The restoration of Ammanford’s most iconic building has moved another step closer after a positive start to 2014.

The All Saints Project set up to oversee the repair and regeneration of All Saints Church has begun the year with a massive financial boost thanks to a £49,500 grant from CWM Environmental Ltd’s Community and Environmental Fund.

The cash injection has proved another major fillip for the project as it seeks to raise around £500,000 to carry out an ambitious modernisation programme at the 99-year-old church, which was forced to close its doors two years ago on safety grounds.

Peter Pemberton, Grants Officer for the All Saints Project said: “We are obviously delighted to receive such a generous grant award.

“It is encouraging that local funding sources have confidence in our project and are willing to invest such a large sum of money.

“This will certainly move our project forward in 2014.”

The All Saints Project is aiming to develop the church, which first opened its doors to parishioners in 1915, into a modern community hub with meeting and conference facilities as well as Ammanford’s only 500-seat performance venue.

John Rees, Managing Director of CWM Environmental Ltd said: “CWM is delighted to become a major funder of the All Saints Project’s regeneration works.

“We look forward to seeing the project completed as soon as possible so that people living in and around Ammanford are able to enjoy the much-needed new community facilities.”

The All Saints Project continues to seek funding for the scheme with further grant applications due to be submitted in March and April.

“Hopefully these too will be successful,” said Mr Pemberton.

“The project team would like to thank the community of Ammanford for their continued support. Generous donations and attendance at fundraising events shows that this is still a high-profile project in the community.”

The CWM Community and Environmental Fund, which is funded by the contributions from the Landfill Tax, was established in 2007 to provide grants of between £5,000 and £50,000 to projects in Carmarthenshire which improve the lives of communities living near landfill sites by providing new and better amenities.