ACE - Action in Caerau & Ely
is a community developed charity owned and run by the residents of Ely and Caerau in West Cardiff.
What We Do
ACE was set up to develop and deliver a range of different projects and activities to regenerate and improve the communities of Ely and Caerau.
ACE’s key aim to create ‘Vibrant, equal and resilient communities for all, where people find fulfilment in themselves, each other, and the place where they live’.
We manage two community buildings and deliver a range of community based services and activities that meet needs, including:
- Community Support including crisis support, financial capability and practical support
- Community Learning, personal development and employability / in-work progression
- Health & Wellbeing work including social prescribing and community health development
- Work with Children, Young People and Families
- Community-led approaches, including participation, community voice and ownership
- Heritage, Arts and Culture projects
- Social enterprise and local economic development
ACE History
ACE emerged from community development work carried out through the Welsh Government’s Communities First programme. Staff and local people had worked together to create a thriving network of active individuals and community groups. Together they were working hard to improve life in Ely and Caerau and were making significant progress.
The organisation was launched in 2011 to ensure this vital work would continue beyond the end of any government programme. There was a desire to create a credible organisation, run by local people, that could lead regeneration initiatives and speak with authority to decision makers.
In February 2013 ACE took over the management of Communities First in Cardiff West. Since then the board of directors have developed a 5 year strategic plan which details how the organisation intends to make real change and become sustainable before the end of the Communities First programme. ACE has recently employed a part time Development Manager (Dave Horton) to work with the board and membership to ensure this plan becomes a reality.
Our Vision
Our vision is of a happy community, one characterised by co-operation, equality and social justice.
We believe that everyone who lives in our community has something unique to contribute.
Our Values
We base our efforts on the following BELIEFS:
- Local people know their community best
- Everyone has something unique to contribute
- Everyone’s contribution should be valued equally
- Poverty should not be accepted as a fact of life
- Social injustice should be challenged and changed
Our Strategic Plan
Our plan for 2024-27 sets out a clear direction for project focus and activities supporting ACE’s vision to work with communities to achieve lasting and positive change.
Whilst Objectives are deliberately broad, all cascade into relevant projects and activities and support ACE’s key aim to create ‘Vibrant, equal and resilient communities for all, where people find fulfilment in themselves, each other, and the place where they live’.
Our seven objectives focus on sustainability, delivery, investment in volunteering, partnership and capacity, new opportunities, income generation and utilising buildings and space:
1. Create an increasingly sustainable organisation
2. Deliver services that make use of assets and meet needs
3. Invest in, and help support and sustain existing work with volunteer and community groups
4. Building Partnerships and utilising others capacity
5. Continuing to diversify and increase the level of income streams
6 . Building capacity, developing new opportunities for work
7. Building capacity through buildings and space
If you wish to know more about us, what we do, and why we do it, please contact Michelle Powell, ACE Director, Tel: 029 20 003 132.
Our Impact Reports
If you want to quickly know about our work and the impact we have on our communities, please take a look at our Annual Report 2022-23.
To find last year’s AGM Report and other documents, see our Reports & Publications page for more information.
Contact Us
If you would like to get involved, or partner on projects, or help develop ideas for our communities, please contact us.
