The continued drive to get more people active across Wales is being supported by £3.5 million of Welsh Government funding going towards 37 sports projects.
Allocated by Sport Wales, the funding will widen access to sports and physical activity among communities, create more artificial pitches in places that need them most, and also support the most talented athletes to achieve their dreams.
Several local authorities successfully applied for funding to help make leisure centres more energy efficient so that activities can remain affordable for communities to enjoy.
For example, running costs will be slashed at the LC in Swansea thanks to the installation of solar panels and LED lighting, while £175,226 worth of improvements will help conserve energy at many sites across Pembrokeshire.
Other popular facilities will benefit from reduced utility bills too. The Urdd will use £25,860 towards the installation of solar panels at the Llangrannog Residential Centre, while Queensway Stadium in Wrexham will install LED lighting which will improve the stadium’s energy efficiency and sustainability.
Innovative ideas to help more people become active have received significant funding. Pembrokeshire County Council’s plans for using Artificial Intelligence technology to create personalised workouts for all abilities will receive £99,630, while Welsh Boxing has received funding to introduce opportunities for Virtual Reality Boxing – ideal for giving people who have impairments a chance to enjoy the sport safely.
A proposal to resurface the athletics track at the Pembrokeshire Sports Village has been awarded £191,253, while Sport Wales has worked together with the Football Association of Wales, Welsh Rugby Union and Hoci Cymru to allocate funding towards a number of new artificial pitches in Port Talbot, Wrexham, Cwmbran, Colwyn Bay and Haverfordwest.
Hot on the heels of a successful Paris 2024 Games for Welsh athletes, more than half a million pounds is being invested into improving facilities and creating better sporting environments so that the country’s most talented sportsmen and women can fulfil their potential.
Projects awarded funding include the creation of a first-ever Centre of Excellence for Welsh Boxing, a series of upgrades at The Wales National Pool and the National Hockey Centre, improvements to the performance gym at the National Indoor Athletics Centre, and the installation of 2,000 more seats at the House of Sport venue in Cardiff – the home of performance netball in Wales.
Sport Wales CEO Brian Davies said:
“We received a high level of applications from local authorities, sport governing bodies and national partners for a share of this funding and prioritised projects that would make the biggest impact on making sport more inclusive for all as well as supporting our ambitions for nurturing talented athletes.
“Just as we did last year, we’re pleased to have been able to award a large amount of funding to help safeguard the long-term future of leisure facilities by making them more energy efficient and sustainable. These projects will also generate sizeable carbon savings, helping to support Wales’ climate change targets.”
Welsh Government Minister for Sport, Jack Sargeant, said:
“Through this funding – which marks a significant part of our £8 million investment in Sport Wales this year – we are delivering on our commitments to promote equal access to sport, support our grassroot clubs and invest in new and world-class sporting facilities for our nation’s talented athletes.
“From innovative tech-driven facilities to energy-efficient places, these projects will provide inclusive, accessible and sustainable opportunities for people across Wales to enjoy both the physical and mental health benefits of sport, and to hone their skills and talent to achieve their potential and emulate their sporting heroes.”
All of the grants have been made possible thanks to a total £8 million worth of capital funding for 2024-25 which has been allocated to Sport Wales by the Welsh Government.
All grants are subject to certain terms and conditions being met. Some of the projects are already underway, while others are planned for the coming months.
A full list of the 37 projects to receive capital funding can be found at the Sport Wales website.
