Bargoed YMCA has been awarded more than £2,000 claimed back from criminals.
The organisation was one of 20 that received funding from The Gwent High Sheriff’s Community Fund and Gwent Police Property Fund to promote and support community safety, crime prevention, youth diversion or tackle drugs and alcohol abuse.
In all £35,000 of funding was available to community groups who put forward their claim to money at a Your Voice, Your Choice event on Saturday.
A Gwent Police spokesman said the presentations of each group were scored with the best receiving their funding.
However, as all of the groups were impressed with each presentation and the good work that is going on in local communities, it was decided that groups would forfeit 18% of what they were asking for to ensure that everyone could walk away with some funding.
Gwent Police Chief Constable Carmel Napier, said: “It was fantastic to listen to all of the presentations at the Your Voice, Your Choice event on Saturday and hear about the great work that these organisations are providing locally. The groups themselves came up with the idea to forfeit some funding so everyone could receive something, which was really great to see. The community spirit and appreciation for all of the hard work that these groups put in was plain to see at the event. I am delighted that together with the High Sheriff we have been able to assist them in some way, and I hope that they continue to prosper and provide projects in our communities.”
Gwent High Sheriff, Lady Diana Hayman-Joyce, said: “This was an extremely well run event for which I and the committee of GHSCF thank Chief Inspector Simon Jeffries and his team for their hard work. One satisfactory outcome of participatory grant giving is the opportunity for the groups involved to communicate with each other and exchange ideas.”
Liza Kellett, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation in Wales, said: “What a fantastic event and a real privilege to support this celebration of such a wonderful range of community initiatives taking place across Gwent. Whilst there was an element of competition to the event, the generosity of spirit shown by the community groups to share the funding was truly inspiring.”
This is the second time that Gwent Police and the Gwent High Sheriff’s Community Fund, together with the Community Foundation in Wales have run the Your Voice, Your Choice event.
In March 2011, 15 of the 22 organisations that attended the first event received a share of the money.
In total the £35,000 was awarded to the groups as follows:
- Air Training Corps, Abergavenny: £1225.35
- Bargoed YMCA: £2042.25
- Beaufort Youth Theatre Group: £1797.18
- Blaenavon PACT Youth Panel: £1704.05
- BRfm Ltd: £1696.70
- Bullies Out: £1842.93
- Children and Youth Liaison Partnership: £1463.01
- Duffryn Community Link: £2042.25
- Friends of Gwent and Powys Army Cadet Force: £500
- In 4 Fun: £1891.12
- Kids R Us: £2042.25
- Newport Academy Basketball Club: £1225.35
- Solas Monmouthshire Young Persons Scheme: £1950.76
- The Kaleidoscope Project: £1387.10
- The Kick Out Project: £2042.25
- Tredegar Community Youth Café: £2042.25
- Urban Circle Productions: £2042.25
- Wastesavers Charitable Trust Limited: £1978.53
- Woodlands Field Group: £2042.25
- Welsh WTF Taekwondo Association: £2042.25