Bowled over by Community Chest awards

FIFTEEEN sporting organisations throughout Carmarthenshire have benefitted from the latest round of Sports Wales Community Chest awards.

Cashing in on the Sports Wales £13,900 share out were Dinefwr Indoor Bowls Club, Carmarthen-£575; Carmarthen Hockey Club £1,500 and Llangennech Cricket Club £959.

The awards are administered locally by Carmarthenshire council’s leisure team who are developing a successful Active Communities Campaign county wide.

Secretary of Dinefwr Bowls Club Bethan Jones said they were delighted the grant would enable the club to extend the current age range from 9-15year-olds to 8-16years with the acquisition of smaller and larger bowls in weight and size.

“This will help the club flourish and expand from its 25 members with more youngsters taken up bowls at their Saturday sessions running from 9.45 to11-45am on Saturdays.”

County sports development officer and Carmarthen Hockey Club coach Kate Williams said their club had been identified as one of six focus clubs in Wales which would mean the national governing body would work them to develop the club.

“The cash will help raise the profile of hockey for women in Carmarthen enabling us to build up membership and develop exciting programmes across schools.”

Treasurer of Llangennech Cricket Club Eric Lewis said their grant was helping them to develop women’s cricket. He said: “There are so few women’s cricket teams in Wales the South Wales Ladies Cricket League had now expanded to the South West and they were regularly competing against teams from Bristol, Taunton and St Austell’s, Cornwall. Travelling costs and equipment provision is prohibited without grant support.”

He said Llanelli had a long tradition of producing inspirational women cricketers like Lynne Thomas and Rhian Davies. There were now 15 members in their growing squad he was hoping there would be a few more rising stars benefiting from the cash injection to help them develop.

County executive board member for leisure services Cllr Meryl Gravell explained the grants are aimed to provide funding towards activities in the county that encourage more people to be more active, more often and to raise the standards of existing activities.

She said: “The Community Chest grant supports projects that expands current provision or introduces a new age group, increases coaches engaged or improves the quality of existing coaches as the three cited illustrate.”

Organisations can also apply for a second project that enables them to cater for interest generated via the 2014 Commonwealth Games; preparing for demand leading up to Glasgow 2014 and beyond, and tackling inequality.

Applications are encouraged from the above groups and panels meet throughout the year. The next closing date for applications is Thursday 31st July.

For more information and guidance please contact Hilary Jones, Sports Development Officer on HGJones@carmarthenshire.gov.uk