Quarter of a million in funding to support Welsh speaking community projects
Cyllid o chwarter miliwn i gefnogi prosiectau cymunedau Cymraeg
The Welsh Government has awarded a series of small grants to community cooperative projects in order to protect and help the Welsh language to thrive.
Community groups were invited to apply for funding to set up or support co-operatives, social enterprises, and community-led housing. 21 applications succeeded in securing funding. The grants, known as Prosiect Perthyn, were managed by Cwmpas, a development agency supporting cooperatives and social enterprises.
One of the successful projects will see a former chapel in Pembrokeshire, now owned by the community, turned into a local heritage centre and café with two affordable flats. CarTrefUn is a community housing and heritage project based in Hermon, which has received £12,500 to further this project.
Aberdyfi Community Projects Ltd has been awarded £12,000 towards its goal of supporting the Welsh language in Aberdyfi by creating a sustainable economic community and accommodation for local people. This funding will help them as they purchase the Penrhos Garage and Post Office building which are important to the community as they employ and provide accommodation to local people.
The Welsh Government has already taken significant action to help ensure that the number of second homes and short-term holiday lets can be managed effectively.
The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, said: “The Welsh language belongs to us all, and that includes every community in Wales. I’m pleased to see the creative ideas proposed by community groups across the country. These grants will help create opportunities, provide affordable housing and help protect the Welsh Language.”
Minister for Economy, Vaughan Gething said: “Social enterprises and community-led cooperatives are an important part of the social and economic landscape in Wales - providing good quality job opportunities, supporting local economies and in many cases safeguarding community assets and vital services. That’s why supporting them to develop and grow is a key aim of the Welsh Government.
“I’m pleased we have been able to support this project, which is playing an important role in helping co-operatives and social enterprises to support Welsh-speaking communities. Delivering this project through Cwmpas has also ensured the project aligns and benefits from the wider support available through Social Business Wales.”
Jocelle Lovell, Director of Inclusive Communities at Cwmpas said: “We are delighted to be working with partners to deliver the Perthyn project. Perthyn works with the communities to identify ways to address the lack of affordable housing, protect community assets and create new cooperatives and social businesses. A real enabler for us has been administering a small grant pilot scheme for the communities to help build local capacity and accelerate their business and housing ideas. We look forward to seeing the ideas develop and to working with more communities over the coming months.”
Notes to editors
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Menter y Plu
(Gwynedd)
£8,000
Menter y Plu is a Community Benefit Society who run Tafarn y Plu in the village of Llanystumdwy. The group purchased the Tafarn in 2018 and it has since been developed and used to benefit the community, hosting many community-based events.
This funding is awarded to build capacity by funding a project manager to develop the ideas of the community group further, including the development assessing the housing needs of the local community.
Bro’r Eifl
(Gwynedd)
£12,000
Bro’r Eifl is a community group looking at providing a solution to local housing need. They are working on a project to develop a community led housing scheme.
This funding is awarded for a project manager working on a pilot scheme with the aim of establishing a Community Land Trust. The funding is also awarded for architect and development costs.
Melin Daron
(Gwynedd)
£12,100
Melin Daron are a charitable community-based organisation focused on restoring and developing Aberdaron’s historic grade II water mill, which dates from 1252.
This funding is awarded to help restore the mill, specifically for securing the services of an architecture specialist, a grant consultant, and a planning survey. Once completed this mill will be used for educational, heritage and tourism purposes. The property will also provide accommodation for local people.
Clwb Pel Droed Crymych
(Pembrokeshire)
£10,158
Clwb Pel Droed Crymych was established as a co-operative in 2019. They have recently undertaken a community share offer to buy Tafarn Crymych Arms. The football club has grown considerably in the last few years, having two teams play each week and are now developing a women’s side and junior teams. They are now in the process of registering as a Community Benefit Society.
This funding is awarded to aid the community to buy the local pub, specifically to make new share offer and to build an interactive website able to take payments. This funding is also will fund a building survey.
CarTrefUn
(Pembrokeshire)
£12,500
CarTrefUn is a community housing and heritage project based in Hermon, Pembrokeshire. The community have recently bought the local chapel through a loan and a share scheme. The aim of the project is to set up a Community Benefit Society registered with the FCA.
