Jewson has opened nominations for its UK-wide 2016 Building Better Communities competition and is asking local people in Wales to put forward community buildings that are in need of some TLC.

From a much needed coat of paint for a village hall, to a brand new home for a local sports club, community spaces most in need could win a share of a new, mammoth £250,000 prize pot.

This year, applicants can choose to put forward their project for either a top £150,000 prize or a smaller share of a regional prize £100,000 fund where they can ask for anything from £500 to £10,000 to spend on building materials.

Entrants have until 29th April 2016 to nominate their project. Nominations can be made via www.buildingbettercommunities.co.uk or the Jewson Facebook page at http://facebook.com/jewsonuk

A new addition for 2016 is the top £150,000 prize, which will see one project receive a transformation using the Saint-Gobain ‘My Comfort’ building principles.

Recognising that we spend around 90% of our time inside, the My Comfort approach focuses on creating buildings that are comfortable and healthy, good for the people who use them and good for the environment. My Comfort creates buildings that are warm, quiet, well-lit and have good air quality, but don’t cost the earth to run.

David Fenton, Marketing Director at Jewson, said: “We want to make a difference to the communities we work in and help transform projects that are close to their hearts. That’s why we’ve upped the prize fund to a quarter of a million pounds this year, so that we can turn the buildings we love into warm, inviting and efficient spaces for the whole community to enjoy. If you know of a project which can help to make an impact where you live, get on Facebook and spread the word!”

In 2015, Jewson received over 2,000 entries into the competition and as a result, it helped to change the future of 14 community projects across Great Britain.

Just one of these projects is the RNLI Penlee Lifeboat Station in Penzance, which was awarded the £50,000 top prize.

Elaine Trethowan, Volunteer Press Officer at RNLI Penlee Lifeboat Station, said: “I’d highly recommend getting involved in the competition – having the support from Jewson was really important to making the dream of a new lifeboat station a reality.”

A number of suppliers have committed to supporting Building Better Communities 2016, including British Gypsum, Marshalls, VELUX, Polypipe and Tarmac.

For more information, visit www.buildingbettercommunities.co.uk