Heart of the community

I recently visited Grangetown to meet the people behind our University engagement project that is forging partnerships across the community.

The Community Gateway team, working closely with Grange Pavilion Project and Grangetown Community Action, have just been successful in securing a £50,000 Big Lottery Fund development grant to progress their ideas to transform the old bowls pavilion and green in Grangetown.

Our Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Riordan, Director of Communications & Marketing Claire Sanders and I visited the pavilion to hear from the project team and some of the local partners who are making a real difference in the community. It was great to meet school children, students, business leaders, university colleagues and members of the Grangetown community.

Transforming the old bowls pavilion into a thriving venue and resource is a major part of what they are doing, but there’s more to it than that. We also heard how the University-community partnership has helped develop a local business forum; worked with Grangetown Community Action and emergency services to launch a community safety week; helped set up a running club and youth forum; supported the development of mental health awareness days; and brought neighbours closer together with a successful street party.

There is always more to be done, but the whole team should be proud of what has already been achieved in such a short space of time.

Read the Vice-Chancellor’s all-staff email in which he talks about the visit to Grange Pavilion.