Organisation fighting poverty is in the running for major award
A Denbighshire social enterprise is in the running for a major award after boosting the economy of the south of the county by over £4 million in just three years.
South Denbighshire Community Partnership has been short-listed in the prestigious Steve Morgan Foundation Awards for its pioneering work in the Dee Valley area, including Llangollen, in fighting rural poverty and isolation.
Services were extended to the Llangollen area in January after the partnership won a £500,000 lottery bonanza to fight rural poverty in the Dee Valley with the cash to be spread over four years to autumn 2024.
Now it is appealing for local supporters to vote for it in the Awards which cover North Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire, in the over £250,000 category for Charities and Social Enterprises making the Most Local Impact.
In the past three years SDCP, a grant-funded community charity with its headquarters at Canolfan Ni in Corwen, has helped local people claim unpaid benefits, introduced community transport along the Dee Valley, run a meals on wheels service and even pioneered a hydro-electric power scheme.
It extended its services to Llangollen earlier this year.
Chief Officer Margaret Sutherland said: “We’re thrilled to have been short-listed for this major award and for a small organisation here in the Dee Valley to be named alongside major charities and organisations from across Liverpool and Cheshire.
“We feel it is recognition for the work we and the people of Corwen and the Dee Valley have done to make life better for the local community and in particular for those suffering from poverty and loneliness.
“Now we’d just like to appeal to our many supporters to help by voting for us at https://stevemorganfoundation.org.uk/ by the end of the year as those votes will count towards 20 per cent of the final decision.”
The awards were launched in 2001 by multi-millionaire businessman Steve Morgan CBE, the founder and former chairman of housing giant Redrow who lived in Ruthin for a number of years and even played rugby for the local club, and over the past 20 years his Foundation has donated over £300 million to charities.
Margaret said: “We work across so many areas of need and the activities we organise and provide at Canolfan Ni are so important as are the links our Meals on Wheels service and prescription and grocery deliveries create with some of the most isolated people in the community.
“We live in a spectacularly beautiful area but often that beauty hides real poverty as well and its part of our mission to reach out to people in need and connect them to their community.”
SDCP also receives funding support from other sources including Betsi Cadwaladar Health Board, Morrison’s, Moondance, Community Foundation Wales and Cadwyn Clwyd, while continuing to work closely with Denbighshire County Council on joint Community Development and Community Transport schemes.
The rural transport services include bus trips on their 16-seater community minibus while the fleet also includes a Toyota Rav 4 hybrid SUV and an MG electric and a Peugeot van cars, used for dial-a-ride and meals on wheels service – as well as two electric vehicle charging points at the rear of Canolfan Ni.
