Community Development Officer’s Monthly Report

We’ve had a couple of successes in September. 

Calfaria Baptist church obtained a £3,000 grant towards replacing the rendering on the outside of the chapel. 

The Gardening Club obtained a grant of £320 to hold an official opening of the Community Garden and TV celebrity gardener Lynne Allbutt came to open it.  We had tea and Welshcakes in the Memorial Hall afterwards.

We’ve had the go-ahead to spend over £2,000 of my budget on an architect to draw up the plans for an extension to the community hall – to include extra storage space and meeting  / changing rooms.  I’ll be looking to get the funding in place before the end of March to obtain planning permission & build the extension.

I’ve helped Mynydd Sion apply for a grant to cure a problem of dampness on one wall of the chapel.  They should hear in October.

On the negative side, we had to cancel the planned Fun Day on the Rugby Field as the organisers had to pull out because of other commitments.

I’ve met with Blaenau Welfare and Blaenau School to look at the possibility of developing an all-year playing surface next to the playing fields.

We’ve applied for a grant to put up an interpretation board next to the notice board on Waterloo road.  This should give a brief history of Penygroes and an outline of the key features of the village.

The Protex planning application has taken a fair bit of time again this month.  Hopefully it’ll be resolved next week and I can concentrate on more positive things.

We had a great Twmpath Dawns last Saturday night.  Over 30 people turned up and we made over £200 towards the funds of the Forum.  It’s a shame there weren’t more people from Penygroes Ward.  There are photos of the dancing on the website. We won’t win any prizes for technique, but it was a real laugh.  If anyone missed the event & would like another before the end of March, please let me know.