LONDON.- Over £2 million will be awarded to 7 much-loved local places in Wales, so they can stay open to keep their communities thriving.

This includes £1 million to save 4 spaces in Wales, including the Tafarn y Plu pub in Gwynedd, The Bunkhouse music venue in Swansea, a museum in Powys and a community shop in Gwynedd. This funding will be used to refurbish, renovate and secure the future of each of these buildings, allowing them to offer a diverse programme of events and activities including live music, well-being sessions and educational opportunities.

As set out in its Plan for Change, the UK government is committed to kickstarting economic growth and raising living standards. Thriving communities lie at the heart of a thriving economy, and the support provided by the Community Ownership Fund will inject funding where it is most needed, making change happen and bringing people together in the process.

The highest single award in Wales - £400 thousand - will also go to saving Llanfair Light Railway station and Cloverlands car model museum. This project will host a museum, archives, and a shared community space for residents and visitors to use. The funding will allow the community building to provide a visitor centre in which tours will learn the context to the railway station and its operations.

Minister for Local Growth Alex Norris said: These are all multi-functional spaces that do so much for local people and most of us will have fond memories in treasured places like these.

We’ve prioritised these grants to help preserve and upgrade what these vital places offer to their communities – whether improving access to sport, tackling loneliness or boosting family services for parents and children.”

Projects also set to receive money in Wales include:

• £300,000 to renovate Eveswell Community Centre in Newport. The centre will provide new and improved facilities for local families to host more activities like family groups, play groups, a Lego club, craft classes and after school youth groups.

• £300,000 to refurbish the Pentre Comrades club. The transformed building will provide the community a central hub to use for socialising and learning with facilities including a pub, shop, café, community garden, and kitchen spaces.

• £299,000 to renovate and refurbish Caerphilly Rugby Football Club. The space will provide new and improved facilities for their rugby development programmes as well as space to host events like fundraisers, local festivals and educational workshops.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said: Congratulations to these fantastic community projects in Wales. Over £2 million is being spent by the UK Government to make sure that these special places are refurbished and improved so they can provide facilities for local people to come together.

All across Wales there are brilliant people who give back to their communities. I’d like to thank them for all that they do and the UK Government is proud to be able to support them.”

This UK-wide funding prioritised by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will help protect these cherished places from closure and disrepair, preserving popular spots for local people and visitors.

Altogether £36 million has been awarded to 85 projects across the UK.

The projects will support the government on its path to national renewal through its missions in the Plan for Change - from breaking down barriers to opportunity to kickstarting economic growth and creating safer streets by restoring community pride.

• These projects were applicants to the now closed Community Ownership Fund.

• The government remains committed to the communities’ sector and community empowerment.

• The government will deliver on its manifesto commitment to replace the community ‘Right to Bid’ with a strengthened ‘Right to Buy’ Assets of Community Value, creating a more robust pathway to community asset ownership. It will also support high streets by strengthening Business Improvement Districts which have helped to improve town and city centres across the United Kingdom for 20 years, while ensuring they operate to high standards and are accountable to their communities.