A ‘youth club for the over-50s’ in Nefyn has received a New Year boost after securing a £4,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund.

Under the latest round of the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All small-grants programme 69 community projects across Wales received a share of £291,171.20.

One of those projects was the Nefyn Age Well Centre who will use the grant to expand the range of activities available to users of the centre, aimed at improving their health and well-being.

This grant will fund a yoga instructor, tutor costs, craft materials and IT equipment.

Mici Plwm, Nefyn Age Well Centre co-ordinator, said: “This generous grant will enable us to move forward to offer additional activities and thus be more of an attraction for residents over 50 in Nefyn and surrounding villages.

“It’s good to say that everyone has got closer to the Ganolfan and all refer to it as ‘The Youth Club for the Over 50s’.

“Linda and Mike O’Donnell are the voluntary coordinators at the Ganolfan and are doing an excellent job there – and everyone thinks the world of them.”

Following the success of the centre in Nefyn the group established others in Criccieth, Porthmadog, Llanrug, Penrhyndeudraeth, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Bala, Dolgellau, Tywyn and Brynsiencyn with other locations in the pipeline.

Mr Plwm said the volunteers at the centres work hard to ensure that the activities provided help towards eradicating loneliness and isolation.

He said: “Being socially isolated has many detrimental effects on older people, including loneliness, a lack of the stimulation that social contact brings, and an inability to contribute to society or fulfil their own potential.

“Some older people go for days or weeks without meeting or speaking to another human being.

“There is increasing evidence that this can have severe implications for physical and mental health, therefore we in Age Cymru Gwynedd a Mon believe that it is vital to provide and protect opportunities for older people to interact with others and have access to social activities, volunteering and learning opportunities.

“Our Age Well Centres and lunch clubs located across both Gwynedd a Môn without doubt benefit communities as well as increasing personal self esteem and wellbeing.

“Evidence suggests if social activities are facilitated, uptake will be high among older people.

“For example, when Age Cymru Gwynedd a Mon established their first Age Well Centre in Nefyn in 2011 the results were very impressive.

“In the first two years, the centre offered 22 different activities and over that period, more than 400 older people attended the centre and 6,703 individual attendances were recorded. Today, the Nefyn Age Well Centre is run by volunteers and a management group.”

For further information about the activities offered at the centre contact Mici Plwm on 01286 677711 or [email protected].