Community group vow to make Pavilion project happen (From Penarth Times)

Community group vow to make Pavilion project happen

11:40am Thursday 23rd April 2009

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A REVISED bid for lottery funding to transform Penarth Pier Pavilion into a multi-use community centre was launched last week - and has received the backing of senior Vale of Glamorgan Council officials.

Members of Penarth Arts & Crafts Ltd (PACL), the community organisation which manages the Washington Gallery, presented the fresh bid at the Stanwell Road gallery under the slogan ‘Let’s Make It Happen’.

Plans for the 78-year-old building were first outlined in 2006 - and were given the go-ahead to move forward with an application to the National Heritage Lottery for most of the £2 million restoration fund.

But the bid was turned down in January leaving the renovation project - which includes a cafe, observatory and multipurpose community area - in doubt.

A fresh bid is expected to be submitted in September.

Project director Maggie Knight said: “We’ve streamlined information about the plans and opened up new ways to access information.

“We have a very good marketing strategy now to raise community awareness and have been working hard to get a new website launched.

“The idea of the Let’s Make It Happen slogan, and the presentation, is to get people excited about the project again and to spread the word to the whole community.”

Part of the new strategy will see 10,000 leaflets about the scheme delivered to homes across the Vale of Glamorgan.

Cllr Gordon Kemp, leader of the Vale Council, has lent his support to the renewed bid.

He said: “The Vale Council continues to support Penarth Arts and Crafts Ltd (PACL) in the re-submission of their bid for Heritage Lottery Fund grant, and its commitment to provide £800,000 towards this project remains.

“Furthermore, the council has agreed to provide additional grant support of up to £20,000 to enable a further application to take place.

“The council is confident in PACL’s application and believes that there is every chance of success if the project is resubmitted.”

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