We are delighted to be awarding our fourth round of Micro Fund grants – and telling everyone about all the wide-ranging and exciting projects being supported. Thanks very much to everyone who made an application.
Once again, we received many more applications than we were able to support. 59 proposals were submitted requesting £240,000 – and this time we were able to make 34 awards distributing grants of £98,884. You can see the full list here.
Recipients include:
- ‘Colucci’s Kitchen’ – £5,000 – sole trader catering business based in Cymer Afan: the grant will support the purchase of a refrigerated van to develop a sandwich delivery business in addition to the services they already successfully provide. The vehicle will be used for all aspects of the business, including buffet and slimming meal deliveries – refrigeration enables the target market area to be expanded, increasing transport distances. The additional business will make it possible for Colucci’s to take on new full-time employee.
- Cwm Draig Water Polo Club – ‘Growing New Dragons’ – £2137 – the only Club of its kind in RCT, based at the Sobell Leisure Centre. Water polo is a team sport which develops strength, power and endurance. The Club welcome adults and children to train for fitness, competition, or just to have fun, and are recognised by Swim Wales as an excellent example of the sport. The grant will support the participation of women in the sport – it will cover the cost of essential kit, pool time, the training of a dedicated coach for the women’s team and the development of a coaching pathway for girls. The items requested are clearly a priority and will make a big difference to members and their potential.
- Rhondda Rockets Cheerleading – ‘Reach for the Stars’ – £4965.98 – this highly successful Cheerleading and Dance team has won many regional and national championships – winning firsts on a regular basis. To ensure they can train as often as possible and engage with as many young people as they can, they use three separate community venues each week – no single venue can accommodate this large and enthusiastic group. There is a waiting list to join and volunteers who are committed and assist at each session, but with only one coach they cannot expand numbers. This grant will support the training of four new coaches to allow the group to grow and develop and become more financially secure and will also enable the purchase of new equipment and kit.
- Côr Meibion Glyn-nedd – ‘Look #’ – £4400 – this well-established and much-loved choir practices twice a week at Glynneath Rugby Club. They participate in many activities throughout the year from the annual concert in Glynneath Town Hall to cabaret and charity performances and private bookings. They have struggled with membership numbers over recent years and have concluded that for a traditional community male voice choir to survive and thrive an image change is needed to attract younger choristers and new supporters. An active engagement programme has been launched, young members are being actively recruited, and it’s aimed to increase chorister numbers to 40. The decision on final design of a new choir uniform will be made following consultation with young men in the village and the younger choristers already involve with the choir.