Funding improves schools’ facilities to benefit communities

With over £2m of Welsh Government funding, schools across the county borough will benefit from a range of improvements to their facilities, encouraging local communities to use them.

The Community Focused Schools Grant is part of a Welsh Government initiative to increase community use of schools. From 2023 to 2025, the funding will support a variety of projects in schools throughout the county borough, including the provision of outdoor forest school facilities in both primary and secondary schools – promoting outdoor learning, wellbeing, as well as community engagement.

Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd will receive a replacement pavilion from the Welsh Government funding.  Meurig Jones, headteacher at the school, said: “We are extremely happy to receive additional funding to improve the sporting facilities at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd. The new pavilion will replace the former Maesteg Comprehensive School facility and enable us to have access to 21^st century facilities close to our new all-weather pitch. This will give our successful PE department additional teaching space and changing facilities and to further build on our sporting successes, most recently Dewi Lake’s appointment of joint captain for Wales’ men’s rugby squad at the upcoming Rugby World Cup.

“The school has a close relationship with local sporting clubs who will all be able to use these facilities, ensuring that excellent facilities are available in the Llynfi Valley and for the Urdd to offer further opportunities through Welsh at evenings and during school holidays. We look forward to seeing these facilities erected and opened within the coming months.”

What a fantastic opportunity for our school and communities. Encouraging a closer integration of the two can only have a positive outcome – allowing up-to-date facilities to become more accessible for members of the community, as well as potentially creating stronger links between families and schools.

This Welsh Government initiative forms part of a collection of measures, which will provide more support for schools to ensure all children have the best start in life, irrespective of their background.

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell, Cabinet Member for Education