Penparcau Hub staff and volunteers who fear for its future have called on local authority figures to come and see ‘the depth’ of the work they do.

The hub offers a range of services from meals on wheels, warm spaces with hot food served, support from the Penparcau Action Team who tackle food poverty and loneliness, and by hosting a range of activities and events for people of all ages throughout the year.

But without funding for paid staff roles and the general running costs, there are fears about the hub’s long term future.

The hub was saved from the possibility of closure when it received £500,000 from a National Lottery grant. If they had not received the grant, they would have faced the possibility of having to close.

Penparcau hub manager Sam Hughes-Evans said: “Without that, we would have had to close this coming April.”

But the hub’s funding problems haven’t been completely solved. The £500,000 they were given from the National Lottery covers 75 per cent of the hub’s costs across just over three and a half years, meaning the hub still needs to find the remaining 25 per cent.

Sam added: “Ideally we want the council or the government to recognise the importance of the work we do here, and help fund it themselves.

“I’m responsible for writing the grant application on behalf of the hub, and usually you need to explain the value of the service within four to five hundred words. There’s so much depth to it though, that you need to come here and see the work we do.

Penparcau action team co-ordinator Jenny Jenkins said: “We’re a real one stop shop for all kinds of support. You couldn’t imagine some of the stuff we’ve seen on the action team.

“I don’t think the people who review the funding grants we put in see the depth of the work we put in. It really hurts when we do get turned down for funding, because we know how urgently it is needed.”

Penparcau Hub Chair Kelvin Jones said: “The bottom line is, without funding and volunteers, this place wouldn’t run.”