A very warm gesture (From Penarth Times)

A very warm gesture

USERS of the Cwrt y Vil Community Association will be warm as toast this winter thanks to a whopping £5,000 Lottery grant.

The money has been put towards the installation of a new central heating system.

Community Association clerk Laurie Williams said: "The grant has made a significant impact on the community allowing us greater flexibility and comes at a very good time as Cogan OAPs has recently closed so a lot of the senior members are now attending the over 55s club on Wednesday afternoons. I would like to thank the Lottery-funded Awards for All Wales for their generous contribution. Without the new heating system there was a fair chance that the youth club may have had to close during the coldest months of the year leaving many local youngsters out in the cold."

The heating has enabled the community association to continue to develop close links with the community throughout the year.

Previously it had been difficult to operate during the winter months. In 1999 the centre was taken over by the Cwrt y Vil Community Association, a volunteer group.

The centre was opened on New Year's Eve in 1970 as a recreation hall by a group of tenants who had set up a committee and obtained four dismantled prefabricated buildings from the council.

These were then erected in Byrd Crescent. This was funded by a membership of tenants from the Cwrt y Vil estate who paid 6p a week. The centre is now used by various groups for a wide range of activities. Activities include a dog club, a youth club, an over 55s club and Friday night bingo.

Anyone interested in getting involved in the centre as a member or as a volunteer should contact 029 2070 3345.

For information on the Awards for All Wales scheme, contact Sarah Williams on 01686 611710 or visit www.awardsforall.org.uk