Pride in Place projects
The Pride in Place Impact Fund (PiPIF) is a Great Britain-wide programme and aims to provide investment to restore pride in place, support community cohesion, and stimulate local economic activity through visible, short-term, community-led improvements.
The Small Grant aligns with the following Pride in Place Impact Fund’s objectives:
- Community spaces: creating, extending, improving or refurbishing existing community facilities and enabling community organisations to take control or ownership of underused but valued local assets.
- Public spaces: enhancing the physical environment in public spaces - examples of initiatives include new or improved green spaces or public squares, improved outdoor play, sports and leisure spaces, installing street furniture, public art or wayfinding.
Projects
Cornelly Development Trust (Amdani) is a registered charity aiming to make impactful and sustainable changes to people’s lives.
The Pride in Place Impact Fund Small Grant helped to fund landscaping work to turn the previously disused outdoor area into a vibrant, community-orientated growing space.
New steps were installed to ensure safe access, and patio slabs were laid which support a welcoming seating area, promoting social interaction and enjoyment.
Large planters were installed allowing residents to participate in food production, promoting health, wellbeing and continuous learning.
The food grown will help to support the residents impacted by the rising cost of living by supplying those participating in the food production and the pantry with essential fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs.
The Pride in Place Impact Fund Small Grant aims to help fund work to replace soffits and fascias which had fallen into a state of disrepair and were beginning to pose a potential safety concern.
The improvements will help protect and future-proof the much-loved community facility, ensuring it can continue to provide a safe and welcoming space for residents, community groups, and visitors.
The Pride in Place Impact Fund Small Grant helped fund work to replace windows and doors of the pavilion which had fallen into a state of disrepair and were beginning to pose safety concerns, along with being detrimental to the energy efficiency.
The new windows and doors have given the pavilion a fresh look, and the improvements will help to protect and future-proof the facility, ensuring it can continue to provide a safe and welcoming space for residents, community groups, and visitors.
Billy’s Gym and Wellness Centre is a facility in Maesteg that works closely with local GP surgeries, schools, and community organisations to support children who may face barriers to accessing mainstream activities.
Their aim is to increase access to inclusive, safe, and engaging physical activity, enabling children of all abilities, including those with visual impairments and additional needs, to participate in structured sessions to help improve emotional regulation, reduce anxiety, and increase confidence.
The Pride in Place Impact Fund Small Grant will help purchase specialist items, including an inclusive climbing wall and sensory equipment, to help create a unique, accessible environment for their users.
Founded in 2010, Ogmore Valley Dragons Boxing Club is situated in the heart of the Ogmore valley. The club welcomes boxers of all ages, provides a space for a women’s only classes and has nurtured Welsh champions.
The boxing gym suffered great damage to its ceiling following a period of bad weather and posed health and safety concerns.
The Pride in Place Impact Fund provided an opportunity for the club to access funding to appoint a contractor to conduct the essential refurbishment works.
The work took place during the boxing off-season, causing minimal disruption to class timetables.
The refurbished ceiling has given the gym a fresh look, while also ensuring the space provides optimal safety and contributes to its energy efficiency.
Caerau Men’s Shed is a charity with a focus on reducing social isolation while in turn assisting the community.
Established in 2017, participants of the initiative can get involved in activities such as woodworking and gardening to provide an opportunity for social interaction.
They applied for funding to expand the workshop space to include accessible workbenches suitable for wheelchair users, electrics and necessary safety features.
The improvements have increased the number of members that can participate at any one time and supports their mission of reducing social isolation.
The Talbot Community Centre serves a broad spectrum of the local population, accommodating a range of groups that span all age brackets.
Young children and their families regularly participate in tots and toddler sessions, while older residents benefit from initiatives such as the warm hub and community hub.
The PIPIF grant was used to replace the front doors with energy efficient alternatives that respect the historical integrity of the building, reducing heat loss, protecting against adverse weather, and ensuring the centre remains compliant with conservation regulations.
It also enabled them to equip the hall with video conferencing facilities, enabling the centre to host online meetings and informative ICT sessions for residents.
Bryncethin Community Centre is an important part of the community, utilised by local groups most days.
The building hosts community activities including a food bank, community cafe, warm hub and NHS wellbeing courses.
The funding helped the centre make essential path repairs and lighting. The path now has improved accessibility for wheelchair and pushchairs users.
The solar powered lighting provides a sense of security and safety for all users of the walkway.
These improvements have allowed the centre to extend their services and increase the number of users of this essential community facility, and will ensure it continues to be an accessible, secure and safe hub for residents.
Kenfig Hill RFC is an inclusive community club, with over 450 registered players and more than 60 regular volunteers. Alongside its sporting use, the club is a welcoming space for local community groups, and hosts regular disability, dementia and charity groups, providing a warm, safe space for people living with vulnerabilities.
The club already benefits from solar panels, however there was potential for greater energy savings through the installation of additional solar batteries.
The PiPIF Small Grant scheme enabled the club to appoint a local contractor to install the batteries with minimal disruption to the regular community group timetable.
The club can now look forward to reinvesting the money saved on their monthly running costs into the club itself and the services they provide.
The watercourse is an established green area of natural beauty, boasting its ash, oak, beech and sycamore trees, and its mature, well established habitat growth. It is a popular area with ramblers, community members, families, and dog walkers.
The residents take pride in maintaining the watercourse and come together to maintain its upkeep on a voluntary basis.
The wooden bridge required redevelopment work due to age, rot and slippery surfaces. The PiPIF Small Grant Scheme funding went towards the costs of removing the existing bridge, relaying the path and installing a handrail.
The new brick-laid path provides an attractive, durable and long-lasting solution, whilst ensuring the accessibility and safety for its users.
Funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund helped make a real difference at YMCA Porthcawl.
Thanks to the grant, the YMCA has been able to replace its ageing 14-year-old boiler with a new, more energy-efficient system.
This means a warmer, more welcoming and more comfortable space for the many people who use the YMCA every week – from babies and young people to older residents, with around 25 activity groups using the building alongside regular youth activities.
The funding has helped make an essential improvement that will benefit both visitors and staff, particularly as we head towards the colder autumn and winter months.
Funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund has helped significantly improve the safety within the car park of Pencoed Town Council by installing columned lighting, addressing concerns raised by residents.
The lighting ensures a safer experience for users of the car park, especially at night and during winter.
Many elderly residents use the car park to access the town centre and the welfare hall in the evenings, with some having reported being unable to locate their vehicle, and others concerned about trip hazards prior to the lighting installation.