Asda Foundation Donates £40,000 To Breathe New Life Into Community Spaces In Wales

Asda’s charity, Asda Foundation, is awarding £40,000 of funding to two community groups in Wales, with the aim of improving and transforming community spaces and places to meet, after customers said the cost-of-living crisis has impacted their social and community interaction.

The grants are part of Asda Foundation investment of £750k in 60 local community groups and charities across the UK, with the aim of transforming community spaces and places after customers said the cost-of-living crisis has impacted their social and community interaction

Over 60 ‘Spaces and Places’ grants ranging from £5,000 to £25,000, have been awarded across the UK by the Asda Foundation.

CPD Pwllheli FC Cyfyngedig received a grant of £15,000 to help them create a brand new community hub space. Trimsaran Forum in Llanelli received a grant of £25,000 to create a multipurpose outdoor recreation area for children.

Alexandra Preston, Senior Manager Asda Foundation, says: “We know our communities are having a tough time right now with the rising cost of living, which is further increasing inequalities and setbacks seen during the pandemic. Small grassroots organisations play a vital role in making positive change and improving people’s lives every day. They understand the needs in their community and are constantly adapting to meet those needs. 

“They’re telling us that having safe, inclusive spaces to meet, learn, celebrate and come together builds connection and resilience in their community. The challenge for many of these groups is having the affordable space to bring people together to deliver this fantastic work – that’s why we’re investing £750k in our biggest-ever single grant round to breathe new life into community spaces across the UK” 

Dylan Llewelyn from CPD Pwllheli FC Cyfyngedig at the Hub Said “On behalf of our entire community here in Pwllheli, we are so grateful to Jo Scott from our local Asda store and to the Asda Foundation for their generous support.

It is always a challenge for small, remote communities to raise the funding required to help us achieve growth and to increase opportunities, whilst ensuring the long-term future of the club for future generations within our community. Such a generous contribution is fantastic for us as a club and as a community. Not only does it go a long way towards meeting our funding requirements, but it also validates our vision to create a safe, welcoming and high-quality community hub for everyone in Pwllheli and the surrounding area. We are ambitious and passionate about improving life in our small community. We are also realistic that we need all the help and support available from large organisations to local councils as well as private individuals and small businesses. As a team we will always achieve more together as we pool resources, knowledge and goodwill”

Research by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership is informing Asda’s Spaces & Places programme. Early insights derived from interviews with community groups indicates meeting space affordability can be a significant barrier to bringing people together, and that the existence of a ‘trusted, neutral and accessible’ space for local groups to meet and interact is likely to be an important resource for community wellbeing.

Further research from Asda showed that 1 in 4 people feel that the cost of living has impacted connections to their local community and is already limiting their social and leisure activities. The research shows that families are scaling back their plans to reduce costs and are spending more time at home with families and spending less time within their communities. The research also shows that access to mental health support in communities is vital in order to ease loneliness and isolation.