£20,000 Community Changemakers Fund 2023 recipients announced

The organisations in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot to receive funding are:

Will’s Petting Farm, a small petting farm based on Gower received £941

The Shared Garden, a wellbeing garden in Dunvant received £964

Manselton Youth Club received £500

Friends of Coed Gwilym Park, Clydach received £728

Friends of Parc Melin Mynach, Swansea received £1000

Llansamlet Graveyard Community Garden in Swansea received £768

Gendros Primary School in Swansea received £1000

Felindre Welfare Hall received £999

Swansea Pride received £1000

Children’s Rights Unit Yo-Vo in Neath Port Talbot received £800

5th Port Talbot Beaver Scout Group in Neath Port Talbot received £700

Raw Performance CIC, which offers free outdoor fitness in Neath Port Talbot, received £500

Afan Ales Drunk Poet Society poetry night received £1000

Surf School Wales’ beach library in Aberavon received £750

In It Together festival, Margam, received £400

Ty Santes Fair church community centre in Skewen received £750

The Street Art Project with San Portablo in Neath Port Talbot received £900

Me Myself and I, a dementia charity in Neath Port Talbot, received £1000

Fuse Community Arts in Neath Port Talbot received £800

Commenting on the funding for the Children’s Rights Unit Yo-Vo project, Jannine Smith- Secretary for the Children’s Rights Unit said: “We are very grateful to have secured funding from South West Wales Connected Community Railway Partnership. The Changemakers grant will allow care experienced young people to take part in activities that they wouldn’t usually be able to. The activities will be chosen by the young people, and will help to build their confidence and improve their health and wellbeing.”

Commenting on the funding for Manselton Youth Club, Nicola Thomas, youth coordinator for Manselton Youth Club, said: “The funding from Changemakers is going to make a big difference to our youth club, as we will be able to purchase cookery equipment, to allow us to continue to provide meals for our youths on a weekly basis.” 

Delivered by created and administered by South West Wales Connected Community Rail Partnership (SWWCo), the Community Changemakers Fund supports groups and organisations with great ideas for how to improve the wellbeing of their local communities.

Now in its third year, the fund is open to any group of local residents, community organisation, charity, community interest company or micro-SME that is based within 10km/6miles of a train station on the network, which covers the counties of Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Grants can also be awarded to organisations outside the given radius if they can show how the grant funding will support a community that is within the designated radius.

SWWCo supports and promotes the railway and the towns and villages it serves from Port Talbot Parkway through to Pembroke Dock. As well as promoting increased rail travel and seeking to involve communities in the railway, the Community Rail Partnership is tasked with supporting communities along the line to improve local well-being, create and celebrate a distinctive sense of place, and identify opportunities for sustainable development. 

Headquartered at Swansea Railway Station, SWWCo is hosted by 4theRegion, a membership alliance working to bring about positive change in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Zoe Antrobus, co-founder and managing director of 4theRegion said: “We’re delighted to have been able to support so many organisations doing incredible work to improve the communities in our region. This year’s fund attracted so many outstanding applicants and we can’t wait to see what they achieve with the funding.”

Eve Sherratt, community rail officer for SWWCo, said: “The Community Changemakers fund is one of the highlights of our year. It helps us support the individuals and organisations that are creating positive change in the communities along out rail network. Well done to all this year’s recipients for their commitment and hard work in improving their communities.”