In between her busy training schedule, we were delighted to power up our new partnership with Olympic Gold Medallist Lauren Price with a little trip down memory lane in her hometown of Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly.
In a new behind the scenes series, we’re sharing exclusive content from our time spent with Lauren Price MBE. You’ll get to see us visiting her old school Heol Ddu Comprehensive School, visiting Senghenydd Youth Drop-in Centre, getting the chance to sit with her grandparents at Bargoed Care Home, and last but not least step foot in the place where stardom began for her, Gelligaer Boxing Gym.
You get to appreciate her deep-rooted values, hear about the incredible people who shaped her, and see what matters most to a community like hers.
“I was proud to take the team at Bute Energy back home with me to show them where I grew up and the people who have influenced me personally and professionally. These days, I return home to cars tooting and kids wanting selfies with me; what they may not know is that if it wasn’t for them – this community – I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
The Unified Welterweight World Champion spoke warmly about her local roots, and why she feels the deep connection to the surrounding area of one of our energy parks called Twyn Hywel.
Born in Bargoed, Lauren said:
“It’s always amazing coming home and seeing where my journey began, and to be able to do so knowing that a brand new Community Benefit Fund will make the greatest impact around here for its future, is just incredible.”
The new Community Benefit Fund is part of our £3bn investment into the development of new energy parks across Wales. The aim is to keep as much of that money in Wales as possible, and the first communities to benefit will be the area where Lauren still spends a lot of her time. Soon, local groups will be able to apply for grant funding to support activities and projects that mean so much to them.
We respect that every community is different and we strive to understand what challenges they face so that the Community Benefit Fund can start to support people as soon as possible. And between Lauren and the insights from the wider community already, we can’t wait to see the initiatives and projects brought to life through our new Community Benefit Fund.
Lauren proudly told us how important close-knit communities like hers are here in Wales, and that many just need that little bit of extra support to be able to provide the opportunities that people like she only dreamt of all those years ago. As we develop green energy for Wales, we want to provide real long-lasting benefits for those living, working, and socialising nearby, hence wanting to keep as much of our £3bn investment here in Wales.
“Like everything we do at Bute, our partnership with Lauren is one that has sentiment and authenticity. We have asked Lauren a lot about her community life, and how she got to the place she is today, and one thing that shines through is her admiration and thanks she owes to her friends, family, and the wider community who continue to this day to propel her to reach her goals.”
– Catryn Newton, Director of Community Investment and Communications, Bute Energy.
Lauren added: “I’ve already learned loads about how Bute is championing the fight against climate change by creating green energy from our Welsh windy weather – but more importantly, the team of passionate people want to support communities by offering grant funding, jobs, and skills. Communities like where I was brought up will see doors they fiercely want to see opening become a reality.”
The next step for us at Bute is to launch a dedicated recruitment drive to appoint a national board of trustees to run the charity responsible for awarding the community grants. Keep up to date by following us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn – or get more information on our Community page.
The Twyn Hywel Energy Park, located near Lauren’s hometown, received approval from the Welsh Government in late 2024 and is projected to be operational by 2027.
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