M&S Aberystwyth

The village of Penparcau is made up mainly of an ex council house large housing estate which was a former Communities First area. It is fair to say that the area has not enjoyed a good reputation over the years and the Forum are making inroads into changing that perception. We are a voluntary run organisation with seven Trustees, two part-time and one full-time staff based directly in the community (see Trustees and Staff details below). The Forum have also created a Youth Forum and consulted widely with the residents of Penparcau. The information gathered through the consultation process enabled us to create an area plan with priorities one of which, was the need for new, modern and accessible facilities for the community to utilise and especially for our young people to access. We are able to respond to the community's needs and organise events quite quickly and as a result we are seen to be the organisation who makes a difference for many people in our area. Specifically, we run a weekly Food Co-op & Food Bank, Youth events during the year like Easter Egg Hunts, Halloween Night, Santa Sleigh ride, Xmas Lights, Coffee Mornings, Youth activities in the Summer months working in partnership with other agencies around us to support our work. In addition, we are a voice for the community and have been involved on many committees that tend to be statutory led and make all the decisions that affect our community.  We have a new Community Cafe, Training Kitchen, Youth Zone, Training Room and Changing Facilities. All of which are aimed at upskilling our young people and creating a Community Centre that all our residents will be proud of. We also have a vibrant History & Heritage group and active Environmental group with numerous volunteers actively engaged in making a difference to their community. All of our community based activities and facilities are aimed at making Penparcau a better place for all to live, work and play in. The new Community Centre will certainly create a focus for our activities and enable our residents, young and old, to develop and grow together.

Aber Food Surplus is a group of people in Aberystwyth that look to redistribute food waste for social, community and environmental benefits. Aber Food Surplus redistribute supermarket surplus food to charities and community groups, and to provide a 'pop up' Community Café that often hosts topical discussions. We hope to expand out work in to a community hub for skills sharing, workshops, discussion and positive community work.

Llanishen and Lisvane Scout Group is one of the largest in Wales, with about 200 active members. We have around 30 volunteers who dedicate a large amount of their spare time to providing tremendous recreational and personal development activities to a broad spectrum of young people from age 6 upwards as part of the UK Scouting network. Our overarching objective is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities by providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training based on the Scout promise and law. The Group is based at our three Scout Halls: two purpose-built buildings close together in Llanishen and one in Lisvane, that are owned by the Group and leased long-term on land owned by Cardiff City Council. The halls in Llanishen are Livsey Hall where scouting activities take place and Fraser Hall which is used for equipment storage and meetings. Livsey Hall has recently been upgraded after a huge fundraising effort by the Group and charitable donations although improvements continue being added. Fraser Hall is in poor condition and the intention is to demolish and rebuild it in the future. Lisvane Scout Hall was built 40 years ago and it is now too small for Treetops nursery that use the hall during the day and the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Brownies, in the evenings. The current aim of the Group Executive is to extend and redevelop this hall and a committee has been formed to move this forward. Investment in these improvements ensures Lisvane Scout Group operates to full capacity, all year round. The refurbished hall with better facilities, increased storage, new décor and equipment should enable increased use by other local groups.