27 April 2001

Small grants delight in South Wales

As the first round of Small grants are announced by the newly-renamed Community Fund in Wales, groups across the principality are being encouraged to apply for lottery funding to support their activities in the community.

Winchestown Old Age Pensioners Association in Blaenau Gwent is celebrating with the announcement of an award of £2,285 for a central heating system at the group's meeting place. The original heating system had broken down and was irreparable.

The Association runs a range of activities for older people including social get-togethers, bingo sessions and summer coach trips.

Treasurer (and bingo caller) Jeanette Page says everyone in the group is delighted to receive the money: "This will make it so much more comfortable for everyone who uses the hall. We have about 30 members and for some, like 89 year old Kate Jones from Winchestown, who has been coming since the group started many years ago, it is their only social activity away from their homes."

Work will begin this month on the hall which was specially built by Blaenau Gwent Council for Winchestown Old Age Pensioners in 1988. They have a 50 year lease to occupy the building.

Elsewhere in South Wales community groups have benefited from the latest round of Small grants awards. Across the principality 39 organisations share a total of £121,109.

In Bridgend, Maesteg Women's Institute is awarded £4,875 for computer equipment and in Caerphilly Groeswen Youth Club receives £2,725 for equipment to improve facilities for social activities.

One of three groups to benefit in Cardiff is Cardiff Twins Club which receives £2,661 to raise awareness of the group's work providing support to families who have children of multiple birth.

A grant of £5,000 to Treharris Regeneration Association in Merthyr Tydfil will provide for a study to determine the need for a purpose built community building and in Monmouthshire, one of two groups benefiting is Chepstow and Caldicot Carers Support Group which receives £950 to provide an outing during National Carers Week.

Three groups benefit in Neath Port Talbot including Crynant Community Association which receives £3,906 for fitness equipment and one of two groups to be successful in Newport is Gaer Neighbourhood Watch which gets £4,353 for office equipment.

In Rhondda Cynon Taff £882 goes to Taff Ely Turtles Swimming Club for transport costs, Tonteg Senior Citizens Association gets £1,810 and Tylorstown Old Age Pensioners Association receives £2,070, both to improve group activities.

One group to benefit in Swansea is Pontardulais & Llangyfelach NFU Ladies Group which is awarded £5,000 for social activities and in the Vale of Glamorgan The Boys Brigade 1st Penarth Company gets £4,720. Pontnewydd Old Age Pensioners Association in Torfaen receives £1,300 for outings.

In total more than £113 million has been distributed to voluntary groups by the Community Fund in Wales (previously National Lottery Charities Board) to tackle poverty and promote community involvement.

Groups seeking application forms or further information should call : 0845 791 9191 (English) or 0845 727 3273 (Welsh).

Notes to Editors

1. For media enquiries or group contact numbers please call Debbie on 01352 700208.
2. The Community Fund is the operating name of the National Lottery Charities Board, an independent body set up by Parliament to distribute funds to support charitable, benevolent and philanthropic organisations. There are 17 Board members, including the Chair. Decisions on grants are made by the members in grant-making committees for Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole.
3. The Community Fund's grants programmes are awarded by the Wales Committee. Board Members in Wales are Elisabeth Watkins (Chairman), Jeff Carroll and Rhiannon Bevan. Co-opted Members to the Board are Margaret Dennis, Aled Siôn and Dr Glyn Williams.
4. The Fund's main aim is to give grants to help meet the needs of those at greatest disadvantage in society and to improve the quality of life in the community.
5. Since October 1995, the Community Fund under main grants, has awarded over £107 million to 1068 groups in Wales. Over £5.7 million has been awarded to 2,077 groups under the Small grants scheme. This brings the total distributed in Wales, over five years, to over £113 million.
6. Full lists of Community Fund's grants are published on the internet at www.community-fund.org.uk and full lists of all Lottery distributors grants are listed at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

Note to Designers

The Community Fund logo is as it appears on this press release. (The "crossed finger" logo is a trade mark for the National Lottery is therefore not for the Community Fund use).