A SCHEME that tackles poverty is to be shaken up in Newport, with the city’s Communities First groups to be reorganised.

Newport council has won a bid to operate Communities First in the city, taking over responsibility for 50 per cent of its provision from Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations and Duffryn Link.

Under the new scheme – currently being considered by two council cabinet members – Welsh Government-backed Communities First will be spread over four ‘clusters,’ with the number of areas covered rising from 10 to 13.

The scheme funds projects to tackle the health and well-being issues of the communities it targets, aiming to improve the life chances of those who live within its areas.

A report to Newport council said the scheme had been relatively successful in the city, despite problems elsewhere in Wales.

The new service will focus more on the results of projects, using statistics to measure how successful they are. Welsh Government has approved £5.4m in funding for the Newport programme.

Although Newport council will now manage the scheme, some staff will still be employed by partner organisations which will act as hubs to deliver projects in their cluster.

That includes GAVO, Duffryn Link and Ringland Community Association.

Duffryn Link’s Bob Barry said: “We will be providing services in Maesglas and the Gaer. I think its really going to be a success here”

Under the reorganisation: The central cluster will cover Maindee, Pill, Stow Hill and black and ethnic minority groups.

The east cluster will cover Alway, Beechwood/ Old Barn, Lliswerry, Ringland and Somerton.

The north cluster will cover Bettws, Malpas, and Shaftesbury; while the west cluster will cover Gaer, Maesglas and Tredegar Park (which includes Duffryn).

The council said there would be no redundancies as a result of the changes.