A charity hoping to transform the original building of the Caerphilly Miners’ Hospital into a community centre is looking for volunteers to help fundraise.
The Caerphilly Miners Centre for the Community group is trying to raise £1 million bring the original Beeches building into community use.
Its ‘8 Campaign’ will be launched later this year asking people to donate £8 to the project.
Katherine Hughes is the volunteer secretary of the community group and was recently recognised for her work with a Civic Award from the Mayor of Caerphilly County Borough Council.
Katherine said: “I have found volunteering great fun and extremely rewarding. When you see that you are managing to achieve what you set out to it gives such a sense of satisfaction.
“As a group we are committed volunteers to restore the Beeches as a community facility but we need support and help. We have a very large fundraising total but it can be achieved – there are many experienced fundraisers in the borough that can help us get there and be part of this iconic buildings history and future.
“Volunteering can take many forms, it benefits all who get involved; if you can only give a small amount of time it will still help. If you are a fundraiser or would like to try and arrange some activities to help raise the £1m to save and restore the Beeches get in touch. We have the materials to help support you in your fundraising activities.”
The Beeches building was paid for by the miners of 29 pits in the Rhymney Valley after they each put aside 6d out of their weekly wage of 12s 6d to raise the £30,000 needed.
The listed building is all that remains of the former hospital site, which is being redeveloped into a housing estate.
In February the charity was boosted by a £300,000 grant from the Welsh Government.
The ‘8 Campaign’ will launch around the Beeches 90th anniversary on June 29.
This is a commendable `project`. It is attempting to preserve what is left of this `Miners` heritage, But, why should such a project cost £1 Million Pounds?
The capital cost of the building is `NOTHING`, it has been donated by another local charity Wales and West Housing Association.
The project has already had in excess of £400,000 in public money donated by Caerphilly council and the Welsh Assembly.
We are told the Project has to raise a further £600.000 in order to create what it set out to aim for. It will thereafter have to generate many many thousands of Pounds each year in order to keep it going.
This is a very big ask considering the other demand on peoples budgets, on restrictive Caerphilly council budgets, and the budgets of the Welsh Assembly, particularly with health and education now feeling seriously squeezes in those departments budgets.
The time will come when this project will have to reduce what appears to me to be extravagant plans, in the short term, if only to complete it in part, and demonstrate to the generous paying public that the project, when completed, is going to be a useful addition to the community facilities already in and around the town.
I hope this is successful. Good luck to them!
why hasn't caerphilly council and the welsh assembly helped the people of oakdale they have lost their hospital and institute which the miners paid for out of their wages? Let's see some compensation for the people of oakdale.
Jan-
I am sure that the current financial success of the Miners Community centre project can be replicated by the community in Risca, they have the same rights of application to the Assembly and the Caerphilly council, and, it appears the money is there for the asking!!!!
Trefor oakdale stute has been given to st fagans and the hospital was sold and is now private housing.