A £10m capital fund has been launched in Wales to support community projects that help to reduce poverty.
The fund will enable community and voluntary groups to bid for grants of up to £500,000 to improve facilities that help alleviate poverty and are used by those most in need.
Communities and tackling poverty minister, Jeff Cuthbert, said: ‘This new fund is open to community and voluntary groups who want to make a real difference to the lives of people in their area.
‘Our focus is on improving opportunities and tackling the causes and impact of poverty. Key to this will be helping people to live healthier lives and opening up opportunities for them to learn new skills to boost their job prospects. At a time when our budgets are being squeezed, only those projects that can prove they will help us fight poverty will be given support.’
The fund is also open to schemes that can demonstrate they will reintroduce or prevent the loss of community services.