Published date: 19 December 2016 |
Published by: Staff reporterRead more articles by Staff reporterEmail reporter
A beloved community facility is under threat of closure.
The Venture in Garner Road, Caia Park, could shut as funding is due to dry up with the end of the Welsh Government’s Communities First programme.
Chief officer Malcolm King has called on people to make their voices heard and help secure the funding to keep it open.
He said: “The Venture is once again under threat of closure and we need your help.
“We need to stay open – now and for the future. Four years ago the council stopped all our funding causing a struggle for survival and without Welsh Government funding we certainly would not have survived.
“Now the Welsh Government is planning on stopping our Communities First programme which funds projects such as ours and many others within our community and other areas in Wales.
“Instead they want to switch funding to concentrate on employment schemes, early years, empowering local communities but also help children who suffer from adverse childhood experiences like family breakdown, obesity, mental health problems, domestic violence, drugs, alcoholism and learning difficulties.
“As you know, The Venture has been helping many children, young people and their families with these issues for many years and we remain in the best place to continue to deliver this work to the community.
“To keep The Venture open we need to persuade the Welsh Government – particularly the minister in charge of community and children's services – that it is too important to so many children, their families and the future of our community to let it close.”
In October, the Welsh Government announced plans to scrap Communities First.
In Wrexham, Caia Park and Plas Madoc were two of the large Wrexham communities the scheme operated in to try and help tackle deprivation.
Some of the projects in Caia Park to benefit from the Communities First programme include The Venture, Gwenfro Valley, the Caia Park and Hightown Early Years Forum and the Caia Park Partnership.
Making the announcement to scrap Communities First, Carl Sargeant explained a new scheme to replace it would target “employment, early years, and empowerment”.
Earlier this year, the play area at The Venture was ravaged in an arson attack, with a wooden castle torn apart by flames.
The Venture, originally Wrexham Adventure Playground Association (WAPA), was established in 1978 in response to youth crime and a lack of facilities in Caia Park.
The castle had replaced a previous play structure after a fire 10 years ago.
About 1,000 children aged five to 15 use The Venture – a registered charity with 15 staff members, as well as volunteers,
It also offers football and netball teams, a youth club, homework and reading clubs, as well as the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme for children aged 14 and over.
The blaze came after the Venture received WREN funding to put a new roof on the castle and repair timber walkways nearby.
The fire was thought to have caused about £30,000 of damage. To give your views on The Venture, visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7HQCP3C
http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/170359/fears-for-the-future-of-the-venture-in-caia-park-over-funding.aspx
No comments:
Post a Comment