A COMMUNITY group is celebrating after receiving around £30,000 from Caerphilly County Borough Council to develop new services.

Libanus Lifestyle, based in the former Libanus Chapel in Blackwood, opened last year and provides fitness and exercise sessions for adults with disabilities and the elderly.

The £29,500 grant from Caerphilly CBC’s Community Regeneration Fund will allow the group to provide complementary therapy and mindfulness teaching services from next month.

The managing director of Libanus Lifestyle, Karen James, has worked in the care sector since September 2008 and started the project last year after working with the community to refurbish the building.

She said: “I’m extremely grateful to councillor Nigel Dix for his ongoing help and support with our plans for our organisation.

“We’re over the moon to be given these grants to enable us to start providing services from our centre”.

She added that following the closure of Cancer Careline last year, cllr Dix supported Libanus Lifestyle in “accessing funding to ensure these services will continue”.

Initially, Libanus Lifestyle were awarded a grant for refurbishing the toilet block and entrance way to improve the facilities for disabled access.

The group are now aiming to access funding from Caerphilly CBC’s Social Services and the Aneurin Bevan Health Board to expand their services further and provide more communitybased activities.

Cllr Dix said: “In these times of shrinking budgets we have to find new ways of providing these vital services to our community.

“I welcome the partnership between Caerphilly council and Libanus Lifestyle and look forward to doing all I can to ensure this service flourishes.”

To apply for funding under the Community Regeneration Fund, projects must meet one or more of the following aims.

These include enhancing employment prospects and skills of local people — including youngsters and the disadvantaged — promoting equality of opportunity and sustainable futures for the community or community regeneration.

A Caerphilly CBC spokeswoman added: “This funding was awarded through the Community Regeneration Fund, which aims to foster and enhance viable and sustainable communities within Caerphilly county borough.

“We wish the group every success in taking their project forward.”

For more information on the group and its services, search ‘Libanus Lifestyle - Wales CIC’ on Facebook.