WORK is ongoing by a group of dedicated volunteers to restore an old miner’s institute to its former glory.

In May last year, we reported how a public meeting was taking place to gather interest in restoring the old Cefn Fforest Miner’s Institute just outside Blackwood after it had been left in complete ruin.

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The institute in its heyday. Picture supplied by Claire Potter

Fast forward to now and with a lot of interest, work is underway with a dedicated group - who have recently been given charitable status - who are planning to not only restore the institute to its former glory but to turn it into a centre for the whole community.

Friends of Cefn Fforest Miner’s Institute has been set up to restore the building and the volunteers have been ploughing away with all of the odd jobs - and in the process have found a number of treasures, including a bard's chair previously used in the Eisteddfod, which has unfortunately gone missing.

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The only original window to remain in the building

One member, Ian Thomas, said: “We were quoted around £159,000 without VAT on top for a lot of the work to be done, but some of it we can do ourselves. We have saved a couple thousand by clearing the overgrown plants and weeds ourselves, and another couple by taking up the floorboards to find out the cause of the damp.”

Mr Thomas’ father Nat is one of the members who remembers the institute in its glory days. He had a lot of involvement in the institute in his younger days as a representative of the miners' association during his three decades down the mines.

He said: “I hadn’t been upstairs here in about 40 years and when I first came in and saw the state of it, I just wanted to sit there and cry.

“I’m really passionate about the building as a miner myself. It was built by the miners and they paid for it out of their wages too.”

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Reminiscing about the building he explained how there were large double doors, which have been blocked off, a lavish reading room and library and a room with eight billiard tables all downstairs. His reminiscing was backed up by one of the treasures found hidden away in the building – the original plans that were drawn up in 1930 which showed the grand scale of the building – what seems a world away from how it looks now.

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The original plans for the building, drawn in 1930

Walking around the building, you get a feel for the grandeur that was previously the jewel of the town. Some of the original features are still visible, with the original ceiling from the 1930s being found under the plasterboard ceiling that was put up some time during renovation in later years. Some of the original doors are still in the building, which the group hope to relocate back to their original places.

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This was the original entrance to the institute

Sadly, the building has suffered from a lot of water damage and damp due to a non-watertight roof and the inside is in need of multiple repairs and restoration.

On the plans for the building Mr Thomas said that they hope to have a café, wellbeing centre for women and a number of other centres for the community.

The miner’s institute opened in 1931 and was a valued part of the community for several decades. It was renovated in the 1960s. Cefn Fforest RFC had been using the site as their clubhouse, but the venue had fallen into a state of disrepair.

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One of the stones that was laid in 1930

The group have been given £7,5000 from Coalfields Regeneration Committee to help with the work and a number of people have generously donated towards the work.

The group have a long way to go with the restoration but they hope their hard work will pay off and the Cefn Fforest Miner’s Institute will be a vital part of the community once more.

If you would like to help the Friends of Cefn Fforest Miner’s Institute, you can visit the donation page here.