Pictured: David Wilson, MCA; Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council; Simon Tse, MCA; Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council
Excitement is building after Swansea Council announced that local charity Mumbles Community Association (MCA) has been awarded £330k towards the costs of developing a new All-Weather Pitch (AWP) in Underhill Park in Mumbles.
The AWP is the last element in the phase 1 plans for bringing the facilities in Underhill Park up to a standard which meets local needs. The remaining elements, currently being built at a cost of over £2m, include an upgrade of the existing park pavilion, six new sports changing rooms, public toilets and a new community café and activity space, which together will form the Underhill Hub.
Council Leader, Cllr Rob Stewart, and Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, visited Underhill to make the announcement and see how the developments already underway are progressing.
Cllr Stewart said:
“It was very exciting to see the great progress that is being made. When they open, the facilities that will be here for people who live in or visit Mumbles, and for those from across the area who play competitive sport in the park, are going to be fantastic.”
Cllr Francis-Davies said:
“I’m delighted to be announcing this award, which will help add the final element to the plans and ensure the sustainability of the development, following through on our commitment to support the development and provide all-weather facilities for the community in Mumbles.”
The application and award have been made under the Council’s Economic Recovery Fund as the income stream from the AWP is a crucial element in ensuring that the new facilities are sustainable and self-supporting. MCA hope that the £330k from Swansea Council will be a game-changer in helping it win further grants to meet the full £1.1m cost of getting the AWP built.
Swansea Council’s grant matches the amount already committed by Mumbles Community Council towards the AWP, bringing the funding pot to 60% of the total cost. Applications have already been made by MCA to sporting bodies for the balance of the funding needed, and the charity is now waiting with bated breath to hear whether these have been approved.
Chair of MCA, Simon Tse, said:
“We are thrilled to have been awarded this significant grant by Swansea Council which brings our vision for the completing the new facilities in Underhill a big step closer.
”From the moment we announced that the construction work on the rest of phase 1 was getting underway, interest in progress with securing a new AWP in Underhill has been extremely high. And with other applications for funding already in place we are now extremely hopeful that our charity will soon be able to deliver this long desired new facility which will expand and extend playing time for sport in Underhill.
“We are now keeping our fingers crossed that our other grant applications come through, but a big thank you to Swansea Council for giving us this funding to help make it happen.”
The current building work at Underhill is due to be completed in early 2023 and will be followed by a fitout period for the new café and community room. MCA currently anticipate that these facilities will open in the spring.