FUNDING of £1,946,849 has been made available for improvements to community-based facilities in Wales - including three in Gwent.

The deputy minister and chief whip, Jane Hutt, made the announcement today.

This programme, which funds projects up to a maximum of £250,000, or up to £25,000 for smaller grants, helps well-used community facilities to improve their financial and or environmental sustainability.

Some of the projects receiving funding in Wales in the latest round include:

  • Ebbw Vale Community Cricket Pavilion, Blaenau Gwent - £204,000 towards the total cost to improve the changing area, disabled toilet facility and make roof repairs.
  • Agape – Ty-Sign Community Hall, Caerphilly - £250,000 towards the cost of building a new community hall in the centre of Ty-Sign estate, giving better access to services for the whole community.
  • St Michael’s and All Angels Church, Monmouthshire - £25,000 to install disabled toilets and a kitchen, and provide new moveable chairs to make the space a more flexible community area and repair damaged flooring.
  • Penydarren Boys & Girls Club, Merthyr Tydfil - £250,000 towards the cost of replacing the grass pitch with a 3G artificial playing surface, floodlights and additional changing rooms.
  • Clwb Y Bont, Rhondda Cynon Taf - £101,000 towards the cost of rebuilding the club following the flooding in the area in 2020.
  • Advance Brighter Futures, Wrexham - £145,818 towards the cost of enhancing and extending their current premises, providing additional one-to-one rooms and a fully-accessible toilet, installing enhanced level 4 certified fire alarm system and creating visitor parking.
  • Ieuenctid Tysul Youth, Ceredigion - £7,500 towards the cost of refurbishing the kitchen at the youth centre to meet food hygiene standards.
  • Y Tŷ Gwyrdd Limited, Denbighshire - £17,702 towards the cost of creating a new community hub.
  • View (Glynneath) Ltd, Neath Port Talbot - £23,888 to create an indoor/outdoor play area for children.
  • Hafod Ceiri, Gwynedd - £25,000 towards the cost of renovating and extending a Grade II-listed chapel to include a heritage centre, enterprise and business workshops, gallery, café and multi-use space including place of worship.
  • Llansaint Welfare Hall, Carmarthenshire - additional £35,000 to extend and refurbish the welfare hall.

Ms Hutt said: “The Covid-19 pandemic and recent flooding has highlighted some specific challenges within communities, like mental health and social well-being. Shared commitment reinforces vibrant, caring communities, where citizens are bound together by close ties of co-operation and team work, inequalities are reduced, and the most vulnerable among us feel supported."