Council invests £18,000 to boost community crowdfunding efforts

A fund to improve wellbeing facilities and a project to harvest fresh fruit have attracted financial support from Swansea Council.

The schemes were selected for the cash boosts after they began raising funds through the council’s crowdfunding programme, Crowdfund Swansea.

They are being driven by – and for – their local communities as residents plan how to bounce back once the pandemic is behind us.

New community activity facilities are planned at Loughor RFC to repurpose some existing grounds and facilities. The aim is – working with local sports clubs and groups – to support community groups to be active, healthy and connected.

Across Swansea, the Sweet Pickings team are behind the plan to harvest unpicked fruit, mainly apples, that would otherwise go to waste. This will create a new, annual, low carbon, local food source that lines up with the goals of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and the Environment Act.

For their £8,573 fundraising drive, they have partnered with the food charity Fare Share Cymru who will collect and distribute the fruit.

***A Gower-based solar energy provider has pledged match-funding to a Swansea group which organises apple harvesting from overlooked trees and orchards to feed those in need in the area.***

Andrew Stevens, the council’s cabinet member for business improvement and performance, said: “We’re pleased to support these schemes financially. I encourage anybody else with great ideas to boost their communities to consider using our Crowdfund Swansea initiative.”

The crowdfunding campaigns are part of a joint initiative between the council and Spacehive, the UK’s leading civic crowdfunding platform.

And it’s not just the council offering funding to local projects.

Gower Power Co-op CIC is a supporter of the programme. Gower Power uses funds from the sale of green energy to provide grants for projects that grow food, improve biodiversity or reduce health inequalities.

Swansea’s Coastal Housing is also supporting, creating a £10K fund available exclusively to projects fundraising through CrowdfundSwansea.

Coastal chief executive Debbie Green said: “Our Horizon fund offers pledges of up to £1,000 for projects that we think will particularly benefit areas where we work or that meet Coastal’s values and aims.”

To help the projects hit their funding target visit Crowdfund Swansea’s Spacehive page to make a pledge: www.bit.ly/SpacehiveSx.

If you are interested in taking part in the next funding round of Crowdfund Swansea, as a funder or to fund your own project, please email info@spacehive.com.

Lead Image: New community activity facilities at Loughor RFC. Further facilities will be installed with funds raised through Crowdfund Swansea (Image: Swansea Council)