The Welsh Government has announced a new "Community Plan" for Caerau and Ely following the riots in May. The plan includes an offer of £100,000 to Cardiff Council and work with a group of residents.
Following the deaths of Harvey Evans and Kyrees Sullivan, social justice minister Jane Hutt met with Mark Drakeford and members of the Caerau and Ely communities and promised "work will be done" to improve outcomes for people in the area. Talking to the Guardian at the time, the First Minister said the riots had followed 13 years of "systematic erosion of the things that sustain community life."
Now, just days after the community banded together to pay tribute at the boys' funeral (which you can read more about here), the Welsh Government has outlined its plans. A new steering group will be established, facilitated by local group Action in Caerau and Ely and drawing its membership from local organisations and residents.
READ MORE: Shop found selling meat almost two weeks past its use-by date
A full-time coordinator has been appointed for this work and will be funded jointly by the Welsh Government, Cardiff Council and the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner. On June 23, the Welsh Government also offered Cardiff Council a grant of up to £100,000 in one-off funding for activities for children and young people aged 0-25 in the area.
ACE is now looking for five volunteers for a panel that will work with the local authority and the steering group to assess applications for grant funding. The council wants to issue grant awards by July 14, meaning activities can take place across the summer and OCtober half term.
The activities will be free or significantly subsidised and completely existing schemes like the School Holiday Enrichment Programme, Food and Fun and the Playworks holiday project. A new "community reference group" comprised of Jane Hutt, council leader Huw Thomas and local police, schools, healthcare, faith groups, the voluntary sector and the Children's Commissioner has held its first meeting and will meet again in the summer.
Ms Hutt added: "In developing this targeted and robust response to the tragic events in Ely, I am mindful of the needs of other communities. The work we do in Ely and Caerau will help inform wider programmes to engage with and support communities across Wales.
