Archive - Thursday, 14 October 2004


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Community boost

COMMUNITY GROUPS from Torfaen received a funding boost and will now get £450,000 over the next three years.

The money, from the Welsh Assembly, will be divided between 48 different community schemes in the borough and Blaenau Gwent.

Following the latest bids for grant money four groups in Torfaen have received funding.

Amongst those community groups are the Garnsychan Reach Out Project and Torfaen Opportunities Group's child care centre.

The project received more than £189,000 and with their windfall they plan to continue their work targeting excluded young people.

Group chairman Chris Bloomfield said: "The money will be a great help. It means giving a helping hand to the young people of the area and in the development of young people's skills."

Torfaen Opportunities Group's have been awarded £23,000, to put towards the building of a sensory room in their childcare centre.

The group's Founder and Operational Director Cynthia Beynon explained the benefits. She said: "It will provide a therapy for children with disabilities and for those with behavioural problems. The lights and music stimulate children with severe learning and behavioural problems and it calms them down."

Other groups to benefit are Torfaen Museum Trust, who were awarded £80,611 and Pontypool Action Centre will get £23,669.

Minister for Social justice and Regeneration Edwina Hart said: "I know that there are small groups across Wales which work incredibly hard, usually unpaid - and these are a vital ingredient to the community spirit."