Posted on: Friday 17 October 2025
Nearly £500,000 has been awarded to community organisations to help them support local residents.
The Community Progression Grants scheme has provided 37 grants of between £2,000 and £33,000 for a range of projects, including improving community buildings, supporting or expanding existing services, or establishing new ones.
A community dance group, based in Cwmbran, was one of the successful applicants.
Hip Hop 12 was set up by award-winning DJ Miaer Lloyd and professional break dancer Tommy Boost to give children and young people the chance to learn about the dance culture and develop new skills.
Miaer, from Cwmbran, who became the first Welsh winner of the Technics DMC UK DJ Championship in 2023, said: "Hip Hop is more than just a dance style - it's a culture that incorporates different disciplines including DJing, breakdancing and graffiti.
"It can be physically demanding and requires focus and concentration. It also helps to teach children and young people how to compete against each other in a healthy and respectful way that inspires them to improve."
The group has been given £18,000 to run free group sessions, aimed at 6-12year-olds, in Cwmbran between November and March. For more information, visit the Connect Torfaen website.
The grant will also enable them to develop local partnerships and attract future funding to ensure the sustainability of the group.
The grants are part of the council's approach to improve community resilience and reduce health inequalities by investing and working closely with volunteer and third-sector organisations and partners.
The successful grant recipients included a range of groups and organisations everything from dance, to green spaces, bereavement support and mental health projects.
Cllr Fiona Cross, Executive Member for Communities, said: "Our community well-being approach aims to align council services with existing community support, proactively identify and prevent issues before they escalate, and empower communities by better connecting local organisations and providing residents with easier access to support.
"It is a core part of council's broader well-being objectives, which emphasise prevention, community involvement, and improving services to meet resident needs."
The Community Progression Fund was delivered with £480,000 of funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.