Valleys swimming pool thrown funding lifeline

A vital community leisure facility has been awarded £300,000 worth of funding from a wind farm community fund.

Afan Valley Swimming Pool in Cymmer has become a vital community hub, providing group and one-to-one swimming lessons, family swims, and lane swimming seven days a week, with 36,000 visits recorded annually.

The pool is also home to Afan Valley Swimming Club, Welsh Diving, Flying Start, a weekly youth club and Communities For Work.

The £300,000 Vision Fund award from Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund will finance the pool’s operation for five years, continuing the employment of 13 staff with support from volunteers.

Formerly Cymmer Swimming Pool, the centre was saved when Afan Valley Community Leisure, working with Llandarcy Park Ltd, stepped in to raise funds following its closure in December 2015.

Importance

Kate Breeze, Executive Director of the Pen y Cymoedd Community Fund, said: “The importance of this swimming pool cannot be understated. It is the only swimming pool in the Afan Valley, with similar facilities in other towns being impractical to access for many in the community.

“Support from the Pen y Cymoedd Community Fund will significantly ease financial pressures. Afan Valley Community Leisure will continue to fundraise towards its running costs, but we hope this award will help support the sustainability of the pool into the future.”

“Vital”

Hayley Phillips, Afan Valley Community Leisure Trustee, said: “Afan Valley Community Leisure are absolutely delighted to have been awarded funding from Pen y Cymoedd.”

“This funding is vital for our group to be able to continue to engage with Llandarcy Park Ltd, our chosen partner who successfully and safely operate the pool on our behalf.

“The pool provides so many employment, health, and educational benefits for our community. The pool has strong links with local schools, clubs, and many organisations.

“Pen y Cymoedd CIC have understood the strengths and struggles that communities such as the Afan Valley face when dealing with threatened closure of vital community assets, and we’d like to thank them for their support.”