Minister visits ‘switched on’ community café in Ammanford / Gweinidog yn ymweld â chaffi cymunedol blaengar yn Rhydaman

Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty Jeff Cuthbert will today (23rd January) visit an Ammanford community café that is benefitting from Welsh Government support.

The Minister will visit iSmooth, which has received just under £4,000 from the Welsh Government’s Communities 2.0 scheme, which supports individuals, communities and small enterprises make the most of the internet. The award was used to buy computer equipment for customers to use.

The Minister said:

“It is vital that everyone can embrace the latest technologies. iSmooth is an excellent example of how a social enterprise can use the internet to provide a valuable service to the wider community.

“The project has created opportunities for members of the community to develop new skills to help them find sustainable employment. This is the best way out of poverty and hardship.

“I am pleased that Communities 2.0 continues to support projects like this that can have such a positive impact in communities like Ammanford.”

iSmooth, is run by volunteers and people with learning difficulties, as a social enterprise. It offers work experience and training in customer service, stock control, health and safety, hygiene and cooking skills.

The café offers work placement opportunities for various agencies such as Probation Services, Job Growth Wales, Carmarthenshire County Council Social Care and Mencap.

Erika Walker is a Director of iSmooth Community Café. She said:

“The support from Communities 2.0 has allowed us to widen our offer to the community in Ammanford, encouraged more customers in to use our facilities and meant we can offer training and support to more recipients. The café is very busy and is much appreciated in the community.”

The success of the community café has led to its managerial team investigating the potential to develop iSmooth as a social enterprise franchise across Wales. They have recently appointed a business development manager to develop this approach.

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Gweinidog yn ymweld â chaffi cymunedol blaengar yn Rhydaman Heddiw (23 Ionawr) bydd y Gweinidog Cymunedau a Threchu Tlodi, Jeff Cuthbert, yn ymweld â chaffi cymunedol blaengar yn Rhydaman sy’n elwa ar gymorth gan Lywodraeth Cymru.

Bydd y Gweinidog yn ymweld â chaffi iSmooth, sydd wedi derbyn bron i £4,000 gan gynllun Cymunedau 2.0 Llywodraeth Cymru. Diben y cynllun hwn yw cynorthwyo unigolion, cymunedau a mentrau bach i elwa i’r eithaf ar y rhyngrwyd.

Defnyddiodd y caffi’r arian i brynu cyfarpar cyfrifiadurol y gall cwsmeriaid eu defnyddio.

Dywedodd y Gweinidog:

“Mae’n hollbwysig fod pawb yn gallu defnyddio’r technolegau diweddaraf. Mae iSmooth yn enghraifft wych o’r modd y gall menter gymdeithasol ddefnyddio’r rhyngrwyd er mwyn cynnig gwasanaeth gwerthfawr i’r gymuned ehangach.

“Mae’r prosiect wedi creu cyfleoedd ar gyfer aelodau’r gymuned i ddatblygu sgiliau newydd a fydd yn eu cynorthwyo i ganfod gwaith. Hyfforddiant fel hyn yw’r ffordd orau o gynorthwyo pobl i adael tlodi a chaledi.

“Rwy’n falch iawn fod Cymunedau 2.0 yn parhau i gefnogi prosiectau fel hyn a all gael effaith mor gadarnhaol ar gymunedau fel Rhydaman.”

Menter gymdeithasol yw iSmooth a gaiff ei rhedeg gan wirfoddolwyr a phobl ag anawsterau dysgu. Mae’n cynnig profiad gwaith a hyfforddiant mewn gwasanaethau i gwsmeriaid, rheoli stoc, iechyd a diogelwch, hylendid a sgiliau coginio.

Cynigia’r caffi leoliadau gwaith ar gyfer gwahanol asiantaethau gan gynnwys Gwasanaethau Prawf, Twf Swyddi Cymru, Adran Gofal Cymdeithasol Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin a Mencap.

Dywedodd Erika Walker, Cyfarwyddwr Caffi Cymunedol iSmooth:

“Mae’r cymorth gan Cymunedau 2.0 wedi ein galluogi i gynnig mwy i gymuned Rhydaman. Gallwn annog mwy o gwsmeriaid i ddefnyddio ein cyfleusterau a hefyd gynnig hyfforddiant a chymorth ar gyfer mwy o bobl. Mae’r caffi’n brysur iawn ac yn cael ei werthfawrogi’n fawr.”

Mae llwyddiant y caffi cymunedol wedi ysgogi’r tîm rheoli i ystyried posibilrwydd sefydlu masnachfraint o fentrau cymdeithasol ar draws Cymru. Maent wedi penodi rheolwr datblygu busnes yn ddiweddar er mwyn datblygu’r gwaith hwn.

I gael rhagor o wybodaeth ffoniwch swyddfa’r wasg Llywodraeth Cymru ar 02920 898169.