A £500,000 lottery grant will fund a new community hub in Llangollen to help people in the Dee Valley find work, skills and training.
Corwen-based social enterprise South Denbighshire Community Partnership will take over the town library one day a week to launch a new Development and Learning Hub in partnership with Working Denbighshire, the county council’s employment and skills arm.
The project aims to give local people easier access to job opportunities, courses and support – and make sure rural communities aren’t left behind.
The plan was unveiled by SDCP Chief Officer Sally Lloyd Davies at events in Corwen and Llangollen to celebrate the award of the National Lottery grant from the People and Places fund to expand its services for the next four years through their new project ‘Your Place or Ours – South Denbighshire’.
As well as managing two community centres, Canolfan Ni in Corwen and Pengwern Community Hub in Llangollen, SDCP provides a raft of services designed to “improve the health and wellbeing” of those living in the area.
According to Sally Lloyd Davies, the new funding was a “huge vote of confidence” in the work of SDCP.
She said: “It tells us that people wanted us to carry on the work we have been doing since 2010 and to continue to expand the services we offer in the Dee Valley.
“The new Development and Learning Hub will increase access to employment and training in collaboration with Working Denbighshire and take advantage of their specialist and targeted services.
“There is a real need for this service in the Dee Valley and basing it in Llangollen will enable us to more easily link in with organisations like Coleg Cambria, to provide a long-term solution to the challenge of providing upskilling and employment opportunities in the Dee Valley.
“We are holding an open day on Wednesday, November 19, at Llangollen Library from 10am-2pm and would encourage people to come along to find out more about what we are looking to develop.
“In our engagement work in the community we have also found people want to learn not only the Welsh language but also to learn about our local heritage and culture which is massively popular and we are listening and reacting to that and seeking to expand our services to meet this need.
“We have a really positive working relationship with Denbighshire County Council and are looking to develop services by using Llangollen Library as a hub on the days when the library is closed.
“Alongside our work at Pengwern Community Hub and our centre in Corwen, this gives us a strong and well-connected presence across the area, particularly within the Llangollen community.”
“We can back that up further with our transport services to help people from Corwen and Edeyrnion to connect and travel to Llangollen to access and benefit from the new learning hub initiative.
“That is helped by the funding for our transport programme and now with this grant we have the staff, the centres and the contacts to help and support the people of our communities further over the next four years.
“People want to work with us at SDCP because they know the community actively engage with our team and are able to get people to these initiatives – not just Denbighshire Council but many other providers and working with them brings huge benefits to our area.”
The award has been welcomed by Clwyd South Senedd Member Ken Skates, the Welsh Government’s Minister for North Wales, by Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s local regional Member of the Senedd, and by Liz Grieve, Head of Housing and Community Service at Denbighshire County Council.
Ken Skates said: “SDCP has done phenomenal work in securing this significant grant by putting together such a strong and compelling bid and we are already seeing the benefits of it in this community.
“It’s a perfect example of how community funding can reach into every part of the UK and bring about beneficial change in how people interact with each other and offer them a range of services and opportunities that are life-enhancing.
“What they are doing is not just benefiting the physical health of the people of the Dee Valley but also benefits them mentally and spiritually.”
Llyr Gruffydd said: “It was great to join SDCP and local residents to celebrate this huge vote of confidence in the power of community enterprise.
“When the public and private sectors withdraw services it’s often the local community that steps in to fill the void. SDCP has not only done that, but it has also gone further in empowering local people and communities to do even more.
“This is the start of a new and exciting chapter for communities across south Denbighshire, and I look forward to supporting SDCP and its great work for years to come.”
Liz Grieve added: “One of the reasons SDCP is so successful is that they do what it says on the tin and it’s all about South Denbighshire, its communities and partnership working.
“SDCP are great at maximising what they can get for their communities, and they work with everyone and support everyone in a way that makes this part of the county thrive.
“From our point of view it’s a great partnership and SDCP have done a great job in getting this funding and will do a great job in carrying out their work.”
Llangollen residents Beryl Pugh Jones and Anne Davies attended the Llangollen launch event and Beryl said: “SDCP provide an excellent service, especially for those of us who couldn’t get out because there was no transport.
“But now they have given us a new lease of life with their transport and shopping services and their staff are marvellous, considerate, passionate and kind.
“It’s really good they have got this new funding because there’s something for everyone, no-one is left out.”
Anne added: “SDCP have started to develop services and now with the new funding they can do even more and they’re full of ideas – their community transport is a godsend.
“It’s really exciting for Llangollen and because we’re close to Wrexham it’s important that we’re not forgotten, and SDCP gives us a voice in the county because there are huge needs here as well.”
SDCP, founded in 2010 with a remit to combat rural poverty, has helped local people claim millions in unpaid benefits, forged strong partnerships with Denbighshire County Council, the Citizens Advice service and banking services, introduced community transport schemes along the Dee Valley, run a meals on wheels service and lunch clubs and even pioneered hydro-electric power schemes.
The events in Corwen and Llangollen showcased some of the services currently being provided by SDCP and its partners including health and social care, financial advice and support, community transport, and health and fitness activities, story-telling, craft work and art classes.
For more about South Denbighshire Community Partnership and about their work in the community go to www.canolfan-ni.org or https://www.facebook.com/SouthDenbighshireCommunityPartnership or call 01490 266004.
