Flintshire and Wrexham winners of a special £50,000 fund to help communities across North Wales have been announced.

The initiative, called Your Community, Your Choice, helps support grass-roots projects in the region and is supported by the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT), the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, and North Wales Police.

Over the 11 years since Your Community, Your Choice started, almost £600,000 has been awarded to nearly 200 projects working to reduce crime in their neighbourhoods and also to support the priorities in the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan. 

The funding for Your Community, Your Choice comes partly from money seized by the courts through the Proceeds of Crime Act, with the rest coming from the Police and Crime Commissioner. 

Successful groups and projects announced this year are:

Flintshire

  • Aura Wales Shotton Boxing Club – Shotton Boxing Club and Community Hubs
  • The Rockworks Academy – ‘Breaking Barriers’ project
  • Buckley Cricket Club - Creating a lighter, brighter and safer environment for all at Buckley Cricket Club.

Wrexham

  • Community Wellness Wrexham – Community wellness project
  • Erddig Nordic Walkers – Away days, events and activities project
  • Wrexham Community Gardeners – First impressions initiative

The winners of the local projects that received funding were delighted with their success as part of the scheme.

Josh McEwan, school and community sports coordinator at Aura Wales said: “We are delighted to be awarded the grant through the Your Community, Your Choice fund. 

"The grant will help us support young people in Flintshire, providing opportunities to participate in various activities, in a fun, engaging and safe environment, while also helping to tackle any current issues young people may be facing or at risk of being involved in.”

Tanya Jones, director, The Rockworks Academy said: “The Rockworks Academy are absolutely delighted to be receiving this funding, which will enable us to run sessions where musicians can come to a free, dry, accessible, supervised and guided session with equipment provided so that all barriers to their participation in musical activities can be broken down."

Gareth Lloyd, executive officer at Erddig Nordic Walkers, said: “The grant will purchase shelving for our storage container, a trolley for conveying equipment and contribution to our transport costs for ‘away day’ activities. All revenue received is used to fund our programme of events and for the benefit of all members.”

Ruth Tesdale, chair, Wrexham Community Gardeners, said: “Gardens and gardening benefit health, and through collaboration with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Wrexham Community Gardeners will work to create wellbeing and therapeutic gardens at Wrexham Maelor Hospital to benefit patients and staff.

"Using the funding generously donated by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, PACT and North Wales Police, we will enhance the entrances with gardens to lift the spirits of everyone arriving. We feel privileged to have this opportunity to help a hospital that touches lives and holds a special place in the hearts of everyone.”

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said: “I am very happy to see the breadth and variety of organisations in this year’s Your Community, Your Choice fund – the whole of North Wales is represented, from Anglesey to Wrexham.

"Organisations include those that work with the young, with older people, as well as sports, arts and health and wellbeing groups."