Funding and Free Insurance available for community groups!

Keeping Wales tidy can be a dirty business and sometimes accidents do happen, but anyone who joins the fight to improve their local environment can sleep easy in the knowledge that through their Tidy Towns initiative, Keep Wales Tidy are now able to offer free insurance to volunteer groups.

Funded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Local Environmental Quality department, any community group who are undertaking practical environmental projects as part of the Tidy Towns project will now be able to apply for FREE insurance cover.

The first groups to take advantage of this scheme include: Cardiff Rivers Group, Cilfrew Residents Association, Machen and Draethen Rivercare and Friends of the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path.

In addition to the insurance cover, small grants are also available to cover the cost of tools, equipment, publicity and training. Since April 2009, groups across Wales have benefited from the scheme. 143 community groups have received grants to the value of £87,075 and there is still money left in the grant pot which must be spent by March 2010.

Recent groups to benefit from the grants scheme include:

• Honddu Dippers (Powys) – received £478 for litter-picking and safety equipment and to run a Himalyan Balsam awareness day
• Friends of Bagillt Foreshore (Flintshire) - £287 for bulbs and tools to carry out planting of the foreshore
• Tonyrefail Environmental Organisation (RCT) - £330 for equipment and publicity to enble them to continue with monthly environmental projects

Keep Wales Tidy appointed Tidy Towns Project Officers are on hand across Wales to offer help and advice on forming groups, holding events and applying for grants.

£30,000 is still available, so if your group is interested in applying for a grant, please contact your local KWT Tidy Towns officer.

For more information on the Tidy Towns small grants scheme or to get contact details of your local project officer please contact Tidy Towns on 029 2072 6994, email tidy.towns@keepwalestidy.org or visit www.keepwalestidy.org/our-projects/1284/who-is-your-project-officer

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NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Keep Wales Tidy is a registered Environmental Charity working for the improvement of the Welsh environment. Visit our website for more information www.keepwalestidy.org/ href="http://www.keepwalestidy.org/">www.keepwalestidy.org

2. For more information on Tidy Towns please contact 029 2072 6994 or email tidy.towns@keepwalestidy.org

3. Tidy Towns is a two part initiative between Keep Wales Tidy and Welsh Local Authorities. Keep Wales Tidy are delivering the community engagement element of the Initiative. Tidy Towns is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.