Wales is set to receive at least £7.1m in the latest round of funding available for community asset transfers from the UK Government. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has launched the third round of its £150m Community Ownership Fund (COF), raising the cap on available funding for each project from £250,000 to £1m to rescue community assets.
The purpose of community asset transfers is to save buildings at risk of becoming derelict or otherwise, with community groups using the funding to take ownership of local assets and repurpose them. The Department for Levelling Up says these will include sports clubs, music venues and other historic buildings.
For the first time, parish councils will also be able to apply to the third round of the £150m fund which has so far been restricted to charities and community groups. The requirement for match-funding is also being reduced to 10%, making it easier for communities to acquire assets without raising additional private funding.
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Successful bidders from previous rounds of the COF in Wales include:
Salusbury Arms, Tremeirchion Community Pub, St Asaph - £175,000
Aberporth Village Hall and Recreation Ground, Ceredigion - £280,00
Aberystwyth and District Hospice at Home Volunteers - £17,730
Haverhub CIC, Haverfordwest - £240,000
Siop Havards, Newport, Pembrokeshire - £207,720
The Llandyrnog Community Shop Ltd, Denbighshire - £200,000
Queens Ballroom, Tredegar - £90,000
Ty’n Llan community pub, Gwynedd - £250,000
The CANA Resource and Training Centre, Rhondda Cynon Taf - £124,258
Welsh Secretary, David TC Davies said: “Projects in Wales have already benefitted from the Community Ownership Fund with village shops, community pubs and halls and recreation grounds across the country receiving funds from the UK Government. I recently visited the Llandyrnog Community Shop in Denbighshire and heard about their exciting plans to make it a place where the village can come together, which will have a huge positive impact for the people who live there.
“With more funding now available I would urge communities to apply to help them save the places that are important to them and preserve them for generations to come.”
Minister for Levelling Up Dehenna Davison MP said: “From far-flung pubs to prized community centres, the Community Ownership Fund is putting vital assets back into the hands of communities, to be enjoyed for generations to come. We want even more communities to benefit from the fund and that’s why we making these changes so community groups can apply for even more money to save much loved local assets.
“We will continue to grow this fund to empower local people, restoring their pride in the places where they live and levelling up communities across the United Kingdom.”
Applications to bid for round 3 of funding through the Community Ownership Fund will open on 31st May. Further information can be found online here .
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