Community Foundation in Wales brings festive cheer to Pentrebane
A community group in one of the capital’s most deprived areas will be able to enjoy a Christmas party; thanks to a bonus donation from a Welsh charitable foundation.
Pentrebane Zone near Fairwater lost £200 worth of food for their Christmas party when a freezer accidentally defrosted earlier in December. The centre is wholly run by volunteers from the community and provides support for people of all ages in the area; from teaching woodworking and gardening skills to providing hot meals and a FareShare foodbank service for those struggling with poverty.
The centre had been planning a Christmas party for months after having to cancel the event last year due to lack of funds, when their freezer was accidentally defrosted and £200 of food was lost.
It was a huge blow for the group who were hoping to host a community Christmas dinner for residents of all ages, as well as Santa’s Grotto for the children. Pentrebane is identified as one of the most disadvantaged and deprived areas of Wales, with persistent poverty, and many of those who use the service would otherwise struggle to celebrate Christmas with a party of their own.
After hearing about the plight of Pentrebane Zone the Community Foundation in Wales stepped in with a bonus donation from one of its trusts to help the group ensure they could get the Christmas party back on track. The Community Foundation in Wales is a charity which manages funds from philanthropists and gives away grants to high impact community projects across Wales. The Foundation already funded projects at Pentrebane Zone, including a gardening area and woodworking equipment and heard about the volunteers being forced to cancel the Christmas party during a visit from one of its trustees.
Speaking about the donation, Pentrebane Zone volunteer Sam Holt said: “We were delighted to hear about this extra support from the Community Foundation in Wales. It will make a huge difference to the families who use the centre this Christmas. We’ve also had some personal support from Cllr Neil McEvoy to help us reach our fundraising target, so we can bring some real festive cheer to children at the Sana’s Grotto.
Sam continued; “Pentrebane Zone makes a huge difference to the people who use the services here and shows the wonders that a local bunch of people can do in their community when they put their heart into it. It inspires me and made me believe back in local society.”
Richard Williams, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation in Wales said: “Pentrebane Zone is a great example of a group who are strengthening their communities and meeting local needs – often on a shoestring budget or voluntary basis. They understand their challenges and ambitions, and work hard to address key issues and achieve the aspirations of people in their neighbourhoods. As a Foundation, these are the kind of projects that our donors want to help, where there is a real impact for people in Wales. We were pleased we could step in and help boost this community Christmas party in this way with an extra donation and wish everyone involved a great Christmas.”
