Carmarthenshire County Council has congratulated a Llanelli community on its successful bid for lottery funding.
Morfa Residents and Tenants Association took part in a televised bid to win £50,000 of Big Lottery cash to create a Spray and Play project at the community’s Havelock Park.
Having gone head-to-head with a north Wales project, Morfa won the phone vote to secure the funding which will now be matched to the tune of £48,202 by Carmarthenshire County Council, secured mainly through the Communities Collaboration Fund – a partnership approach to funding between Waste Recycling Environmental (WREN), CWM Environmental, the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and the authority.
The project aims to regenerate Havelock Park with a bright, colourful water play area that would be open to all people, of all ages.
Impressive designs have been drawn up to illustrate the scheme, and with the funding now in place, the splash park could be open by next summer.
Cllr Clive Scourfield, executive board member for regeneration, said: “The residents of Morfa deserve huge congratulations for the way they have thrown their weight behind this project. They have worked tirelessly to promote the project – I know that they were still giving the number out at midnight on the day the voting took place.
“We are proud to be working with such a committed group of people, and are delighted to be able to match-fund the project which will provide a hugely appealing summer attraction for families all over Llanelli.”
Carmarthenshire County Council has supported the community throughout the funding process through its Communities First initiative in the Glanymor and Tyisha ward.
Development worker Faye Davies has been involved with the group from the offset, supporting them to put together funding bids and helping with ways to promote the scheme.
She said: “All the hard work has paid off – this project has brought back the community spirit to Morfa and now local children can see their designs turned into reality! It has been a pleasure to work with the community – I am so proud of everyone!”
