More than 300 community groups across Swansea will share almost £700,000 to keep families fed and children busy through the school summer holidays.
The funding, part of Swansea Council‘s #Hereforyouthissummer campaign, covers food, activities and support with a focus on children, families and older people — and is up sharply from the £400,000 handed out last summer.
A total of 67 projects will provide food for school-aged children over the summer — which the council says will make sure families can still get help when free school meals are not available.
A further 56 emergency food providers will receive support to continue their work in communities across the county.
Keeping children active is the biggest slice of the fund: 120 successful bids that the council says will deliver free or low-cost activities for young people, from sports and creative sessions to community-based programmes.
Older residents are also a focus, the council said, with 64 funded projects offering activities for people aged 50 and over to stay active, reduce isolation and connect with others.
Among the groups receiving funding is the Bonymaen Kids Play Initiative, which runs activities after school and throughout the summer holidays.
Sarah Glover, who runs the group, said the money was important to its work: “We receive the school holiday food funding as well as play funding for activities.”
Council leader Rob Stewart said the school holidays could be “a challenging time for many families, particularly with the rising cost of living”.
“That’s why we’re working with hundreds of local groups to make sure children have access to food, fun activities and safe, welcoming spaces,” he said — adding it was also important to support older residents and the organisations “helping to tackle loneliness and build stronger neighbourhoods”.
Cllr Rebecca Fogarty, the council’s cabinet member for community support, said the funding would back “an incredible range of grassroots organisations that know their communities best and deliver services people can trust”.
“The #Hereforyouthissummer campaign is all about making sure no one feels left behind,” she added.
The council says the campaign brings together the range of support available to residents over the holidays — food provision, activities and community services — with details available from the authority.
It adds to a summer of help for family budgets: a new postcode website now lists where the Government’s summer VAT cut means cheaper days out and children’s meals.
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