Glyncoch crowdfunds regeneration through Spacehive
Glyncoch, an ex-mining town in South Wales, has crowdfunded its own regeneration through Spacehive.
The town was looking to raise thousands of pounds to provide enough money to build a community centre before its grants expired, so appealed to local families, celebrities and businesses to fill the void.
Deputy Mayor Doug Williams said: “We’re absolutely ecstatic that by summer we’ll see a state-of-the-art centre offering the types of training and education that will kick-start people's ambitions.
“Glyncoch is a deprived area; people are used to being let down. Now people are thinking ‘we can get out of this rut.’”
Tesco contributed the last £12,000 towards the project, while Stephen Fry, Matha Lane-Fox and Griff Rhys Jones urged Twitter followers to contribute.
Chris Gourlay, Spacehive founder, said: “Success in Glyncoch, one of the UK's most deprived towns, really shows the potential power of Spacehive's model in helping communities to transform where they live.
“This isn't about privatising planning. The state mustn't shrink from its responsibilities. It's just an approach that allows communities cut through the inertia and make popular projects happen. We think town planning should be faster, more people-powered, and more fun."