Get out and get active is aim of grant awards

Oct 16 2008 by Our Correspondent, North Wales Weekly News

SUNDAY league football team Pen-y-Bryn has secured a Community Chest lottery grant of just over £900.

The Llanrwst team will use the money awards by the Sports Council for Wales to improve training equipment and facilities.

Some of the cash will also be used to send one of the team’s 28 squad members on a mandatory refereeing course.

Pen-y-Bryn earned promotion last season and was named most sporting club by Sunday league officials.

Another £800 has gone to the Vardre crown green bowling club, which hopes youngsters will be persuaded to abandon their games consoles.

The money will be invested in coaching and new equipment – it plans to train two members to become British Crown Green Bowling Association rules qualified coaches to coach children and seniors who are new to the game.

The club recently won an intergenerational bowling tournament organised by North Wales Police community support officers in Deganwy and Glan Conwy, which significantly boosted efforts to attract younger members to the sport.

Club treasurer Jennie Danher said: “We got the grant because we wanted to get youngsters on board. You’ve got to give youngsters a chance. There aren’t many coaches who are BCGBA qualified in this area so we are trying to look forward.”

Sports Council for Wales chairman Philip Carling says Community Chest is a huge success and is very popular throughout Conwy

“Panels based in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales hold the purse strings and have delegated authority to award grants to worthwhile projects,” he said. “We want to hear of bright ideas and projects that will get more people in Conwy more active, more often.”

Organisations keen to develop physical activity in Wales – including voluntary as well as sports groups – can now receive up to £1,000 for a qualifying project over a 12 month period.