,000 to extend the former boxing club into a flexible community space which will host a range of community activities.
• Tabernacle United Reformed Church in Pembrokeshire, which hosts childcare, counselling and debt advice services, will receive almost £228,000 to refurbish the building and create an extension for kitchen and toilet facilities.
• Knighton and District Community Centre in Powys will benefit from just under £500,000 to host the local library, fit a new energy-efficient boiler and refurbish the space so it can be used by more than one group at the same time.
• St Thomas the Martyr Church Hall, a Grade II listed building in Monmouthshire, has been awarded £340,000 to create an accessible side entrance and refurbish the interior so it is more flexible for community use.
• Underwood Baptist Church in Newport is set to benefit from over £130,000 to build an extension for a new kitchen and toilet facilities, enabling the church to accommodate larger groups and events.
• Argoed Baptist Church in Caerphilly has been awarded up to £267,000 to repair the roof, and install a new heating system and windows, which will safeguard the building’s future and enable the Church to provide a safe place for more rough sleepers in winter months.
• Ely Valley Miners Welfare Association in Rhondda Cynon Taf has been awarded £281,000 to bring a currently disused full size grass football pitch back into community use, and to build changing rooms and toilets on site.
• Old Illtydian RFC has been awarded almost £97,000 to transform the former Splott library in Cardiff into a fit-for-purpose sport and community hub.
• Kenfig Hill, Pyle and Cornelly Youth and Community (KPC) in Bridgend will receive £500,000 to replace its single storey temporary accommodation  with a permanent two storey building, hosting a range of services such as free basic skills training, a youth club, and one to one IT and CV writing support.

Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, said:

“The £2.8 million I have announced today is set to breathe new life into some of the buildings and spaces most valued by people across Wales.

“These projects truly are the heart of their communities, providing a huge range of important services, from counselling and childcare, to shelter for homeless people and job clubs.

“The funding will enable these projects to expand their work further, throwing open their doors to even more people in the local community.”