JOIN us at the PAVS Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Funding Fair on Thursday, 14th November, at the Queen’s Hall, Narberth. The Funding Fair will run from 11:00am to 3:00pm, offering a valuable opportunity for community groups to connect directly with funding officers and explore a range of grant opportunities.

Navigating different priorities, application forms, and changing criteria can be challenging when applying for funding. This event offers a chance to discuss your project ideas directly with funders, gain insights into current grants, and receive expert tips on crafting successful applications.

PAVS members are invited to attend the AGM starting at 9:00am, which includes a light breakfast. The meeting will highlight the achievements of 2023/2024 and outline the Association’s future plans.

From 11:00am, the Funding Exhibition will showcase local and national funding opportunities, featuring exhibitors such as the Bluestone Foundation, Port of Milford Haven, South Hook LNG, the National Lottery Community Fund, and WCVA. This annual gathering is an excellent chance for funders to learn more about local projects, bringing to life the ideas detailed in grant applications.

Participants are encouraged to bring a summary of their project ideas and identify the funders they wish to engage with. The PAVS Third Sector Support Team will be on hand, offering guidance on PAVS support services, PAVS Managed Funds, and other valuable resources.

Attendance is free, and tickets can be reserved through Eventbrite by searching “PAVS Funding Fair,” via the booking link on the PAVS website (www.pavs.org.uk), or by emailing [email protected] for more information. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and grow your community projects!

DR SIMONE Lowthe-Thomas, Chair of Wales Committee, The National Lottery Community Fund Wales, visited several National Lottery-funded projects in Pembrokeshire this week (Oct 21) to see first-hand the difference that National Lottery funding is making in helping people live healthier lives and become more environmentally sustainable.

In the last five years, The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded 181 grants worth £7 million in Pembrokeshire. This includes £4 million for health and wellbeing projects, over £400,000 for environment-related activities, £600,000 for children and young people’s projects, and over £400,000 for projects supporting people with disabilities.

Dr Lowthe-Thomas, joined by members of the Wales Committee, began her tour at the Preseli Rural Transport Association, which received £348,802 for its Green Dragon Wellbeing Connections project. This initiative provides accessible, low-carbon travel solutions, offering a wheelchair-accessible minibus and MPV car for low-cost transport to groups and individuals.

TOGETHER FOR CHANGE

The next stop was Solva Care, where the Committee learned about its Together for Change project, supported by a five-year grant of £309,961. The funding allows Solva Care to expand services that boost social interaction and promote green wellbeing models across Pembrokeshire communities.

Dr Lowthe-Thomas said: “It has been a real pleasure seeing and hearing more about the fantastic work happening in Pembrokeshire, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. I’d like to thank Preseli Rural Transport Association, Solva Care, Blue Horizons, and Cariad Pet Therapy for their warm welcome.”

“The National Lottery Community Fund’s strategy, ‘It starts with community,’ focuses on four key missions: supporting communities to come together, promoting environmental sustainability, helping children and young people thrive, and enabling healthier living.”

“It’s fantastic that our Wales Committee has had the opportunity to visit groups that are helping us deliver on our missions through their incredible work.”

SURFING FOR ALL

The tour also included a visit to Blue Horizons and its Surfing for All project, which received a one-year grant of £16,603. This initiative provides accessible surfing and surf therapy for people with disabilities and additional needs across South West Wales.

CARIAD PET THERAPY

To conclude their visit, the Committee met with Cariad Pet Therapy. With a three-year grant of £222,420, the organisation is expanding its pet therapy services across South and West Wales, reaching isolated individuals in the community and in care settings, hospitals, mental health units, schools, and workplaces. The grant also supports training new volunteers and expanding the Robot Pet Service and Pet Food Bank service, which was established during the Covid-19 pandemic to meet rising demand.

This year marks 30 years since the first National Lottery draw in 1994, with £30 million raised each week for good causes. More than £1 billion has been awarded to communities across Wales through 23,096 grants over this period.

PLANS to make one of south Pembrokeshire’s most scenic estuarial villages, home to a CAMRA award-winning pub, a conservation area are expected to be backed later this week.

Back in July, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park members backed a public consultation being launched for potentially designating Cresswell Quay as a Conservation Area.

Cresswell Quay, home to the Cresselly Arms, is “one of the most scenic villages within the National Park and is highly significant as a very early coal port, retaining several buildings of architectural importance,” a report for members stated.

There are some 500 conservation areas, defined as “areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance” across Wales, 14 in the national park.

The report for Park members added: “The designation of a conservation area at Cresswell Quay would recognise the special architectural and historic interest of the village and would ensure that future development either preserves or enhances the character and appearance of the conservation area.”

The consultation on the conservation status was backed, rather than simply be designated in-house as Cresswell Quay is the home of the Buildings Conservation Officer; the consultation being launched “to avoid any potential conflict of interest or wider public misconception”.

An officer report recommending approval at the national park’s October 23 meeting says there were no objections to the designation during the consultation, but there were suggestions to expand it to include an additional area of woodland on the northern bank of the estuary.

“The designation would introduce controls over the demolition of buildings which would require conservation area consent and affords greater protection of works to trees,” the report says, adding:  “Officers consider that part of the special interest of Cresswell Quay is the relationship between the village, the estuary and its wooded setting, which is unusual in a Pembrokeshire context.”

Members are recommended to back the conservation area designation, with formal statutory notices publicised; a draft appraisal and management plan coming before members in early 2025.

Earlier this year the Cresselly Arms won the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) pub of the year award for the whole of Wales.

The Cresselly Arms averaged 89 points out of a maximum 120 after surveys were conducted across the country by members of other branches.