Carmarthenshire project gets £30,000 to connect excluded and disadvantaged communities with nature

The Llanelli Multicultural Network is awarded ‘Local Places for Nature – Breaking Barriers’  funding

A CARMARTHENSHIRE project that will see some of the county’s most excluded and disadvantaged communities getting in touch with nature has secured a £30,000 grant from the Welsh Government and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The ‘Connecting People to Nature’ project which is being rolled out by the Llanelli Multicultural Network, is being funded by the ‘Local Places for Nature – Breaking Barriers’ programme

Launched in July, the programme offered grants of between £30,000 to £100,000 to encourage communities including black and minority ethnic, refugee, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups to connect with the nature on their doorsteps.

Communities in the top 30 per cent of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation’s most deprived and disadvantaged communities were also eligible for funding.

Widening participation and engagement

Climate Change Minister Julie James said: “We have been very encouraged by the response to the Breaking Barriers funding which we made available to widen participation and engagement in our Local Places for Nature programme.

“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the successful projects, there really is some fascinating work to be done here that I look forward to learning more about as things progress.”

Spending time in nature has never been more important

“Looking after nature, helping people to understand it, spend time in it and value its importance has never been more important”, said Andrew White, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales.

“That is why we were thrilled to be working with Welsh Government to deliver the ‘Local Places for Nature- Breaking Barriers’ grant programme to help reconnect people from minoritised and disadvantaged communities with the natural world.

“The programme has aimed to engage a wider range of people with nature and will also help us gain a better understanding of the barriers they face to engaging with nature and identify potential solutions.”

Case study:

Connecting People to Nature, Llanelli Multicultural Network, Llanelli: £30,000

‘Connecting People to Nature’ will actively encourage people from the town’s black and minority ethnic community to engage with nature and play an active role in the wider community regeneration in Llanelli such as the Sandy Water Park and North Dock developments.

People from over 50 diverse backgrounds make up Llanelli’s black and minority ethnic community but research shows that many feel marginalised and not involved in wider community activities in the town because of issues including finance, language and lack of awareness of the local environment.

‘Connecting People to Nature’ will engage with and get to understand the needs of the black and minority ethnic by organising three engagement events and creating information and resources in community languages.

The ‘Connecting People to Nature’ project will organise activities that encourage the black and minority ethnic community to interact with the natural environment locally, including outdoor activities, learning how to grow food and plants and visits to local attractions.

It will also employ workers and collaborate with local partners including Llanelli Town Council, Syria Sîr Gâr, Llanelli Community Partnership and the Welsh Governments Fusion Project to find ways to encourage the black and minority ethnic community to engage with nature.

The projects being announced today who are receiving a share of £288,639 funding are:

• The ‘Travelling Back to Nature’ project which is run by the Romani Cultural & Arts Centre and covers south east Wales is receiving £78,137;
• In Cardiff, the ‘Greening Riverside’ project run by the South Riverside Community Centre, is being awarded £81,202;
• Newport’s ‘Greening Maindee Together’ project which is run by Maindee Unlimited and the Community House Eton Road is getting £39,300;
• The ‘Connecting to Nature’ project run by Llanelli Multicultural Network has secured a £30,000 grant;
• And also in Cardiff, ‘The Green Connect Project’ run by Women Connect First, is getting £60,000 in funding.

The grant programme is part of the Welsh Government’s ‘Local Places for Nature’ programme which is committed to creating, restoring and enhancing nature ‘on your do