Stronger Together: Revitalising Ystradgynlais Community Centre

Back in 1978, the old shower block at Ynysgedwyn Colliery was given new life as part of a coalfield regeneration initiative. Penrhos Youth Club became a place where young people in Ystradgynlais could meet, play, and grow together.

Decades later, in 2022, the building was falling into disrepair. With dwindling resources and no formal plan to keep the facility open the risk of permanent closure was very real. For local people, it felt like more than just losing a building; it meant losing a space that had anchored the town for generations.

That’s when the community decided to step in. With support from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust through our CRT Support programme, the centre was transferred to new community ownership under a Community Asset Transfer (CAT). From that moment, the story shifted from one of decline to one of renewal.

Ystradgynlais Community Centre

Thanks to key support from CRT Support and others, Ystradgynlais Community Centre has grown into a thriving hub. It now offers a wide range of activities each week – from jiu-jitsu and youth sessions, to support from organisations such as Community Dreams, Young Carers, Brecknock Detached Youth Workers and the All Wales Ambulance Service. The centre also secured a long-term tenant to provide day services for adults with severe learning difficulties, helping to create both financial stability and wider community benefit.

CRT’s role didn’t stop at the transfer. Through CRT Game On, we worked alongside the centre to secure more than £264,000 in capital funding from the Cymru Football Foundation and Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund. This investment made it possible to build a small-sided 3G pitch – a sustainable facility designed for the scale of the community. CRT also funded energy efficiency improvements at the centre, resulting in lower utility bills.

CRT Game On

Every Tuesday night, 25–30 teenagers now take part in free “Turn Up and Play” football sessions on the new pitch. The facility has created a pathway for local players, with links to schools, rugby clubs, and councils, and groups from Ystradgynlais regularly take part in the CRT Home Internationals tournament. For some, it’s even opened the door to volunteering roles and new opportunities in sport.

This transformation has only been possible through collaboration. Powys County Council, Ystradgynlais Town Council, Ysgol Golwg y Cwm, and others have all played a role in helping the centre to flourish. The partnerships built around the centre demonstrate the difference that can be made when local ambition is matched with the right support.

Carl Williams, who has been at the heart of the project, summed it up:

“This is the start, not the finish. We didn’t go for a giant 3G pitch – we built what worked for our community. With the support of the FAW, CFF, Sport Wales, and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, we created something sustainable, inclusive, and impactful. This is what ‘Stronger Together’ truly means.”

Today, Ystradgynlais Community Centre stands as a symbol of what coalfield regeneration looks like in practice: a once-threatened building now thriving as a space for opportunity and inclusion. What could have been another story of loss has instead become one of resilience and renewal – and it shows what’s possible when a community and its partners work side by side.

If you would like to find out more about our programmes and support, visit here.