14 June 2001

Small grants for South Wales

As the latest round of Small grants are announced by the Community Fund in Wales, groups across the principality are celebrating.

For the Blackwood Users Resources Drop-in Centre in Caerphilly their grant of £3,048 will make a big difference. Established in 1997 to help people with mental health problems and their friends and families, the group provides support and advice at the centre five days a week. For many it is a lifeline.

The drop-in is open to everyone and many people drop-in for advice on their own health or the health of those they care about. It is a safe place and provides an opportunity for sharing experiences and self-help. Information leaflets on a wide range of subjects are available and volunteers are on hand to listen and provide support. A social care worker calls in on a regular basis to provide practical advice.

There are, on average, 400 visits to the Centre every month and Treasurer Helen Potter says that all the volunteers and users are delighted: "All our work is voluntary and this money will enable us to make the Centre more efficient in terms of equipment and also a nicer place for our visitors to be."

Elsewhere in South Wales community groups have benefited from the latest round of Small grants awards. Across the principality 54 organisations share a total of £144,455.

In Bridgend, Talbot Institute Group Revival Enterprise is awarded £2,000 to help the group acquire and restore a former miner's building for community use and in Cardiff Roath Park Golden Friendship Club receives £900 for social activities for older people.

A grant of £1,149 to Raglan Stepping Stones Playgroup in Monmouthshire will provide training, equipment and a garden shed and in Neath Port Talbot Skewen Men's Old Age Pensioners receive £4,990 to provide short summer breaks.

In Rhondda Cynon Taff three groups for older people benefit. Penywaun Senior Citizens Branch gets £1,250 for kitchen equipment and day trips, Penygawsi OAP Group receives £2,395 for coach trips, entertainment and meals and Pontygwaith Old Age Pension Association is awarded £2,940 for entertainment activities and office equipment.

Two groups to benefit in Swansea are the Burma Star Association Western Area which receives £1,532 to hold a memorial service at Brecon for members of the group and the Royal Welch Fusiliers Comrades Association (Swansea Branch) which is awarded £5,000 to provide a regimental reunion at Chester.

Saint Athan Women's Institute in the Vale of Glamorgan gets £4,032 for training courses and in Torfaen Pontypool Retired Men's Society receives £850 for group outings. Based in Cwmbran the Wales-wide organisation Financial Assistance for Disabled People is awarded £3,576 for communication equipment.

In total more than £115 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 £109 million to 1086 groups in Wales. Over £5.8 million has been awarded to 2,131 groups under the Small grants scheme. This brings the total distributed in Wales, over five years, to over £115 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).