MORE than 100 people attended a small village’s public meeting to try and save their local church hall.

As the Argus has previously reported, Crosskeys Community Association was looking for people to help breathe new life into St Catherine’s Church Hall.

The residents filled the hall to listen to the Association explain the ideas for the hall.

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And it appears there is agreement that the community wants the hall to open as a community hub.

One of the trustees of Crosskeys Community Association, Rita Purnell said: “It was a very successful meeting. We were asked questions about how we were raising the money to buy the hall and we explained how we are in the process of filling out a second application for a lottery grant, applying to the Welsh Assembly and the Coalfield Regeneration Trust.

“Everyone who attended wanted to see the hall open for the community and we even raised some funds at the meeting.”

Although they are applying for grants, they are now accepting donations from the public.

“We only have a short window of time to raise the money before the building is put on the open market by the Church in Wales," said Mrs Purnell. "Rev John Blackburn has spoken to the Archdeacon to see if we can get an extension until March, but we are waiting to hear back with this.”

The hall opened in 1913 after the ground was given to the community of Crosskeys by Lord Tredegar three years earlier. The funds to build the hall were given by Risca Colliery owner Mrs Watts. It began life as a community hall and has seen several purposes since, but it is the initial use that the trust and the community want to see the hall used for again.

Mrs Purnell previously told the Argus: “With the loss of the ambulance hall, institute, Territorial Army barracks hall, college hall and British Legion hall, most of which have been made into social housing, there isn’t a lot for those in the community and who have moved into the social housing to do. They have no community hall.

“We want to provide a space that can be used for a wide range of community events. The school and college have both said they would like to use it. Waunfawr Primary School don’t have a hall and used to use the building for their plays and concerts before it was closed. It was also a polling station, held slimming groups, coffee mornings, dance classes and even puppy training.”

If you would like to donate or find out more information, you can contact Mrs Purnell on 01495 200853 or contact the trust directly through their Facebook page or email crosskeyscommunity@gmail.com