Project History

Coproducing a community facility which nurtures a resilient, welcoming and united community in the most ethnically diverse ward in Wales.

 

In 2012, residents of Grangetown in Cardiff, created a shared vision. They aspired to a friendlier Grangetown, with increased understanding between communities where everyone was united by a space for all.  They set up a group, Grange Pavilion Project, and set about looking for a space to accommodate this ambition.

Sitting in the heart of Grangetown, nestled in a popular public park, lay a rapidly deteriorating bowls pavilion subject to repeated vandalism and anti-social behaviour.  If left unoccupied and untended, the building would continue to negatively impact on the surrounding area.  The group’s attention was grabbed.

Finding that they may need some help, in 2014, Grange Pavilion Project forged a partnership with Cardiff University’s Community Gateway project (CG) and volunteer group Grangetown Community Action (GCA).  United, they approached Cardiff Council to request a temporary licence for the bowls pavilion and grounds.

In 2016, the licence was granted and, after a short period of renovation, the shutters came up, allowing people access to the building.

For two years, the partnership gathered evidence that Grange Pavilion was both needed and wanted and was finally successful in a Big Lottery Fund CAT 2 application in February 2018.  Fundraising continued throughout 2018 and 2019, with the partnership raising nearly £1.6m towards a new building.

In February 2019, the old bowls pavilion was demolished as it was too dilapidated to save, and work got underway on building a new, quality, accessible building to serve Grangetown for years to come.