UPDATE: Bedwas Workmen’s Hall wins public vote.
Volunteers who run Bedwas Workmen’s Hall are bidding for £40,000 of Lottery money to restore the building to its former glory.
Built in 1923, the hall’s construction, on Newport Road, Bedwas, was funded by contributions from miners, public funds and donations from charities.
The success of the Lottery money bid will be dependant on a TV appearance and subsequent public vote.
Derek Havard, who is a community councillor in Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen, said: “The building itself is now in need of major refurbishment. It is owned by the community council and run by a voluntary management committee.
“We are seeking funding from whatever sources we can identify so that we can restore and improve the hall to get it back to its former glory.
“It is still very well used, by our schools and the initiative behind this bid comes from Bedwas High, near neighbours who would benefit enormously from the facility, as would the many other organisations. There is no reason to doubt that the demand for its facilities is going to diminish.
“The hall has a potential seating capacity of around 500 and is situated in a central position, convenient for a large part of the population. Its future is sustainable but we need capital expenditure.
“We have put forward a Bid of £40K to the Big Lottery Peoples Millions for the installation of up-to-date facilities in order to create a modern theatre so that our schools and theatre groups can exercise their undoubted talents, and also to attract professional productions.
“Our bid has successfully progressed to the last eight from about one hundred applications and, as is the practice with the People’s Lottery, four will be chosen.”
The bid is to be featured on ITV1 Wales on November 24.
Well may I just take this opportunity to say well done on winning the money but as far as I am concerned it will not be shared with the community , we had the hall for one week and have been told we cannot use it anymore as we were too noisy and we distrubed people downstairs who were playing cards how ridiculous , we were doing a dance class and now have been told that the facility is not available to us . I will not be supporting anymore to do with Bedwas Bites Back as they have bitten back and have let the community down .