A not-for-profit community interest company that is transforming a former chapel into a community hub has been awarded a £13,000 lottery grant.
Libanus Lifestyle, established in November 2015, is a group of councillors, volunteers and care sector workers who converted the unused Libanus Chapel in Blackwood into a community hub after receiving a grant from Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Community Regeneration Fund.
Now a further £13,818 has become available through the Big Lottery Fund, who award grants to organisations across the UK to help improve communities.
The money will be used to fund phases three and four of the project, with the aim of turning the venue into a community hub that will offer a range of fitness, health and well-being services at the heart of the local community.
By also creating a community kitchen, it is hoped that the group will be able to provide volunteer opportunities and create various workshops around cooking skills and healthy eating.
Karen James, Managing Director of Libanus Lifestyle, said: “we are working towards creating a community garden and bee education workshop which will be in the grounds of the centre. This will enable us to offer more volunteer opportunities and increase community participation in partnership with other organisations and agencies in Blackwood.
“Our intention is to source local tradesmen and building suppliers to ensure that as much of the grant is spent within our local community, as we believe it is essential to do all we can to support local businesses within the Blackwood area.”
Nigel Dix, Cllr for Blackwood and a director of Libanus Lifestyle, said: “I would like to thank the lottery fund for the grant and Karen and her team for all their hard work.
“I feel sure that the new kitchen and cafe area will prove to be a huge asset to the people of Blackwood.”