This funding award will help the community fund an interim project support officer, create architecture plans and site surveys, with the aim to develop the chapel into 2 affordable flats, a local heritage centre and café.
Clynfyw CIC
(Pembrokeshire)
£10,930
Clynfyw Community Benefit Society Ltd was set up in 2021 by the community. They have an opportunity to purchase Clynfyw Farm, preventing it from being sold privately. Clynfyw Farm is a 395-acre organic farm located Cwmcych. Clynfyw is home to 10 local people and employs a team of almost 50 people. It is a Welsh-speaking community, and taking the farm into community ownership would safeguard the community already living and working on the farm. It would also ensure local employment continues to be available in the area, as well as provide accommodation to local people.
This funding award will be used to develop and launch a community share offer and a bilingual digital online mechanism to manage share offers.
Y Cerrig
(Pembrokeshire)
£11,500
The project is to establish a new Community Creative Social Enterprise, ‘Y Cerrig’. This will be based in rural north Pembrokeshire and will emphasise the use of the Welsh language and promote the local culture and aims to establish a recognised creative sector ‘cluster’ with ambitions to be nationally and internationally acknowledged. It also aims to employ up to 20 local staff within the next 5 years, as well as offer apprenticeships for young local people.
This funding award will fund site surveys on identified properties, the development of a business plan and consultation and an outline design by an architect for the identifies site.
Y Cross, Cas-lai
(Pembrokeshire)
£11,900
Y Cross is the sole pub in the village of Cas-lai and is currently for sale. Many local amenities in the community have closed, including all grocery shops, and Y Cross is one of the few remaining community centres in the village. The Community intend to purchase this pub with the aim of using it as a community hub.
This funding award will fund targeted and effective publicity and marketing for the project, procuring a conveyancing solicitor, financial consultation and the employment of a project officer to undertake administrative work required to take the project forward.
Trefin
(Pembrokeshire)
£10,600
This project aims to establish a community based renewable energy group under the name of ‘Egni Trefin Energy’ in Trefin, north Pembrokeshire. This group aims to generate energy for use by the community in an effort to lower energy costs for the community, and to generate income for the betterment of the community in the long term.
This funding is to support the feasibility study of establishing this community group, exploring potential sources of renewable energy and assessing the viability of potential options which will be laid out in a report.
Menter yr Eagles
(Gwynedd)
£12,500
Menter yr Eagles committee was formed in Llanuwchllyn as a response to the Tafarn yr Eagles pub being put up for sale. This project aims to create a Community Benefit Association with the aim of taking ownership of Tafarn yr Eagles in the village. The pub is intended to be used as a community hub once purchased, providing a restaurant and shop.
This award of funding will fund consultation and marketing activity to promote interest, as well as training for members of the committee and to help with networking with other community pubs in the area for sharing good practice. It will also be used to help develop a business case, a share offer scheme and to fund the cost of fees associated with registering the Community Benefits Association.
Siop Newydd
(Carmarthenshire)
£11,300
Dryslwyn Community Shop is located in Cwrt Henri, rural Carmarthenshire. This shop and post office is a not-for-profit establishment which was opened initially due to the closure of a village shop and post office in 2009. The shop provides a value service to the community, who would otherwise need to travel further afield for everyday essentials.
The lease is coming to an end and the current property owners are looking to repurpose the property. It is intended that the new location will carry on providing a similar service, but also have space to be used as a community hub, hosting community-based events.
This award of funding will be used to help the community group build capacity to develop their plans further, specifically to help review and update its existing policies and processes to build resilience, to develop a strategic business plan, and develop new branding and marketing plan.
Menter Tafarn y Dyffryn
(Ceredigion)
£12,400
Menter Tafarn y Dyffryn is a Community Benefit Society formed in 2021 to enable the people in the community of Dyffryn Aeron and wider community to secure the future of Tafarn y Dyffryn. This funding will help the community begin putting arrangements in place to purchase the local pub, which will be used as a community hub for and led by the community.
This award of funding will be used to fund a specialist consultant to advice on the process of applying for grants to support the purchase of the pub, as well as a site survey and a project support officer to plan community event for the pub once purchased.
