PRESS RELEASE : Welsh community groups receive over £1m in UK Government Funding [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 14 December 2022.

Projects in Denbighshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion will receive a share of £150 million in the latest round of the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund.

The UK Government has supported community venues across Wales that were at risk of being lost forever with £1.1 million of levelling up funding from The Community Ownership Fund.

The UK Government’s £150 million Community Ownership Fund helps community groups take ownership of local institutions falling into disrepair and give them a new lease of life so they can continue to provide vital services, create more opportunities for local people and boost local economies

The five projects celebrating newly-successful bids in Wales include a social enterprise in Pembrokeshire, a 180 year old village shop in Llandyrnog and a group that has taken over a former hotel to offer vital support to people with chronic and life limiting conditions.

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said:

I want to see the places that local communities cherish survive and thrive for future generations – that is levelling up in action.

Whether it’s town halls or the village shops that mean so much to rural communities, the Community Ownership Fund is breathing new life into Welsh institutions by putting them into the hands of local people.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:

Last year we launched three new funds – the Levelling Up, Community Renewal and Community Ownership funds – which have so far seen more than 175 projects right across Wales given more than £165m for schemes ranging from improvements to road infrastructure in the Rhondda to money for Gwynedd locals to help buy their community pub.

These five latest Welsh recipients of the Community Ownership Fund are fantastic projects that will make a huge difference to their local areas.

Levelling up is at the centre of the UK Government’s ambitions and communities across Wales will be transformed over the coming years as this funding continues.

Dr Alan Axford OBE, HAHAV’s Chair of Trustees said:

We are amazed and delighted to have been awarded such a substantial grant from COF. This investment will be transformational, enabling us to protect, Plas Antron – our ‘Living Well Centre’. The building makes such a difference to the quality of life for hundreds of people across Ceredigion each year, many of whom are isolated and vulnerable.

Without the COF grant, Plas Antaron was at risk of being lost with time rapidly running out for us to secure the funding required to finalise the purchase.

We would like express our sincerest thanks to the UK Government, The Welsh Government, and everyone locally who has assisted in fundraising towards this vital project, for their life-changing support.

Successful projects confirmed include:

• The ‘Haverhub’ in Pembrokeshire, a social enterprise nestled in the heart of the historic Quay Street and Riverside Quarter, will take ownership of their building so they can provide a variety of educational courses for local people.
• Over £170,000 will help dedicated volunteers at the Aberystwyth and District Hospice provide vital support to people with chronic and life limiting conditions and their carers. The grant will give the local community the funds they need to buy their premises outright.
• The doors of an 180-year old village shop in Llandyrnog will fly open once again to warmly welcome local people. The shop will act as a community hub for the village and support people’s mental health with £200,000 in funding
• In Ceredigion, the Aberporth Village Hall will be rebuilt brick by brick into an environmentally friendly community hub to act as a one-stop-shop for tourists and local business.

The move forms part of the government’s drive to level up local communities across the country, create more opportunities for local people and boosting local economies as a result.

Combined with Round 1 projects, this additional funding takes the overall total to £16.74m for 70 Community Ownership Fund projects, with £1.6m so far allocated to Wales.