News

£13.5 million available to make great things happen in rural Wales

Published

10 years ago

November 1, 2016

rural-pic COMMUNITY groups can apply to a £13.5 million National Lottery funding programme to make great things happen in rural Wales.

The Big Lottery Fund is inviting groups to help tackle poverty in Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Powys, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Monmouthshire.

Grants of between £10,000 and £350,000 are available and their work must benefit a community with a population of 10,000 or less.

Although types of activities that could be funded are not being prescribed, applications would need to show how groups are doing any of the following to address poverty: improving well-being, raising aspirations, enhancing skills available in the community or helping people deal with tough circumstances.

This could include themes like employment and income, transport and access to services, poor broadband and digital exclusion, housing and fuel poverty and demand for welfare and advice services.

Big Lottery Fund Wales’ director John Rose said: “The beauty of rural areas in Wales often masks the hidden needs so we are investing £13.5 million to help address these.

“We would like communities in the nine areas to take this opportunity to create solutions addressing rural poverty. In doing this, we want to empower people and communities to make great things happen.

“And it’s thanks to National Lottery players that this funding is available to make a real difference to people in Wales.”

This is round one of the community-led funding with around £2 million available and an application deadline of Monday, April 3 in 2017. Subsequent rounds of funding will be announced next year.

The community-led grant part of the programme comes after £2 million was set aside for community development support. This is because our research and consultation identified how rural communities sometimes lack the capacity to identify assets that will make improvements.

Third-sector-led partnerships have applied to this part of the programme with up to four successful applicants being announced in spring 2017. Their work will support communities in developing ideas and funding applications to overcome challenges they face which are linked to poverty.

To find out more about the latest funding and apply visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/ruralprogramme

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

7 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.

Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr

Crime

Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault

Published

7 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.

Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.

Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.

Crime

Waterston man denies child rape and sexual assault charges

Published

8 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WATERSTON man has appeared before magistrates charged with 13 sexual offences against children, including three allegations of raping a girl under the age of 13.

Chaisee Price, 25, of Biggins Hill, Waterston, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

He faces three charges of raping a girl under 13, eight charges of sexually assaulting girls aged between five and eight, and two charges of intentionally inciting girls under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019.

Price denied all charges.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and the case will now proceed to Swansea Crown Court on July 10.

Price was released on conditional bail.

The conditions include a daily electronically monitored curfew between 6:00pm and 6:00am, no contact with the prosecution witness, no unsupervised contact with children under 18, and a requirement to surrender his passport to police.