THE ongoing project to restorate the historic Cefn Fforest Miners Welfare Hall has received a funding boost from a housebuilder.

Persimmon Homes East Wales has made a £1,000 grant to help bring the Twynyffald Road hall back to use.

Just last week the Argus spent the day at the hall as part of our Newsroom in the Community initiative.

The building, one of the few remaining miners institutes remaining in the region, was built between the two World Wars, but fell into disuse as the coal industry shut down.

But now the Cefn Fforest Miners Welfare Hall charity is hoping to raise enough money to rewire the hall, replace the boarded-up windows, and redesign the toilets.

Terence Evans, one of the fundraisers, said: “We’re thrilled to receive this donation from Persimmon Homes.

“We want to create a space to provide facilities for our local community.

"It will be a real asset.

“There are only 48 out of 200 buildings left in the whole of Wales and we want to ensure that ours is one of them.

“We have held Christmas raffles and shopping trips and sold polo shirts with our logo on them. 

“This donation takes us another step closer to our goal.”

South Wales Argus:

The Cefn Fforest Miners Welfare Hall

The group of volunteers was presented with a cheque by Permission to earlier this week, alongside Islwyn MP Chris Evans.

The donation comes through the housebuilder’s Community Champions scheme, through which the company donates up to £64,000 to good causes in the UK - including up to £4,000 in Wales - every month.

Mr Evans said: "I was delighted to hear the Cefn Fforest Miners Welfare Hall are the winners of the Permission Community Champions Initiative and will receive a donation. This funding is vital in ensuring their amazing work can continue.

“The Friends of the Cefn Fforest Miners institute's work to restore the Miners Welfare Hall is so impressive. 

“The hall has an important history in our community, and I am thrilled that it is being restored to its former glory."

The charity has also applied for lotto funding for the main hall, once the income is generated the funds will be put towards a café and offices upstairs that can be rented out.

Victoria Williams, sales director at Persimmon Homes East Wales, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support Cefn Fforest Miners Welfare Hall with this funding.

“Mining is such a huge part of Welsh history, and these welfare halls were, in many cases, the hub of the community.

“We hope this is the start of a productive relationship with the group and it would be fantastic to see this facility brought back into use for the benefit of many local people in the area.”

South Wales Argus:

Inside the Cefn Fforest Miners Welfare Hall

Previously, The Coal Field Regeneration Trust gave £6,000 to the Miners Institute, while Caerphilly Borough Council has a community fund.

Permission Homes is currently building new homes across South Wales, including the £29 million project at Carn y Cefn in Ebbw Vale.

Work on the development began last summer and will feature a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes are being built, with prices starting at £184,995.