A CHARITY focused on improving the community and linking organisations has celebrated 20 years of service.

Duffryn Community Link (DCL) hosted a family fun day on Saturday, celebrating the charity which was established in 1998 when they planted 10,000 daffodils around Duffryn, which still sprout annually.

One of their more recent achievements is being one of just six projects to receive funding from the Big Lottery Project, as part of the Create Your Space programme which enables communities to improve their local natural environment. This is just one of various projects facilitated by DCL from their original base in Unit 7 of Duffryn Shopping Centre, and their Forest Family Centre which the organisation took over in 2013.

“DCL aims to improve the lives of those living in Duffryn and the surrounding area,” explained manager Paula Harris.

“We tend to do this through training, volunteering, workplace opportunities, childcare, regeneration. Anything that the community needs.

“The name Duffryn Community Link really does sum it up. It’s about making those links and partnerships, because no single person or organisation has the capacity to do everything.”

DCL’s daily activities include breakfast club, playgroup, lunch club and afterschool group.

They also run an open access play project four days a week, which is based in the school forest on Monday, the estate on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, and Tredegar House on Saturday mornings.

They were also the founders of the Friday Night Project – now run by Newport City Council – which would offer children sports and activities to take part in, to avoid them loitering on the streets.

Each Wednesday foodbanks from their Forest Family Centre – with food donated through FareShare and Jesus Cares – and a citizens advice bureau from their unit in Duffryn Shopping Centre.

The organisation also runs Sunflowers Tots Playgroup, which is the lead non-maintained preschool provider in Newport, and one of the accomplishments Ms Harris is most proud of.

“We scored ‘excellent’ in leadership in management in our Estyn report,” said Ms Harris.

“We’ve been asked to write a case study for the Welsh government on what we do here, and we’ve had other organisations coming in to see how we do it.

“That makes you feel really good about yourself, because you know you’re making a difference.”

Joe Chiummo has been part of DCL since it originated, and chairman for 13 years, winning the organisation an MBE in 2007.

“The only thing I get out of this is that I live in this community and care about it,” explained Mr Chiummo.

“Our nurture programme has worked with young children coming to school with issues, teaching them how to behave for many years.

“Due to the funding ending the school took over the programme, but funding cuts have put it at jeopardy."

DCL are looking for a big organisation to sponsor them, due to funding cuts to the Local Authority which financed core posts within Duffryn Community Link, with the hopes of being able to deliver services to the community for another 20 years at least.