Business owners have said that Barry Town Council's Covid-19 Recovery Fund has been a "life saver" throughout lockdown.

The £150,000 grant, directed at local independent businesses and community groups, was launched in August.

Councillors repurposed some of their existing budget and used money from reserves to launch the fund. Applications were welcome up to a value of £1,500.

Gemma Stauber, 40, owner of Crafted Arts, used the fund to buy a silver engraving machine to personalise sterling silver jewellery.

"During the first lockdown, we closed because of government guidelines and when we re-opened things were very slow for our online business," said Ms Stauber.

"We had started saving for a silver engraving machine but this was very difficult because of the effects of Covid on our business."

Ms Stauber applied for the fund after seeing it advertised on social media.

"The response from our customers has been amazing and business has really picked up since we have introduced the option to personalise jewellery and also make sentimental pieces such as finger prints, hand prints, and hand writing on jewellery."

Crafted Arts has since been offered a space at the new Goodsheds development on Hood Road and is hoping to re-open at the end of November.

For childminder Ella Conway, 51, the recovery fund has been a "life saver" for her business during the pandemic.

Ms Conway said her fees were reduced every month at the start of lockdown as, with many parents working from home, there was little demand for childcare.

"Especially being self-employed, there was absolutely no help," Ms Conway, a childminder for 20 years, said of the first few weeks of lockdown.

"The government grants were in arrears, not in advance, so it was getting to a point where I was thinking I would have to do something else."

As people were allowed to return to work, enquiries for childcare increased, especially for babies, Ms Conway continued.

"A lot of my equipment needed replacing – it wasn't fit for purpose. But I wasn't in a position to replace anything," she said.

A friend recommended the Barry Town Council Recovery Fund and she decided to apply.

"Childminders don't usually get much of a look-in, so I thought it was worth applying and I was thrilled when I got it.

"I was able to replace car seats, travel cots, high chairs and pushchairs. I was able to take more children on board, then, with the equipment that I bought."

Ms Conway says she feels lucky that she can continue her business throughout the fire-break lockdown, as childcare services are able to stay open.

Martyn Todd, 69, Vice Chairman of Barry Male Voice Choir, said the fund has been "vital."

The choir received £1,044 in total which they spent on computer hardware and software so the choir could continue to meet online.

The choir purchased a Bluetooth speaker for outdoor use with the funds. This allowed the choristers to gather, socially-distanced, at Barry headland to mime along to an edited track that they had pre-recorded from their separate homes.

With the new equipment, the choir put together the footage as a video, which was viewed over 13,000 times on Facebook and aired on the Making Music foundation's national virtual concert.

"The video cost just shy of £600, so we have funds to do another one and that's what we intend to do with the money from the council," said Mr Todd.

"This choir has been going 118 years and I'm determined to make sure that we come out of this stronger because we're learning these new skills – distant singing, video expertise, and the rest of it."

The choir has paid their accompanists and music group out of their own funds, but with six wedding performances having been cancelled this year, less revenue has come in.

"This money will be absolutely vital to us over the next four to six months. I am very grateful to Barry Town Council," said Mr Todd.

Applications have been accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed weekly. Barry Town Council says its leaders are currently reviewing whether to run the scheme again.

Contact [email protected] or call 01446 738663 for more information.