Always looking to the future, the club is hoping that in the long-term it can apply for its seniors team to go up to tier three of Welsh football; a move which would require a stand and fencing.
The club’s Lyn Williams said: “The grant from the Be Active Wales Fund is a massive factor in our plans and will make an enormous difference. We are hoping the Asset Transfer will be completed by the end of February and that we can start work in the spring. We want to offer more to the town and get more local people playing.
“Sport has been really important during the pandemic. Children love to see their friends and with the stringent protocols by the FAW in place, it has been a safe environment.”
For now, the club is waiting patiently until the time is right for football to be played again, but is showing excellent prudence by applying for available funding that will make a long-term difference.
The funding awarded to Pencoed Athletic Boys & Girls Club came from the ‘Progress’ element of the Be Active Wales Fund, which provides grants of between £300 and £50,000 to support sports clubs and organisations with their future plans so that they can offer even better opportunities for the nation to be active beyond the Covid-19 crisis.
The ‘Protect’ element of the fund also remains open. With the current lockdown restrictions in mind, many sports clubs and organisations may once again find the funding stream extremely welcome. As well as being open to help new applicants cover their fixed costs (e.g. rent, utilities) while they deal with lost revenue during this period, the funding is also open to any clubs that have previously received Protect funding, provided it is at least three months since their last award.
Clubs who have been impacted by recent flooding issues are also able to apply to the ‘Protect’ stream of the fund for financial support.
Since the pandemic began, nearly 900 sports clubs and organisations have benefited from a share of over £2.5m through the Be Active Wales Fund, and more is still available for Sport Wales to distribute thanks to money from Welsh Government and re-purposed funding from the National Lottery.
