‘Community centres across South Wales play a crucial role in supporting the most vulnerable members of our society’

Funding from the Community Facilities Programme has helped community centres – as well as a range of other facilities - to make improvements, repairs and redevelopments across Wales.

Each year projects can apply for larger grants up to £300,000 to cover the cost of upgrades to their community facilities, as well as small grants up to £25,000.

In the financial year 2021/22, 71 projects across Wales were awarded grants totalling nearly £7.7m.

The CFP funds the purchase and improvement of facilities which provide opportunities for local people to improve their day to day lives.

Projects that have benefitted in South Wales include Railway Gardens in Splott, Cardiff, being awarded £214,550 to improve access, fit out a community hub, create a community garden, construct outdoor event/classroom and provide secure bike storage; Al-Ikhlas Culture & Education Centre in Cardiff being awarded £250,000 to refurbish two adjoining facilities to make a community centre;

Earlier today (April 21) the Minister for Social Justice visited the official opening of Llanrumney Hall Community Trust’s Roundhouse Health & Wellbeing Centre.

The Trust received a grant of £250,000 in 2012/22 to purchase and install the community centre, which they refer to as the Roundhouse, that is now benefitting a wide range of people.

The project has helped people become more physically active, tackled loneliness and increased volunteering opportunities.

The Trust works with a variety of groups benefitting the local community, including a knitting club, gardening clubs, more than 50 classes and return to fitness programmes.

Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt said: “I am so pleased that the Community Facilities Programme has been able to help deliver Llanrumney Hall Community Trust’s vision for the future and know it will make a massive difference supporting the health & wellbeing of the local community.

“We understand that spaces like this are vital to the local community, providing somewhere that clubs can meet, health and fitness programmes can run from and classes people can learn from.

“Community centres play a pivotal role in supporting the most vulnerable members of our society and we are committed to supporting them, through the likes of our Community Facilities Programme, so they can continue providing a vital service to communities across Wales.”

Rebecca Clark, Director of Railways Gardens in Splott, said: “The Welsh Government CFP funding has been absolutely vital to our community-led project in Splott, Cardiff, and has helped to bring to life a vision created by local people.

“Railway Gardens is a space for the whole community to learn, grow, share and play, and come together to act on issues that matter to them. This fund has helped us create beautiful rain gardens, making the site more resilient to flooding, accessible pathways and a toilet to increase inclusivity and a central community building created entirely from used shipping containers which will host workshops, events and celebrations.

“We hope that as our site continues grow it can provide a safe and welcoming space for the whole community.”