Funding of £74,149 to help keep communities in Ceredigion tidy has been announced by John Griffiths, Minister for Natural Resources.

The funding will support six projects in mid Wales as part of the Tidy Towns initiative. In total, the Welsh Government is providing £2,202,748 to help communities improve their local area and tackle problems such as littering, fly tipping, dog fouling and vandalism.

The funding will help transform unused land into areas such as nature reserves, community gardens, allotments and recreational areas that can be enjoyed by the entire community.

Projects include £5,500 to remove fly-tipping across Ceredigion and install fencing and signage to deter future incidences, and £20,000 for a tree planning project in six towns to increase urban tree cover across the local authority.

A total of £5,000 has been earmarked for community action days involving manned skips, dog fouling patrols and awareness-raising, clearing of pathways, litter picks, graffiti removal, bench repairs and planting.

There will also be £4,149 funding for wheelbarrows, drills, hedge cutters, saws and other tools to boost an existing tool share scheme for local community groups in Ceredigion to develop community gardens and allotments, create new footpaths, plant trees and make bird boxes and insect hotels.

John Griffiths said: “We should all be able to feel proud of where we live but, unfortunately, problems such as fly tipping, dog fouling and littering can affect the way we feel about our local communities.

“I am therefore delighted to approve funding for 75 projects across the country and six in mid Wales that will help tackle such problems head on and improve the local environments and the lives of people living in our cities, towns and villages.”