A full-size playing pitch and training area for junior rugby players and schoolchildren in Crymych has been awarded £67,146 from an environmental tax fund, the Minister for Natural Resources, Carl Sargeant, announced last week.

Crymych Rugby Football Club will use the funds to carry out phase two of a project to create better facilities for junior players, installing a drainage system and constructing a new playing and training area.

The first phase of this project, the purchase of the land, was funded by the club. The second phase aims to create a full-size playing surface and training ground, mostly for young players living in the town and involved in the club and from the two local primary and secondary schools, which serve a broad area.

The total cost of phase two, £102,346, will be match-funded by Crymych RFC, the Welsh Rugby Union and SportWales.

The scheme will also bring economic benefits to the area as local contractors will be used to carry out the work and the project also offers tourism opportunities.

Minister Carl Sargeant said: "Crymych RFC, like many other small rugby clubs across Wales, makes a significant contribution to its community. This project will provide improved grassroots facilities for the club, local community and will particularly help junior players and local schoolchildren.

"I am delighted the community will be able to benefit from the fund which puts important capital spending back into areas affected by the industrial process of quarrying.

"As a pro-business government we are working closely with companies to create growth and jobs in every part of Wales and I'm delighted that local contractors will benefit from the work."

The funding, distributed by the Welsh Government in Wales, is awarded from the UK Aggregates Levy, an environmental tax on the commercial exploitation of aggregates - such as hard rock, sand and gravel - to support capital projects in communities significantly affected by the industrial process of quarrying.

Crymych is one of six communities across Wales to benefit from a share of £433,638 from this latest round of funding, bringing the overall funding so far in 2015-16 to £527,542.