Llanelli’s Antioch Centre set to celebrate as one of several community hubs get £1.7 million facelift

Seven popular community hubs across Wales are set to celebrate after being awarded a share of over £1.7 million.

The Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme provides capital grant funding to develop and improve community facilities which provide a range of activities and services for local people.

Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, today announced the latest projects set to receive a facelift thanks to the scheme:

• The Antioch Centre in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, which hosts a food bank, debt advice service and play sessions for children,  will benefit from £488,000 to refurbish the building and make it more energy efficient. The funding will replace the windows, refurbish the toilets and showers, replace sections of the roof and insulate the exterior walls.
• Gellideg Foundation Group in Merthyr Tydfil, which currently operates from unsuitable local premises, will receive £500,000 to support the creation of a brand new Wellbeing Centre, hosting Community First activities, a crèche, youth club and skills training classes. The funding is in addition to the £1.5 million Welsh Government regeneration funding previously awarded to the project.
• New Life Community Church in Tonyrefail, Rhondda Cynon Taf, will receive £300,000 to refurbish and extend the current building. The popular community facility, which runs debt advice sessions, support for veterans, and a youth club, is set to benefit from a two storey extension and new kitchen and toilet facilities.
• Trecynon Free Library and Institute, a busy community hub in Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf,  has been awarded £59,000 to refurbish and insulate its main hall, boosting the number of users from 600 to 900 per week.
• Too Good to Waste, a successful recycling and re-use social enterprise in Ynyshir, Rhondda Cynon Taf, have been awarded £201,741 to help purchase and refurbish an industrial unit next to their existing base. This will allow the organisation to refurbish and store more stock, as well as to provide more training and volunteering opportunities to the local community.
• St Andrew’s Church in Garden City, Flintshire, which hosts a range of community groups, such as Communities First sessions, IT classes for the partially sighted and exercise classes, will receive £40,000 to refurbish the building and improve access.
• Clwb Rugbi’r Bala in Gwynedd will benefit from £164,000 towards the costs of adding a community room and kitchen onto their existing changing rooms. The new facility will host the Club’s youth teams and local community services, such as health visitor sessions.

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

“These projects are the beating heart of their communities, providing a huge range of services and support to local people, from debt advice and childcare, to cookery classes and skills training.

“The £1.7 million funding I have announced today will support the renovation of existing premises or development of new facilities. The investment will enable the projects to expand their work further, throwing open their doors to even more people in the local community.”