£20,000 Community Changemakers Fund 2023 recipients announced

A total of £20,000 has been shared out between 25 organisations in South West Wales in the 2023 round of the Community Changemakers fund.

The organisations in Carmarthenshire to have received funding are:

Llanboidy Market Hall – Carmarthen – £1000

Llanfallteg Memorial Playing Field – Carmarthen – £900

Llwynhendy Craft Group – Carmarthen – £400

Commenting on the funding for Llanfallteg Memorial Playing Field, trustee fundraiser for Llanfallteg Memorial Playing Field Nikki Browne said:

“We applied for the funding because we wanted to build a shelter in the children’s area, and to enable the children to decorate our metal storage shed with the help of a graffiti artist. It’s been brilliant to get the funding because now we can have a day in April when local graffiti artist Lloyd the Graffiti will come and do the graffiti, and some of the dads will build the shelter. Without that money, we couldn’t do those two wonderful things.”

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.”