A Welsh rural community company is to receive £182,000 funding to boost use of its woodlands.

The company, Pobl y Fforest, will use the money from Cydcoed – Woods for All in a series of projects aimed at bringing jobs and money into the area, which is surrounded by the 6,198ha Brechfa Forest.

Pobl y Fforest chairman Caroline Evans said: “The initial project will focus the whole community on its own forest environment and build the groundswell to work towards our timber marketing enterprise and a community managed woodlands.”

&#8220The initial project will focus the whole community on its own forest environment and build the groundswell to work towards our timber marketing enterprise and community managed woodlands.”

Pobl y Fforest chairman Caroline Evans.

Projects include converting a former sawmill into a forest activity centre to provide woodland education; creating paths through the forest; and a forest school taking adults and children into the outdoor environment.