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Three years ago, Gerwyn Price put Markham on the map when he became the first Welshman to win a PDC Darts World Championship.

Now, youngsters in his village and surrounding areas are learning to play the sport thanks to the Markham Darts Academy.

Originally set up by Price and long-time friend and mentor John Mullen in 2020, the academy officially opened in September 2021 following the Covid pandemic.

The club, which runs every Wednesday at Markham Miners’ Welfare Club, received support from Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Community Empowerment Fund – which allowed it to buy the essential equipment it needed to get up and running.

Nearly two-and-a-half years later, it is one of the largest of its kind in the UK – with more than 100 children and teenagers honing their skills in the academy.

It also has links with nearby Markham Primary School, as well as Islwyn High School and Blackwood Comprehensive – running lunchtime and after-school activities with pupils.

Mr Mullen, who is a community development manager with the Welsh Darts Organisation, said the club started out with just 20 youngsters but has grown massively since.

Due to the club’s success, it became founder members of the Welsh Darts Organisation’s Young Dragons age grade darts development programme, which was set up to increase the number of young boys and girls playing darts in Wales.

On January 10, the academy held its presentation night in Markham, where the budding darts players were all given a certificate to celebrate their recent achievements.

The ceremony saw Ben Lewis, who has been picked to represent the Wales under-18 youth team at the 2024 British Internationals and European Cup, presented with an outstanding achievement award from Caerphilly County Borough mayor Mike Adams.

Mr Mullen highlighted Ben’s success and said: “Hopefully this will inspire our other young players to do the same.”

He added: “With a recent donation from Argoed Community Council we were able to replace our old dart boards and other equipment so we can continue with our good work at the academy and the after-school clubs.”

A key part of the club’s success is down to the volunteers at the heart of the academy, who devote their time to coach and supervise the youngsters.

One of those volunteers is Mike Williams, who highlighted the positive impact the academy has had on the children, particularly with their numeracy skills.

“The club has really taken off,” said Mr Williams. “It’s been really good for the kids.”

Mr Williams chairs the Markham-based North Gwent County League, which gives the youngsters a taste of competitive darts – with some making trips as far away as Cornwall, Devon, and Oxfordshire.

“The challenge we have now is trying to get more volunteers,” Mr Williams explained, owing to the rapid growth of the club over recent years.

“The academy has helped bring a lot of the kids out of their shell. More volunteers would help things run ever better.”

Councillor Walter Williams, who represents the Argoed ward – which includes Markham – praised the impact the academy has had on the community.

He said: “It means a huge lot for the community and for the welfare club, because in the evenings when the academy is on, parents come along and the welfare club is full.

“It makes a big difference to the welfare club with the way things are at the moment.”

Cllr Williams continued: “It gives the children something to do and something to look forward to, and as we’ve seen with Ben Lewis, they can go onto achieve big things – and maybe even go on to become professional darts players in the future.”