Supporting activity in Tonmawr update
JUNE 28th 2023
Dan y Coed Community association – £4,798.30
C&S Academy Judo – £3,475.15
In March 2022, the committee of Dan y Coed Community Centre in Tonmawr approached the fund to help them put on some community events and run some pilot classes. The aim was to get community back together and see what activities could be successful in the village after the pandemic.
With funding they were able to pilot and test various classes and as a result the community centre now has three new permanent activities that proved popular, parent & toddler class, yoga and a Judo School.
After the 6-week pilot C&S Academy Judo were thrilled with the demand in the village, somewhere they had not run classes previously but they didn’t have duplicate equipment and they would have struggled to provide the classes in Tonmawr on a long-term basis, as they had to transport mats between clubs.
They approached the fund and we awarded them a Micro Fund grant.
“Having the new mats and equipment meant we could leave equipment at centre and focus on growing the classes. We are now running three classes ranging from age 5 to age 63 on a permanent basis. We have around 30 members in Tonmawr with plans to increase this further. The funding has definitely assisted us in keeping these classes running, we are now able to keep our mats on site which saves us on fuel costs and time. The classes offer social, physical and mental wellbeing to the local community. We have had some members participate in competitions, where medals were achieved, which is fantastic. Definitely think we have brought some opportunities to our community. A new martial art class started last week and they are using our mats. Thank you to Pen Y Cymoedd Micro Fund.” – Carl
“With the funding the biggest impact has being able to offer taster sessions as this has really helped us see what the community want and has resulted in more, permanent activities for local people that are tried and tested and of course that helps bring people and income in to support the community centre. The process of applying to PyC was really good with the help from NPT CVS and PyC team, who are very approachable and helpful.” – Amanda, Dan y Coed Community Association, Tonmawr
The Fund was established by energy company Vattenfall to benefit the communities hosting the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm across the upper Neath, Afan, Rhondda and Cynon Valleys. It exists to support local people, groups and organisations to invest in themselves, their ideas and their communities.
The Community Fund has a substantial annual budget that is index-linked, meaning it increases in line with inflation. As an example, this equated to around £2.5 million in 2025. The Fund will continue to support communities until 2043, creating long-term opportunities for growth, resilience and positive change.
The Fund is managed by an independent, locally based not-for-profit Community Interest Company. It is overseen by a Board of Directors with strong local connections and delivered by a small but dedicated staff team with extensive community engagement experience. We are here to help ensure the Fund delivers on the vision and priorities of local communities.
Over the next 10 years, the Fund is focusing on investment in people, places and businesses — helping the Valleys to thrive, driving bold ideas, supporting transformation and creating lasting impact for current and future generations.