The Sustainable Development Fund is now open for projects designed to achieve a more sustainable way of living. The Communities Team at the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority manage the fund and are looking for projects which need financial support – especially projects relating to green energy, promoting rural economic development, heritage. communities or health and wellbeing.
The Sustainable Development Fund awarded twelve grants over the winter months in 2016-17. Brecon and District Mind received £3,500 towards their Eco Volunteering project, Keep Wales Tidy were awarded £6,000 towards the Well-being project researching the network of sacred springs, Holy Wells and Medicinal Spas in Wales. The Corn Exchange Ltd, Crickhowell got a grant increase of £4,000 to continue funding a crucial post. Three village hall projects received funding: Henderson Hall in Talybont on Usk will put their £5,803 towards making the hall more energy efficient and match a Big Lottery refurbishment award, Mydffai Village Hall received £8,722 towards new interpretation panels and community workshops ready for the influx of visitors Myddfai is expecting in 2017 thanks to Visit Wales ‘Year of Legends’. Trecastle Village Hall was awarded £593 towards energy efficiency measures. Other successful applicants included St. John’s Family Centre in Brecon who received £7,380 towards volunteer recruitment, Menter Iaith secured £16,000 over two years to develop Welsh language services in the outdoor activity sector project and Llandovery Sheep Festival, £9,900 towards a ‘Food Demo Wagon’, promoting local produce. Further smaller amounts of funding went to Defynnog Old School Energy Efficiency, £1531, Brecon Volunteer Bureau Kitchen, £500 and Brecon Town Plan Launch, £113.
Margaret Underwood, the Chair of the Sustainable Development Fund Board (and National Park Authority Member) told us;
“The Sustainable Development Fund is an essential part of the work of the National Park Authority. Many of the projects we fund are visionary and become the sparks that ignite bigger changes in communities. By helping people in our local communities with funding support from the Sustainable Development Fund means we help their communities to become more resilient and sustainable, without impacting on the ability of future generations to remain living and working in our beautiful national park. We want a sustainable future for the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park where projects for social, economic and environmental improvement work together to create positive changes and a better future for everyone. We encourage anyone who wants to find out more to get in contact with the National Park Authority Project Officers.”
For more details about SDF and how to apply please visit: http://www.beacons-npa.gov.uk/substainable-development-fund or contact the SDF Project Officers sdf@beacons-npa.gov.uk Telephone: 01874 624437.
For the main grants programme, application deadlines for 2017 are 21st June, 30th August and 8th November. Applications for grants under £2000 can be accepted at any time.
ENDS