Press Release: 6th March 2016 : Pentredŵr and District Community Association

Subject: Grant Aided Refurbishment Project at half way point

Progress at the Old School, Pentredŵr: Open Day Sat. 23rd April 10.30am – 4.30pm

The community association has been fortunate in receiving very generous funding from WREN, the not for profit business that awards grants to community projects from funds donated by FCC Environment to the Landfill Communities Fund.  With a grant of £58,000 we have undertaken a renovation project to bring the Old School in Pentredŵr up to date for community use whilst not losing the character of the building.  There has been a planned delay in completing the project as the newly replaced concrete sub-floor had to dry out completely before new parquet wood-block flooring was laid so as to avoid the undulations due to damp which the old floor suffered from.  This work has now been completed and the result is a complete transformation of the building. 

The works completed with the aid of the WREN grant and a number of smaller grants can be summarised as follows:

Phase 1. Cadwyn Clywd

  • Shower room, completed in 2014.
  • Outbuilding renovation 2015                      

Phase 2. WREN                                

  • New double glazed windows throughout.
  • Main hall insulated.
  • Entrances altered and firedoors installed.
  • Rewired with new fire alarm.
  • Kitchen units and equipment supplied.
  • External repairs to woodwork and chimneys.
  • New floor laid.

    Waterloo Foundation – Air source heating system.

    Awards for all Wales   - Staging and stage lighting.

    NatureSave Trust and private funding – Solar Panels.

    Postcode Lottery – Wild Garden pond and planting.

    Volunteers – floor removal, internal and external repainting and kitchen refurbishment.

We are of course grateful to the above grant-payers and also to the volunteers involved in the renovation work (more than 500 hours volunteer time to date) and those helping organise and oversee this quite substantial project.  All the grants and support provides the hall with a new lease of life and promises to see it resume its role as the centre of community activities in the area.  The building is more welcoming, more user-friendly and much more economical to run.  The centre is therefore becoming a significant asset for the local community and one which we wish to publicise and celebrate at the opening event in April.

The final piece of the jigsaw, in phase 3 of the renovation, is the erection of a porch to allow disabled access and replacement of retaining walls etc. which are getting towards the end of their useful life, to give the building a safe environment and a greatly improved means of access. This part of the project involves some heavy engineering which comes at a substantial cost.  Our application to the Lottery People and Places fund has been approved and we are starting the planning process to get the works under way in the summer.  This grant also includes a three year revenue element to pay for someone to promote the use and running of the centre once all the external works are completed.  Altogether this will give us the very best start in having a community centre which will stand the test of time and be a valuable contribution to community activities in the area.

Please drop in and join us for tea and cake on our open day, Sat 23rd April 10.30am to 4.30pm, see for yourself what has been done and see our plans for the final work this summer.

Paul Coleman

Chairman


Supporting Information for editors:

Pentredŵr and District Community Association is a charity established to promote community cohesion and activities in and around Pentredŵr, a picturesque village set in the arms of the Horseshoe Pass.  It occupies the Old School House in the village which operated as a school between 1909 and 1982 when it became the village hall.

Contact:  Chairman – Paul Coleman, Y Pandy, Pentredwr, Llangollen, LL20 8DD
                                 01978 869299,  07710 210943, Mae'r cyfeiriad e-bost hwn wedi'i warchod rhag robotiaid sbam. Rhaid i chi alluogi JavaScript i'w weld.

Need for Renovation. The building is now over 100 years old and parts of the fabric required replacing due to the ravages of time.  In addition, the radiant electric heaters were inefficient and expensive to run, the electrical installation past its sell-by date and the whole in need of a face lift.  The object of this and other parts of the renovation plan has been to make the building a more attractive place for both letting as holiday accommodation and community events/community groups to use.     Grants have been provided from a number of quarters and enthusiastic help from volunteers has in part matched the funds needed for materials and professional support.

WREN is a not for profit business that awards grants to community, environmental and heritage projects across the UK from funds donated by FCC Environment as part of a voluntary environmental tax tax credit scheme called the Landfill Communities Fund.  Since 1998, WREN has granted over £150M to more than 6,000 projects which benefit people living within 10 miles of a FCC Environment landfill site.  For more information please visit www.wren.org.uk

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