Pubs in Wales will receive a total of £694,250 from the Community Ownership Fund to allow them to stay open and serve the needs of local people.
The Cross Inn and the Tafarn Crymych Arms in Pembrokeshire will receive £244,250 and £210,000 respectively and are among six projects across Wales to receive UK Government funding.
The money will allow locals to restore the pubs so they can benefit their communities and attract visitors.
It comes as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has today (30 June 2023) announced the latest allocations from the second round of the £150 million Community Ownership Fund.
The latest announcement includes £1.44m for six projects in Wales, taking the total investment across the Fund’s lifetime so far to £3.2m in Wales.
The funding will help community groups take ownership of local institutions that have fallen into disrepair or are under threat of closure and give them a new lease of life, ensuring they continue to provide vital services, create opportunities and boost local economies.
Recent changes to the fund now mean that the amount of funding all projects can bid for has increased from £250,000 to £1 million, making it easier than ever for community groups to seize back control of prized local assets that are at risk of being lost forever.
Dehenna Davison, UK Government Minister for Levelling Up, said:
We’re proud to be supporting people to take control of community assets like pubs in Wales.
Places like these play a vital role in their communities, and we want local people to reap the benefits from them for as long as possible.
Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:
I’m delighted to see community projects in Wales attracting about 11% of the total amount available from the Community Ownership Fund in this current round.
That means that more valuable assets in Wales are being saved for future generations. In many rural areas the pub is the lifeblood of the village, creating jobs and boosting the local economy, as well as providing locals with a place to socialise and come together. Congratulations to all the successful projects.
Other successful projects in Wales include:
£250,000 to renovate the Tabernacle Morriston Community Resilience Hub in Morriston, Swansea and safeguard an iconic heritage asset for future.
£200,000 to restore Tylorstown Welfare Hall in Rhondda Cynon Taf, which was the venue for the naming of the Wales World Cup 2022 squad.
£300,000 for Fern Partnership to develop a family facility in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
£240,000 to the Radnor Arms Hotel, in Powys, to renovate the building into a community pub. Photo by Rod Allday, Wikimedia commons.