Welsh Water – Sandfields investment project

Welsh Water fund supports Sandfields community groups following major £10 million investment

Community groups in the Sandfields area have received Welsh Water community funding to support their community-based projects.

This forms part of the company’s £10 million investment to upgrade almost 40km of water pipes in Sandfields.

Work will provide customers with a safe and reliable supply of drinking water for many years to come.

Community groups across the Sandfields area have received a boost after successfully securing funding from Welsh Water’s Community Fund.

As part of the not-for-profit company’s £10m investment in the town to upgrade the areas drinking water pipes, Welsh Water has supported a number of community groups within the Sandfields area through its Community Fund.

The funding has enabled the successful community groups to deliver a diverse range of community-based activities. Successful candidates include Port Talbot Under 8’s Football Club, whose great work will continue to encourage young people in the community to get involved in the sport, and Awel y Mor Primary School who will be using the funding to raise environmental awareness in the community.

One of the successful applicants was Friends of Sandfields West, who have used the money to create a new community garden. The work which was carried out in November in accordance with local lockdown restrictions involved creating new planters which are accessible to wheelchair users.

Sandfields West Councillor Robert Wood, and member of Friends of Sandfields West, said: “With the help of the community funding from Welsh Water, we’ve been able to build planters accessible to wheelchair users. We’re now able to grow more produce as they are raised for easy access. Many thanks from all at the Sandfields Community Group, Nature garden project.”

Senior Project Manager at Welsh Water Chris Moore thanked the local community and praised the team’s work on such a large-scale project. He said: “The mains renewal project in Sandfields has been very challenging with the need to renew mains and services within approximately 2,500 private gardens. Without the support and co-operation of the local community we wouldn’t have been able to achieve this so it’s great to be able to give something back to the community to say thank you.”

Welsh Water also worked alongside Tai Tarian Housing Associations’ biodiversity planting project whilst carrying out its investment work in Sandfields, Port Talbot. By donating £500 towards plants and assisting with the planting in December, the residents of Sandfields have another area to enjoy.

The Community Fund is a chance for communities to boost fundraising efforts for good causes in their area. If you live in an area where work is taking place – and you’re fundraising for projects to benefit the community – you could receive funding from Welsh Water up to a value of £1,000. Find out more here.

Welsh Water’s investment project to upgrade the drinking water quality in Sandfields, Port Talbot, is set to be completed by the end of March 2021. The work by Welsh Water to replace 28km and clean almost 12km of water pipes in the area will help deliver first class drinking water to the residents for years to come.