SPORTS COUNCIL IMPRESS
WITH PEDAL POWER

Employees at Impress Merthyr Tydfil are donning their trainers and swapping four wheels for two, thanks to a Community Chest grant from the Sports Council for Wales.

In an attempt to encourage staff to become more physically active, the metal packaging company has ploughed the £1000 of National Lottery funding into the provision of cycling equipment.

Melanie Jenkins, HR Manager at Impress, explains, “A recent staff survey showed that 38% of our employees live within four miles of work. We want to promote cycling as a means of transport - not just great exercise - and have done so by using the money to purchase equipment that will enable staff and visitors to keep their bikes safe.”

A bike rack, bike locks, helmets, puncture kits and three pool bikes have all been provided for staff thanks to the grant.

Melanie continues, “The pool bikes are being used on an almost daily basis. Staff are now using their lunch hours to cycle along the Taff Trail, which we are lucky enough to have on our doorstep. We are extremely thrilled to have been awarded the Community Chest grant - our employees now have the opportunity to participate in exercise during their working hours.”

Since the inception of the Sports Council for Wales’ Community Chest scheme in 1999, communities across the length and breadth of Wales have been investing heavily in sports and physical activity projects.

As a result of the popularity and undoubted success of the scheme, the Sports Council for Wales is raising the level of grant. Organisations keen to develop sport and physical activity in Wales can now receive up to £1000 for a qualifying project over a 12 month period.

The scope of the scheme has also been widened. Grants have traditionally been awarded to sports clubs and sporting bodies. Now most organisations seeking to develop physical activity and sporting projects will be eligible for an award.

The Community Chest has recently been infiltrating additional areas of work such as the voluntary sector (e.g. Voluntary Youth Clubs, Women’s Institute) and the workplace, as well as continuing to support projects in the health and education arenas. So while funding the local football club might get the younger members of the community moving, backing a walking group will encourage more adults to get active.

Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said:

“Community Chest has been and continues to be a huge success and is very popular throughout Merthyr Tydfil. The increase in funding and the greater scope of the scheme will increase its effectiveness.

“Panels based in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales hold the purse strings and have delegated authority to award grants to worthwhile projects. We want to hear of bright ideas and projects that will get more people in Merthyr more active, more often.”

To remove the obstacles and to get your project going, call your Sports Council for Wales regional office:

South East Wales:0845 045 0904

South West Wales:0845 045 0906

North Wales: 0845 045 0908

Or visit www.sports-council-wales.org.uk