Children with dyspraxia are set to reap the rewards of a brand new club which is being given a helping hand by the National Lottery.

Dyspraxia is a condition which affects coordination, balance and movement skills as well as language, perception and thought. The club is aimed at providing youngsters in Llangeinor with support needed to help overcome these problems and to help develop muscle strength.

Based in the Llangeinor area of the Garw Valley, the club has secured a Sports Council for Wales grant of nearly £900 to purchase equipment and to train volunteers.

Since the inception of the Sports Council for Wales’ Community Chest scheme in 1999, communities across the length and breadth of Wales have been investing heavily in sports and physical activity projects.

As a result of the popularity and undoubted success of the scheme, the Sports Council for Wales is raising the level of grant. Organisations keen to develop sport & physical activity in Wales can now receive up to £1000 for a qualifying project over a 12 month period.

The scope of the scheme has also been widened. Grants have traditionally been awarded to sports clubs and sporting bodies. Now most organisations seeking to develop physical activity and sporting projects will be eligible for an award.

The Community Chest has recently been infiltrating additional areas of work such as the voluntary sector (e.g. Voluntary Youth Clubs, Women’s Institute) and the workplace, as well as continuing to support projects in the health and education arenas. So while funding the local football club might get the younger members of the community moving, backing a walking group will encourage more adults to get active.

Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said:

"Community Chest has been and continues to be a huge success and is very popular throughout Bridgend. The increase in funding and the greater scope of the scheme will increase its effectiveness.

"Panels based in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales hold the purse strings and have delegated authority to award grants to worthwhile projects. We want to hear of bright ideas and projects that will get more people in Bridgend more active, more often."

To remove the obstacles and to get your project going, call your Sports Council for Wales regional office:

South East Wales: 0845 045 0902

South West Wales: 0845 045 0906

North Wales: 0845 045 0908

Or visit www.sports-council-wales.org.uk