TWELVE community venues in the Vale have been awarded £118,683 from the Vale council’s Stronger Communities Grant Fund.

A further round of more than £140k of funding could be agreed by the council’s cabinet on Monday, March 18.

Rhoose Community Hall, All Saints Church, Castleland Community Centre, Llansanor Village Hall, Ogmore By Sea Village Hall, Saron Vestry, and Wenvoe Village Hall have benefitted and venues such as The Gathering Place in St Athan, Murchfield Community Centre in Dinas Powys, the YMCA in Barry, and Aberthin Village Hall have all received grants for renovations, new equipment, computer software, or to run new community activities.

Treoes Community Hall has been completely refurbished with new carpets, fire doors, blinds, and furniture after the management committee received a grant of £5,839.

Vale council, Cllr John Thomas said: “Local groups and the volunteers that support them are the lifeblood of our communities.

“In August 2017 the council set aside £670,000 to support community-led organisations through the Strong Communities Grant Fund.

"Since then we have received over 200 enquiries from the third sector and funded 34 projects in the Vale of Glamorgan.

“The fund was created with the aim of making such groups less reliant on grants and developing innovative community initiatives and facilities across the whole of the Vale of Glamorgan.

“The investment into venues such as Treoes Community Hall and the benefits it brings show that we are achieving that goal.”

Information about the fund and an application forms for project funding can be requested from the council’s economic development team by emailing scgfapplications@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk or calling 01446 704636.