Council invests £20k to boost community crowdfunding efforts

They were selected for the boosts after they began raising funds through the council’s crowdfunding programme, Crowdfund Swansea.

Both are being created by and for their local communities as residents plan how to bounce back once the pandemic is behind us.

In Pontarddulais, the Friends of Coedbach Park are behind the plan to improved opportunities for teenagers. A key result of their £23,198 fundraising drive will be in the installation of a 2.2m-tall steel climbing frame with climbing nets, a climbing wall, ladder and rope ladder. There are rings and a trapeze bar for swinging as well as a monkey bar section.

In Mount Pleasant, the Hub on The Hill initiative is behind the plan to buy community e-bikes and to install a lockable bike shelter with e-bike charger.

Andrew Stevens, the council’s cabinet member for business improvement and performance, said: “We’re pleased to add our financial support to these schemes.

“They answer our call for ideas which put local people at the heart of the efforts to help Swansea kick on in future years.

“These projects reimagine the way we use shared space, embed a new collaborative and connected way of living and strengthen the resilience of communities, the environment and local economy.

“I encourage anybody else with great ideas to strengthen their communities to consider using our successful Crowdfund Swansea initiative.”

“It offers the chance for anybody to chip in to help bring a local project to life, with pledges starting at £2.”

Leonie Ramondt, of Hub on the Hill, said: “Collaborative mobility and the sharing economy go hand in hand in reducing our environmental impact and increasing our wellbeing.

“Why leave an e-bike unused for 95% of the time when it can be shared with others?

“This way many more people can access these wonderful devices and we also grow a stronger sense of community.”

The council has a fund of around £75,000 to support a number of schemes that seek pledges through Crowdfund Swansea.

Projects crowdfunding now with the help of council funds include:

• Coedbach Park– £5,000 from the council will help provide recreation opportunities for teenagers, other local youths and school groups.
• E-bikes and bike shelter– £5,000 from the council will help create a bike hub for use by the Mount Pleasant community.
• Morriston AFC– £1,000 from the council will support securing the football ground to ensure it can continue to be used by local teams and the community.
• Copley Common – A pledge from the council will support work to create an eco-friendly community space including nature walks, outdoor adventure and a pump track.
• Room to Grow – Nearly £5,000 from the council will support this their campaign to transform unused front gardens into food growing spaces and places in parts of Brynmill and Uplands.
• Llangyfelach Community Gardens – A council pledge will support their campaign to attract funding to create gardens that can be used by schools and the community.

The crowdfunding campaigns are part of a joint initiative between the Swansea Council and Spacehive,Opens new window the UK’s leading civic crowdfunding platform.

And it’s not just the council offering funding to local projects. Gower Power Co-op CIC has signed up as a supporter of the programme and has identified projects that meet its criteria.

Gower Power uses funds from the sale of green energy to provide grants for projects that grow food, improve biodiversity or reduce health inequalities. The team is looking forward to making its first Crowdfund Swansea pledge.

To help the projects hit their funding target visit Crowdfund Swansea’s Spacehive page to make a pledge: www.bit.ly/SpacehiveSx.

Crowdfund Swansea forms part of a new approach to civic planning by Swansea Council which sees crowdfunding as a key channel to involve communities in regeneration.

If you are interested in taking part in the next funding round of Crowdfund Swansea, as a funder or to fund your own project, please email info@spacehive.comOpens new window.