After helping community groups finding funding last year, Gerald Jones MP and Dawn Bowden AM have held a second funding advice event in Merthyr Town FC.

Community groups in Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney were able to discuss potential funding applications with a wide range of Funding Providers on Friday (30th June) thanks to an event hosted by Gerald Jones MP and Dawn Bowden AM.

The event at Merthyr Town Football Club attracted around 60 volunteers and representatives of community groups to hear from around a dozen funding providers including Big Lottery, Sport Wales, Arts Council, Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Active Merthyr.

In a joint statement, Gerald Jones MP & Dawn Bowden AM stated;

“The event was a great success, we are grateful to all of the funding providers for attending to raise awareness of their funding opportunities to local community and voluntary organisations and to Merthyr Town FC for hosting us at their fantastic new clubhouse.

This is the second event of this kind and we are now hoping that this will become an annual event. We are also grateful to VAMT and GAVO for their support in promoting the event and to Unison for their sponsorship of the event.”

Heather Sargent from Twisters South Wales Trampoline club thought the funding event would help support and grow the club.

“It was a very helpful event. We had the opportunity to meet quite a few different funders, and we had some very helpful advice for developing South Wales Twisters in Merthyr Tydfil”.

Ian Davy the Chief Officer of Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil was hopeful that some community groups would be able to make successful funding bids.

“The event went well and I’m hopeful that we’ll see some of these community groups make successful funding applications over the next few months. If any other community or voluntary organisations in the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough are looking for help and support they can get in touch with VAMT on 01685 353900”.