Falklands War hero Simon Weston will officially launch the campaign to raise £1million to transform the former Caerphilly District Miners’ hospital into a community centre.
Mr Weston, who was born at the hospital, and hails from Nelson, will join volunteers on Saturday June 29 in Caerphilly town centre to help raise awareness of the project.
The Caerphilly Miners Centre charity needs to raise £1m to turn the original hospital’s listed building, called the Beeches, into a new community centre.
The Beeches 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.
To reflect this, the campaign will ask people to donate the monetary equivalent of £8.
Katherine Hughes, secretary of the Caerphilly Miners Centre, said: “The campaign does not ask for £8 a week but a donation of £8 to replicate the donations of our fathers and grandfathers, or whatever people can give.
“It is so important that the community pull together to build on this essential funding so that this historic building can be part of our community for generations to come.”
The 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.
A donation of £50,000 was also made by the former hospital’s League of Friends, which has now been dissolved.
If you are interested in supporting the cause please contact Katherine Hughes on 029 2088 6569 or you can donate at www.justgiving.com/caerphillyminers/
Forgive me, but my family were among those who paid for the Miners to be built. The powers that be, NHS, Labour Party or A N Other, sold the site for housing, making a profit. We have lost our A and E hospital, and have nothing and now we are asked to fund raise by Katherine Hughes, secretary of the Caerphilly Miners Centre,who is not local,and she said: “The campaign does not ask for £8 a week but a donation of £8 to replicate the donations of our fathers and grandfathers, or whatever people can give." Sorry Katherine your fathers and grandfathers didnt pay in the first place so dont ask the families of those who did to pay again or a community centre that will serve a limited area of Caerphilly. We was robbed.