Community groups share £42k of grants
A GRANTS panel with a difference awarded more than £42,000 to community and youth groups this week.
Bay of Colwyn Town Council held its fifth annual “Colwyn Counts” participatory budget awards night at Colwyn leisure centre, with Bay residents voting for who should receive funding.
Welsh Government Vibrant and Viable Places cash worth £30,000, and youth funding worth £12,000, was shared among 16 community and youth groups.
About 120 eligible voters were given forms and marked bidders out of 10 after listening to a three-minute presentation from each applicant.
Shane Wetton of Bay Life, which was heavily involved in the process, was pleased with the spread of organisations.
He said: “I am particularly pleased with the variety of the projects and audience last night.
“The top two successful projects were a World War I memorial project and a junior football club, demonstrating the diversity immediately. All in all, it was a successful evening.”
Another big winner in the process was Colwyn Bay Men’s Shed, who were awarded £4,950 towards new premises, which will include a meeting place and workshop.
The Men’s Shed movement has risen in popularity around the UK as places for men, primarily those who have retired, to discuss health issues and interact in a workshop environment.
The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales has said Men’s Sheds are desperately needed, with older men here being the loneliest people in the UK.
Colwyn Bay town clerk Tina Earley said: “The vast majority of applicants got funding. It was very, very positive.”