Sports teams benefit from Community investment

Sports clubs and organisations throughout Bridgend County Borough are set to benefit from new Community Chest funding.

Organised by Bridgend County Borough Council and funded by Sport Wales, the annual Community Chest grants scheme provides up to £1,500 funding for sports clubs, organisations and community groups to encourage people to embrace sport as a way of leading healthier, more active lifestyles.

For 2020, more than £8,000 has been awarded to seven local clubs with the Pen Y Bont Herons Netball Team being one of three in Wales to benefit from the maximum £1,500.

The team will use the funding to expand its membership, encourage more women, girls and inactive adults to take part, and enable greater participation in disability sport while boosting opportunities within some of the area’s poorer communities.

Bridgend Blue Bulls RLFC will also use their funding allocation to set up new teams for women and young people aged under 16, and Bettws FC will establish new teams across a range of ages while attracting new female players.

Both Heol Y Cyw Mini and Junior RFC and Kenfig Hill Amateur Boxing Club will make use of the grant to attract more participants, while the Cornelly Striders Running Club and Bridgend Fencing Club will put the funding to good use by providing new coaching programmes.

The Community Chest scheme has invested more than a million pounds into grassroots sport in Bridgend County Borough over the last 20 years, and has been instrumental in providing vital equipment and training.

This has helped local sport to flourish, and has had a hugely positive impact on the mental and physical well-being of local residents.

While the ongoing Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has forced the Community Chest fund to temporarily close to new applications, I am grateful for the ongoing efforts of Sport Wales and the Lottery Sports Fund for Wales, and hope that more clubs and sports teams will come forward once the situation returns to normal.

Councillor Dhanisha Patel, Cabinet Member for Well-being and Future Generations

Sport Wales is focusing on providing emergency funding designed to keep sports clubs running during the coronavirus pandemic. Applications for immediate support can be directed to the Sport Wales Emergency Relief Fund website.

They are also developing an all-new £8m resilience fund designed to support the rebuilding of community sport in Wales once the pandemic is over – look out for more news on this soon.

The Community Chest’s funds from Sport Wales are made possible by the Lottery Sports Fund for Wales.