Full strike for Carmarthen bowling plan
Carmarthen has scored a full strike after landing close to £800,000 to develop a bowling alley and community centre at the former St Ivel factory in Johnstown.
The Towy Community Church, supported by Carmarthenshire County Council, has been successful in its bid for funding from the Community Asset Transfer Programme (CAT) – a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and Welsh Assembly Government.
It means the ambitious Xcel Bowl project can now get underway, providing yet another first-class leisure facility for Carmarthen.
Alongside the 12-lane bowling alley, the first phase of the development will also include a food bank and a furniture recycling facility to benefit local families experiencing hardship, projects that will be funded by the profits from the bowling business.
Towy Community Church leader Mark Bennett said: “We are thrilled to be able to go ahead with a project that will bring sustainable long term benefits to local people.”
The second phase of the project will include a 50-seat community café and 500-seat conference centre.
The aim is to create an accessible community facility which will run as a social enterprise, with all profits being ploughed back in to projects that will benefit the community.
Projects in the pipeline include free debt counselling service, money management classes, and arts activities aimed at teenagers.
Carmarthenshire County Council has been working in partnership with the Towy Community Church from the outset, and has agreed favourable lease terms for the 2.7 acre former cheese-packing factory site.
In January the council granted £10,000 from its Community Regeneration Fund to contribute towards pre-project survey costs, and has supported throughout the Big Lottery bid.
Regeneration executive board member Cllr Clive Scourfield, said: “This is fantastic news, and we will look forward to seeing work start on this exciting project in the very near future.
“We are proud to support the Towy Community Church in its vision to create a multi-purpose life centre which will create new jobs and empower the community.
“This scheme fits in perfectly with our overall regeneration plans for Carmarthen, and alongside the thriving new shopping district, this will prove yet another powerful attraction to drive more visitors to Carmarthen.”
The Towy Community Church, supported by Carmarthenshire County Council, has been successful in its bid for funding from the Community Asset Transfer Programme (CAT) – a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and Welsh Assembly Government.
It means the ambitious Xcel Bowl project can now get underway, providing yet another first-class leisure facility for Carmarthen.
Alongside the 12-lane bowling alley, the first phase of the development will also include a food bank and a furniture recycling facility to benefit local families experiencing hardship, projects that will be funded by the profits from the bowling business.
Towy Community Church leader Mark Bennett said: “We are thrilled to be able to go ahead with a project that will bring sustainable long term benefits to local people.”
The second phase of the project will include a 50-seat community café and 500-seat conference centre.
The aim is to create an accessible community facility which will run as a social enterprise, with all profits being ploughed back in to projects that will benefit the community.
Projects in the pipeline include free debt counselling service, money management classes, and arts activities aimed at teenagers.
Carmarthenshire County Council has been working in partnership with the Towy Community Church from the outset, and has agreed favourable lease terms for the 2.7 acre former cheese-packing factory site.
In January the council granted £10,000 from its Community Regeneration Fund to contribute towards pre-project survey costs, and has supported throughout the Big Lottery bid.
Regeneration executive board member Cllr Clive Scourfield, said: “This is fantastic news, and we will look forward to seeing work start on this exciting project in the very near future.
“We are proud to support the Towy Community Church in its vision to create a multi-purpose life centre which will create new jobs and empower the community.
“This scheme fits in perfectly with our overall regeneration plans for Carmarthen, and alongside the thriving new shopping district, this will prove yet another powerful attraction to drive more visitors to Carmarthen.”
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