Aberdyfi Community Projects Ltd
(Gwynedd)
£12,000
Aberdyfi Community Projects Ltd is a community led, not for profit company, registered in 2021 which was set up to address issues identified in the Aberdyfi Community Needs survey of the same year. The project aims to support the Welsh language in Aberdyfi by creating a sustainable economic community and accommodation for local people.
This funding will support the community as they purchase the Penrhos Garage and Post Office building, which are currently on the market. These businesses are important to the community as they employ and provide accommodation to local people, and the purchase would safeguard these businesses for the benefit of the community.
Specifically, this funding will fund the services of a specialist to assist with the development and completion of a business plan, and for consulting a grant expert to assist with the purchase of these businesses.
Menter Bro Aled
(Conwy)
£9,000
Menter Bro Aled is a not-for-profit company established in 2010 initially to safeguard the local public toilet facilities in the community of Llansannan. They have since ran a few projects for the benefit of the community, including establishing computing courses for local people, and the creation of a ‘Ty Bach Twt’ for the local primary school.
The community group now aims to purchase Capel Bethania and accompanying land in the village which has recently become available on the market. The Chapel and land, once purchased, is intended to be developed and used to provide affordable housing to local people.
This funding will aid the community to procure the services of an architect to begin developing a site plan for the land.
Pembrokeshire Lido Park
£6,000
Pembrokeshire Lido Park Ltd has recently become a Community Benefit Society. The Lido Park was initially set up for the purpose of reviving the former outdoor pool and paddling pool on the Rath in Milford Haven.
The community aims to build a new outdoor pool and sport pitch for the community. The aim is that the new facilities can be used as a community hub focused on developing Welsh language skills in the town.
This award of funding will be used to fund a public consultation event, prepare share offer documents, complete a feasibility study and to procure a part time marketing specialist.
Menter Siabod
(Conwy)
£10,000
Menter Siabod is a community based incorporated organisation established in 2006, which has led on projects such as the restoration of a pavilion and the building of an IT suite at the local primary school.
Menter Siabod aims to purchase Bethel Chapel for it to be used by the community. A small café and community hub will be established in the chapel, as well as affordable housing for local people.
This funding award will be used to fund consultants to undertake a community consultation and housing need survey, which will be used to inform the business plan for the project.
Menter Rabar
(Gwynedd)
£12,430
Menter Rabar was established in February 2023 for the purpose of leasing or purchasing the former Ysgol Abersoch building from Gwynedd Council. The aim is to revamp and refurbish the former school and use it as a community hub in the village centre, run by the community for the benefit of the community.
This award of funding will fund the development of a final business case and a website developed locally.
Letita Cornwallis, Llanwrda
(Carmarthenshire)
£5,000
Letita Cornwallis is a long-established housing charity, which has provided affordable housing to people in Llanwrda and Llansadwrn at Cornwallis House since the 1970s. The building has been empty since 2017 as it need renovation work to comply with the local authority’s building conservation department.
This project aims to provide affordable homes through the renovation of Cornwallis House, which will provide six flats for rent in the area, as well as provide new homes on adjacent land owned by the charity. The project also aims to attract young trustees to ensure the future and sustainability of the charity.
This funding will be used for hosing an exhibition about Letita Cornwallis and the history of the site and publicise this on various platforms with the aim of attracting younger trustees to ensure the longevity of the housing charity and housing for the future.
Cwm Arian Renewable Energy Ltd (CARE)
(Pembrokeshire)
£6,000
Cwm Arian Renewable Energy Ltd is a cooperative registered in 2011. The aim of the cooperative is to help local people with environmental projects and to make a positive environmental impact for the local community.
This project aims to launch a share offer for a community renewable project. The share offer will build a community fund which will be used to support other community groups in the area.
This award of funding will fund a dedicated staff resource to enable the community share offer to take place.
Crymych CLT
(Pembrokeshire)
£12,500
Crymych CLT is a Community Land Trust established in 2020 for the purpose of providing new affordable housing to local people in the community of Crymych.
This funding will be used to fund a housing needs review, a topography review, legal fees, a feasibility study and a dedicated human resource to coordinate this work.
Penparc CLT
(Pembrokeshire)
£12,500
Penparc CLT is a Community Land Trust established for the purpose of providing new affordable housing to local people in the community of Penparc. Funding will be used to fund a housing needs review, a topography review, legal fees, a feasibility study and a dedicated human resource to coordinate this work.