Penrhiwceiber charity receives six-figure funding for development project
Lee Gardens Pool project goes to great lengths to help members of its community.
The Lee Gardens Pool is being redevloped
Submitted by Martin Williams
A local charity, which aims to increase opportunities for residents, is undergoing a £500,000 redevelopment.
The Lee Gardens Pool project - which is based in Penrhiwceiber, Mid Glamorgan - has received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to renovate their site.
The redevelopment is also being supported by the Landfill Tax Communities Scheme and The Welsh Church Act.
The charity is centred around a popular outdoor pool and old age centre.
They run a range of programmes including coffee mornings, feed the family, phone a friend and after-school art.
Lee Gardens Pool is focused on trying to help combat mental health issues, poverty and isolation.
Development works are due to be completed in the summer and will allow the charity to reach more people.
Diane Locke, who runs the charity, said: "Our biggest priority right now is the renovation, which should be completed soon.
"It is part of a wider five-year plan we have to further improve and extend our services.
"At present it’s a building site but a lot of progress has been made and we can’t wait to see the finished article so we can restart free swimming lessons, lifeguard training and welcome back visitors from Penrhiwceiber and beyond.
"Among the improvements are the pool itself, a new toilet facility and meeting room.
"This is not just about the facilities, however, it’s to secure the sustainable, long-term future of Lee Gardens Pool, so generations of families and elderly people can continue to enjoy it."
The charity has come a long way since a fundraising campaign the pool in 2016, three years after its closure due to council cuts.
Since then, they have been able to train young people to become lifeguards, five of which gained employment with the local authority leisure department.
They also offer free swimming and rookie lifeguard lessons for children.
The volunteers give out pre-loved school uniforms and menstruation products to those in need.
They were also able to purchase mobile phones for elderly residents to keep in touch during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Joanne Neads, trustee, said: "Nothing has stopped us, not even the pandemic.
"When things had to go online, we embraced that and so did our regular users with children and parents joining in with Zoom Art while our Knit and Natter group kept in touch with each other via mobile phone.
"The use of Penrhiwceiber Old Age Centre has been vital to us as it’s provided a base to run our activities while the pool itself is under construction.
"Because of this facility we are able to take referrals from the Wellbeing Officer placed at the GPs’ surgery and from the local authority."
Diane said: "Lee Gardens Pool is the hub of the village.
"People of all ages and backgrounds benefit from it, and from a health and wellbeing perspective it has been a lifeline for so many of them, especially during Covid.
"We listen to what our community want and deliver it for them and with them, we are here 24/7.
"If there is one positive thing from the last two years it’s the incredible spirit shown by everyone here."
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