A group set up to save the historic Beeches building at Caerphilly Miners’ Hospital and turn it into a community centre has been granted charitable status.
Caerphilly Miners’ Centre for the Community officially became a charity on February 8 2012 after registration with the Charity Commission.
The hospital site is to be turned into housing but the future of The Beeches building, which was built in 1924, has been unclear and efforts are being made to turn it into a community centre.
The Beeches building was paid for by the miners of the Rhymney Valley after they each put aside 6d out of their weekly wage of 12s 6d to raise the £30,000 needed.
Jeff Cuthbert AM for Caerphilly, and chair of the Caerphilly Miners Centre for the Community, said: “I can finally say we did it.
“Conversations that started in 2007 have now resulted in the Caerphilly Miners Centre for the Community project becoming a Company by Guarantee and a Charity.
“It’s amazing that a building which was bought by the community nearly 90 years ago can come back into the service of the community.
“We are the first project of this type in all of Wales and I am honoured to have been able to chair this exciting project during that time.
“I want to thank community activists, members and everyone else who has helped us by donating their time, money and support.
“Most importantly I want to thank Katherine Hughes for all of her hard and tireless work.
“Without her none of this would have happened and I look forward to visiting this project many times over the years to come and being proud of the people who made it possible.”
The new charity has plans to create opportunities for training, learning and volunteering and day respite care at the building.