EditorLocal football team powered by the sun in Swansea
Pontarddulais Town FC has installed a package of sustainable energy saving equipment, including 30 solar panels on its changing rooms, along with battery storage to harvest the energy produced by the panels.
The energy saving kit has been purchased by the club, following a successful bid for funding (£23,130) through the Rural Anchor Fund via the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) – a scheme which has helped launch 17 renewable energy projects across rural communities in Swansea.
Grant Poiner, volunteer football coach at Pontarddulais Town FC said:
“By generating and storing renewable energy on-site, the club will significantly reduce its reliance on the grid, cut carbon emissions, and lower energy bills.
“These savings will be reinvested into our grassroots football and community programmes, ensuring that the club remains accessible and affordable for everyone.
“We are really grateful for the support of the fund to enable us to lower our carbon emissions and help us become more sustainable as a club.”
Swansea council has been working with a variety of community groups and have assisted in administering the grant funding.
Another community group to benefit is South Gower rugby club which received £21,000 for new LED floodlights for their pitch.
Between 2023 and 2025, Swansea Council has helped share a total of £716,934 across 54 rural projects throughout Swansea.
Seventeen of those projects were geared towards renewable energy schemes. The remaining projects were linked to a wide range of schemes around the themes of volunteering, local markets, visitor trails, biodiversity and feasibility studies.
Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said:
“There has been a wide range of projects all across Swansea’s rural communities that have secured funding during the last two years and have put the money to good use.
“Everyone is benefitting, whether it’s young people playing sports or families wanting to go for guided walks through some of wonderful countryside.
“The funding we have received is going to make a difference not just for the communities involved, but also for those who visit them.”
You can find more information about the Rural Anchor Funding programme here: Rural Anchor Funding (SPF) – Swansea
[Lead image: Swansea Council]
