Main Grants Programme Case Study
Focal point village hall secures £100,000 CRT grant
New Trelawnyd Memorial Hall - £100,000
A community hall in a North Wales village badly hit by the loss of the mining industry in will reopen this autumn after a £500,000 refurbishment part-financed by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Wales.
The 100-year-old New Trelawnyd Memorial Hall in Flintshire, home to the Côr Meibion Trelawnyd (Trelawnyd Male Voice Choir) – which regularly appears in BBC Wales concerts - was in danger of demolition before undergoing a complete facelift.
Fundraising efforts by the hall management committee included securing a grant of £99,998 from CRT which is paying for the final phase of the refurbishment - a disabled-adapted toilet, doors, new flooring, fittings, decorations and rewiring.
The long-time focus of the community, the hall is used by 23 groups and activities providers, with a further 14 expected to come on board after the re-opening, bringing the total number of annual users up to more than 2,700.
Delyn AM Sandy Mewies, who has supported the project since it began, is performing the opening ceremony on September 18. “The final grant from CRT is the culmination of years of hard work, which has seen volunteers put in hundreds of hours to make a success of this initiative,” she said.
The Memorial Hall was donated to the community in 1909 and originally managed by the local community council.
It gradually fell into disrepair and following a public meeting, the New Trelawnyd Memorial Hall Management Committee was set up in 2002 and registered as a charity to establish a community centre and maintain and manage it.
“This final phase is the most visible part of the overall scheme to the public and will complete the refurbishment to a high standard, encouraging additional groups and activities to use the hall,” said Management Committee Secretary Dave Smith.
“I am very grateful to CRT - its grant has enabled us to complete the repair, refurbishment, and upgrade of the hall to allow its continuing use as a superb facility by all the people of the community as the centerpiece of local life into the future.”
Trelawnyd has a population of around 1,400 people, with many of its residents having formerly worked at Point of Ayr Colliery, which was situated on the nearby coast at Talacre until its closure in 1997. The mine was a major local employer, and many of Trelawnyd’s retired population - including Chair of the Memorial Hall management committee Dai Ellis and other committee members - are ex-colliers.
Dai Ellis said: “The grant will complete the refurbishment of the building in such a way that it will allow continued use of the Memorial Hall as a social, educational and cultural central point of the community of Trelawnyd and expand the range of facilities and capabilities that the building provides.
“It will also give equal opportunity to the disabled, elderly and young people from the village to services, education and leisure. I’d like to thank CRT for supporting the committee and giving us the opportunity to complete the refurbishment of the building.”
The New Trelawnyd Hall Committee was awarded a grant through the main grant programme.
Residents’ ‘lifeline’ strengthened by CRT grant
Homemakers Community Recycling - £17,900
Welsh residents on low incomes are being thrown ‘a lifeline’ by a recycling charity selling reclaimed furniture – with help from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Wales.
As well as making living comfortably more affordable for Blaenau Gwent people, Homemakers Community Recycling is also helping them obtain the skills to find jobs – while at the same time improving the environment by reducing landfill.
CRT in Wales has awarded a grant of £17,900 to Homemakers to pay for a Luton Box van to help with bulk collections and house clearances. The van will be based in Blaenau Gwent and make deliveries to and from Replay, in Ebbw Vale. At present, clients from Blaenau Gwent have to travel to salesrooms in Abergavenny. Basing a van and store in Blaenau Gwent will reduce travelling costs and time for these residents – also making less of an impact on the environment.
In an average year, Homemakers will make around 2,500 collections and divert around 40 tonnes of household goods from landfill.
“Our aim is to help people in need by offering affordable items such as sofas, wardrobes and beds, plus many other second hand furniture items,” said Deputy Manager of Homemakers Rob Davies.
“Unemployment in the area is quite high. Not everyone can afford to go out and buy new stuff, so there is a desperate need for second hand reusable furniture – it’s a lifeline for some people. But the service is also open to all and not just those on low incomes.”
Collections can range from single items to complete house clearances. “We also work with schools and other local organisations to educate people on the benefits of recycling and to raise awareness of sustainable waste management issues.”
For more information on the work of Homemakers please see their website: www.hmcrecycling.co.uk.
Homemakers was awarded a grant under the Main Grant programme in Wales.
Heol y Cyw
A former Miners Welfare Hall in Heol y Cyw was reopened after the completion of essential maintenance work funded by The Trust. The hall had been closed for 6 months after the old heating and electrical systems were condemned. The award from The Trust funded a new heating system and a full electrical rewiring.
The hall is now used by the local school, OAP groups, even a dog training class! Local AM’s and MP’s use the hall for their surgeries and the refurbished hall can now be used for private engagements such as birthdays, social functions and wedding parties. Adult education courses are also planned in conjunction with the local college.