New funding for facilities will boost community wellbeing

This Programme, which funds projects up to a maximum of £250,000, or up to £25,000 for smaller grants, helps well-used community facilities to improve their financial and/ or environmental sustainability, providing opportunities for local people to improve their day to day lives.

Projects receiving funding in South West Wales include:

• Awel Aman Tawe, Swansea – £250,000 towards the total cost of £750,000 to develop a Zero Carbon Hub (Hwb y Gors) which will facilitate climate action through education, skills development, social enterprise, practical support and community workshops.
• Ray Ceredigion, Ceredigion – £25,000 towards the total cost of £28,860 to create internal access space between ground floor rooms.
• Llanmorlais Community Hall, Swansea – £15,500 towards the £30,000 cost of replacing the roof and installing a new PA system.

Jane Hutt said:

“The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted some specific challenges within communities, like mental health and social well-being. Shared commitment reinforces vibrant, caring communities, where citizens are bound together by close ties of co-operation and team work, inequalities are reduced, and the most vulnerable among us feel supported.

“The Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme supports some fantastic local projects to evolve and grow to meet the specific needs of their area.

“Offering grants likes these to community-led projects helps to improve much needed facilities, which play such an important part in the lives of people throughout Wales. I want to reflect on and celebrate the huge contribution made by the third sector organisations and volunteers who work so hard within their communities to deliver vital help and support where it is most needed.”

The Minister for Finance and Trefnydd, Rebecca Evans, said:

“I am pleased to be able to provide funding for the community sector across Wales.

“Despite the unprecedented challenges we have faced during the pandemic, community spirit and the resilience of Welsh people has shone through. The funding we are announcing today will continue to help bring communities together through support for local projects.”

Gill Byrne, project co-ordinator of Ray Ceredigion, said:

“This funding will help us massively, enabling us to open up a part of the building, which will make social distancing so much easier.

“We run a range of groups for local people, including dementia support and activities for young people. We can now make the space work much better, and continue to support vulnerable people in the local community with socially distanced activities.

“This grant will make a huge difference to the community.”

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.