St Donat's Church, Abercynon

The parish church at Abercynon, under the leadership of their vicar, the Reverend Peter Lewis, were eager to pioneer new expressions of worship and belonging, and to grow the church. They noted that their vision was to create a hub that linked to other organisations and initiatives, to lift people out of poverty, to bring community cohesion, and to bring hope to the people of Abercynon. 

To create this hub, the church needed a professional standard kitchen and a café area for activities, along with an improved sound and visual system in the church. The project has proved a very successful one with between 30 and 50 children attending the monthly Messy Church, between 15 and 25 teenagers attending the weekly Youth Club. There are also new groups starting up to try and combat the cost-of-living crisis, offering free hot meals and budgeting courses. 

“Without the support for funding, these new initiatives would not have been possible, and the church would not have progressed in our life and mission. Diolch am eich cefnogaeth,”