Frequently Asked Questions on Community Regeneration & Grants.

1. What is Community Regeneration?

Community Regeneration is about working collectively to bring about social change, and addresses social injustice by working with communities in order to: 

Identify the community’s needs, interests, concerns, opportunities, rights and responsibilities.
Plan, organise and take action.
Evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the action.
Help to build the capacity of the community to enable them to help themselves by working collectively to influence change and exert control over the environmental, economic, social and political issues that affect their lives.
Help communities to learn how to participate in processes, and to be able to influence how resources are allocated in their area.
Help promote the self-development and self-determination of community groups.     
To promote informal learning through participation and involvement in community activities, enabling people to become more active members of society.
Foster a creative and dynamic approach to community development that is open and supportive of innovation and partnership working between organisations, locally, nationally and internationally.
Share knowledge, and explore and develop new methods to achieve and promote best practice.
Allow communities to take ownership of projects that they have themselves defined, rather than feeling that a solution has been imposed upon them - this is about meeting actual need and not perceived need, and this promotes greater sustainability of projects in the long-term and also encourages greater stakeholder participation.

(Carmarthenshire County Council acknowledges taking into account, certain principles from the work of “Community Development Cymru” when trying to give a definition of what community development actually involves, in the above question).

2. What is the role of the Area Regeneration Officers?

Carmarthenshire is split into 6 geographical areas – Llanelli, Amman, Gwendraeth, Tywi, Teifi and Taf / Myrddin. The County Council employs locally based officers to coordinate the community regeneration work in these areas. The officers are all locally based, and operate at a grassroots level within their communities. They have expert knowledge of local issues and needs, and assist local people and groups in the development of community led projects, by providing guidance on accessing funding, the adoption of policy and procedures, mentoring and guidance on training to improve skills, and ensuring that the capacity of the groups is developed in order to implement and sustain their projects, with the overreaching aim of “Building the capacity of our Communities”, for future sustainability. The officers also work closely with the Council’s Community Bureau, and their dedicated team of grants and funding officers who are able to help with general advice regarding projects, advice on funding sources, or with signposting a group to another organisation that is best placed to assist them. Community regeneration workers support individuals, groups and organisations in the community development process – this might be, for example, finding a source of funding for a community project, helping to fill in application forms for a grant, or even just sign-posting a group to a specialist in a certain field who can help them with what they need. Through our extensive partner network, from the Carmarthenshire Association of Voluntary Services on a countywide basis, to the individual area officers at a more local level, we should almost certainly be able to find the right person to assist you with the development of your communities and any community led projects decided upon.

3. What is meant by social exclusion?

Social exclusion is a term used to show how some individuals, groups or communities can be excluded from participating in activities due to access barriers. There are numerous examples – lack of disabled access, lack of basic learning skills, long-term health problems, physical isolation / transport issues in rural areas, financial problems, lack of crèches or other child-minding facilities…. the list goes on. The Community Regeneration department of CCC aims to try to address such issues to allow all to have access to the same services or facilities regardless of the reason for the inability to access such.

4. How do we define communities?

There are numerous definitions of what a community is – it could be a group of common interest, (local anglers, for example), a group of people of the same religion, people from the same geographical area, or a group of the same ethnic origin – the actual definition is open to various interpretations, all of which can be equally valid.

5. What is capacity building?

Capacity building supports individuals, groups and organisations to enable them to play a part in the regeneration of communities.  It builds the capacity of the individual or group through their personal development by possibly training in new skills, experiences, or even just by having their confidence boosted by knowing that there is someone there to assist with something that they have not done before themselves.

6. What type of projects have been carried out, and what projects are currently happening in my area?

Please click on the link to the left of the page for examples of projects previously supported / developed by CCC under the RSTP and PACT Programmes.

7. Who do I contact to find out more about what is happening, to become involved, or find out what financial support is available for projects in my area?

You can contact the CCC Community Bureau on 01269 590216, who will take details of your project and then signpost you to the relevant officer for your area.