Half a million pounds of National Lottery grants to help make Deeside plastic free and support people diagnosed with cancer.

24 organisations are celebrating across Wales this month after successfully applying for grants from The National Lottery Community Fund totalling nearly half a million pounds (£496,942.00). Grants are made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

Five groups received larger grants:

£99,348.00 for The Old Mill Foundation to provide support for people with a cancer diagnosis in Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire Sarah Clark CEO and Founder said:

"We are delighted to receive The Natural Lottery Community Fund as it will enable us to provide much needed emotional and physical support to those on a cancer journey across a much larger community of South West and West Wales. Training for volunteers will be enhanced and more events attended to pass on invaluable information."

Community Heart Productions applied for £99,624.00 to reduce plastic in Deeside in North Wales, Lyn Wakefield, Manager at Community Heart Productions said:

"We were delighted to hear that we had been awarded The National Lottery Community Fund’s grant for our 'Plastic Free Dee' project. The money will make a huge difference in bringing people together to learn, grow and achieve. It will promote direct action, citizenship, understanding and community volunteering to reduce plastic pollution, help the environment and protect wildlife in the Deeside are, using the arts as a vehicle. It will bring such benefits to the community, particularly young people and those who are often marginalised."

Amman Valley Trotting Club Ltd applied for £60,271, Adrian Howells speaking on behalf of the Club said: “From the days when the site was flattened mud-heap inherited from the Coal Board, resident volunteers have worked hard over the years, both alone and with the help of partners, to create a facility that all the community can enjoy, and which creates financial benefits for the community.

“As someone who has always worked in Neath Port Talbot County Borough, I have witnessed and supported the growth of Amman Valley Trotting Club Ltd in terms of community participation and community benefit and in terms of the transformation it has brought to their former brown-field site.

“The completion of the events barn is the latest in a long line of improvements and will offer not only benefits to residents and visitors on event days but will allow a programme of activities for residents within the barn throughout the year. The internal fittings will offer the potential for club and group activity within the building in comfortable conditions and will generate much-needed income for the community during otherwise difficult financial times.”

Two much-loved community halls benefited: The Memorial Hall (Coychurch) applied for £45,000 to repair the roof at Community Centre in Bridgend, Ms Mabyn Thomas the Clerk to the Trustees, welcomed the grant saying:

“The Williams Memorial Hall in Coychurch is nearly 100 years old and while it has served, and continues to serve, the local community well. It needs to be renovated and updated for the future. The Trustees, with the local community, have worked hard to get the funding and this grant will be used to fully scope the costs of the project, undertake surveys and searches, further consultation with the community and it will create architectural drawings and plans. Then we can apply for building permission from the local council.

“This will take us one step closer to starting on the building works and we are very grateful to all Lottery players who have made this possible. The hall is currently used by many local groups serving all ages including Brownies, martial arts clubs, dance groups, gardening groups, church activities and the local Women's Institute and there is a cafe for older residents. We are aware that some interest groups and ages are not catered for so we want to update and expand our facilities to include them and make full use of the Hall to further support our community."

£42,300 was awarded to Merthyr Cynog Community Hall near Brecon, they are also repairing the roof, the Chair of the hall committee, Mrs G Morgan, said: "This fantastic development through the National Lottery Community Fund will allow us to make some long-awaited radical repairs to our community centre. Renewing our roof is the starting point that will enable us to make further improvements and future proof our hall for generations to come"

Download our full list of grants