Siop Griffiths Cyf, a community enterprise in Penygroes, Gwynedd, is supporting the local community to stay connected through the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to a £29,916 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund.
Ben Gregory, secretary of community group Siop Griffiths Cyf, said: “The project has been developed in response to local needs and the feedback from the community and volunteers. We are very grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund. This funding will enable us to further support our communities and employ a full-time development officer and part-time cook for six months to develop the community response.”
The grant will mean 50 volunteers can support nearly 100 vulnerable people, helping meet the increased demand as the community faces new economic challenges created by the pandemic. The grant will also fund a partnership between Siop Griffiths Cyf, the station café and Co-Op to use food waste from the local Co-Op to make 50 meals a day for five days a week, and to distribute food bags. Longer term, the money will help develop a project to grow food for families by establishing allotments, a community wild garden and an outdoor learning area.
Siop Griffiths Cyf opened the doors of ‘Yr Orsaf’ café in February 2019 after receiving a National Lottery grant of £413,976 in 2018 to renovate the old Siop Griffiths building, and to develop a much-needed centre and general boost for the local community.
As part of the original project, which is still in development, the building will house a tourism business and bunkhouse-style accommodation, creating training placements and apprenticeships for young people in hospitality, catering and tourism. It will also house a digital training centre for young people.
Ruth Bates, Head of North Wales region for The National Lottery Community Fund said: “In this time of uncertainty, this community-led approach is a brilliant example of how volunteers working together to deliver a community response to COVID-19 is helping those that need it most.
“Thank you to those who play the National Lottery for making it possible to fund projects such as this that are making a huge difference to the lives of many in Penygroes.”
