SwansAid serves up squash club grant

Meads Squash Club are firing on all cylinders after receiving a £2,000 grant from SwansAid.

The club, based in Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, was selected as one of six community groups to receive a special donation from SwansAid, following applications to the Community Trust fund in November.

SwansAid was set up in August by Swansea City's Community Trust to help fund special projects within the community in a bid to help address the issues, needs and aspirations of communities within West Wales.

After the cheque was handed over to Meads Squash Club on Tuesday, Head Coach Peter Crook declared that it was a massive token of generosity from SwansAid to the entire county of Pembrokeshire.

"The money from SwansAid is massive for us - it's fantastic," said Crook. "It will allow us to buy a squash ball cannon for use in our work with  children.

"The cannon will completely free me up so that I can give 100 per cent attention to coaching the kids.

"The machine will put the ball exactly where we want it to, allowing me to stand by the player when they hit the ball. 

"I can then step in and demonstrate the right technique, which is something I wouldn't be able to do if I was feeding the ball.

"We actually did our own fundraising too, which helped us raise £2,050 - half the amount needed to buy a squash ball cannon. 

"The work we did was phenomenal, but receiving the grant from SwansAid was the difference between getting the cannon and not.

"What a lot of people don't realise is that this machine won't just be used at Meads Squash Club; we will be taking this machine around the various different clubs in Pembrokeshire.

"To be able to have something like this in Pembrokeshire is massive."

Applications for Round Two of SwansAid funding open on Tuesday, January 28. If you believe your community group or charity is eligible for funding, make sure you apply. Full details can be found HERE.