A COMMUNITY centre on a deprived Gwent estate is set to benefit from nearly £5,000 to improve facilities.

The Coedcae community project in Nantyglo is one of the groups celebrating after being included in the latest clutch of grants given out by Award for All Wales.

Students, church groups, community organisations and social clubs have been awarded thousands of pounds for a variety of schemes and projects.

The Coedcae project is to get a grant of £4,938, which will enable them to buy tables, chairs and seating as well as a TV and video and lockers.

Centre manager Norman Doel described the grant as excellent and said the furniture would be used in a new family room.

"Hopefully it will encourage more people to come in and use the centre," he said.

"The tables will be used in the main hall and the lockers are for the staff to keep their clothes and valuables."

He has also applied for another grant for a computer with Internet access for the centre. Meanwhile, pupils at Tredegar Comprehensive School will be "going for it" thanks to their payout of £4,500, which will buy student workbooks linked to an American scheme that aims to build self-esteem.

The school delivers a week-long series of activities and video-based workshops, for 13 to 14-year-olds.

Trained facilitators at the school use the workbooks, which cost £25 each, to help deliver the programme.

Sessions on motivation, confidence, developing self-worth and feeling good about yourself are included, as well as workshops on health, drug and alcohol awareness and crime prevention.

PC David Smith, crime reduction officer for Tredegar, is a member of the Tredegar Young Citizens' Forum which received the grant.

He says the Pacific Institute in Seattle was founded by Lou Tice, a renowned speaker on topics such as personal and professional development.

"A link has developed between the Institute and Blaenau Gwent education authority over a number of years, not least through the delivery of self-awareness programmes to local authority employees.

"Following on from this we have adopted the Institute's 'go for it' programme to suit adolescents."

In Monmouthshire, the Rogiet Dance Club is to get £5,000 to provide a holiday for a group of older people and for improved facilities. The money will be spent on travel, accommodation and music equipment.

And St Matthew's Parochial Church Council and community user groups in Newport received £2,742 to improve facilities at a church hall, while Pant-y-Celyn Social Club received £3,202 for IT equipment and training.

* Award for All Wales is a partnership between the Community Fund, the New Opportunities Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Groups wanting application forms should telephone 0845 600 2040.