A community group has set up a food growing project in Machynlleth thanks to a grant of almost £100,000.

Mach Maethlon in Machynlleth is helping the local community during this challenging time thanks to the grant from the National Lottery by launching a new community food growing project ‘Local Food for All’.

Over the next two and a half years, they will spend £99,952 running cooking and growing workshops, volunteer sessions at their community growing sites in Machynlleth, providing seed packs for local children as well as expanding Planna Fwyd’s solidarity veg box scheme for families that can’t afford fresh, local vegetables. They will also be connecting farmers with local volunteers to work on the land through a ‘Land Army’.

Alison Murfitt, project co-ordinator at Edible Mach, part of Mach Maethlon, said: “Over the last year, the importance of a strong and resilient local food network has become even clearer, as has the benefits to people’s wellbeing in coming together to grow and cook their own food.

“This funding will allow many more in our community to access training to grow and cook healthy food, increase our local food resilience and equity and help build more connections in our community – with food as its heart.”

Mach Maethlon plans to run a number of community events and volunteer sessions in the coming months.

The money was made available from a funding pot set up to support Welsh communities coming out of lockdown that have had to adapt or diversify or have been adversely affected by Covid-19 and to help local organisations become more resilient.