The Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) Wales has awarded two Caerphilly community projects £10,000 each.
Arts centre Yr Arteri, in St Fagan’s Street, Caerphilly, is a not-for-profit social enterprise and houses the county borough’s first art gallery called Y Galeri. It has been awarded £10,000.
Run by a team of six people with backgrounds in the arts, teaching and finance, the centre includes workshop rooms, pottery kilns, art materials sales and a coffee shop and also offers community outreach work.
The Caerphilly branch of mental health charity Mind has also been awarded £10,000 to help pay for a member of staff.
The group, which provides support to people disadvantaged by mental health issues, was established in 1986 as Rhymney Valley Mind before its name change in 2010.
The grant will help fund the salary of a volunteer co-ordinator responsible for recruiting, training and supporting volunteers in facilitating activity groups, leading self-help groups and workshops, and helping with building maintenance and stock preparation and retail work.
Siân Sykes, the Coalfields Trust’s operations manager for Wales, said: “The grants are given to groups whose actions are making an impact at grass roots level and helping people to connect with their community.”