The spirit of #CapelBethlehem in Newport is to remain alive and vibrant, after a successful community purchase at public auction on Friday evening, following support from PLANED’s Cris Tomos.
Fears that Bethlehem chapel would lose its historic role, as a long-standing lynchpin within the community, prompted a last-minute fund raising campaign, to secure sufficient funds to purchase it and transform it into an all-embracing heritage centre.
And on Friday night, the Community Benefit Society’s vision became reality, after it secured the highest bid at the auction, at Llwyngwair Manor, and purchased the chapel for £145,000.
“I’d like to say an enormous thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign to raise enough funds,” said Cris, who is the community assets coordinator at PLANED.
“The community has been so supportive in ensuring the funds were raised within just 14 days, and we’re now looking forward to developing this very important heritage centre for Newport.”
The group has been working tirelessly to secure the building since April. After attempts to negotiate an agreement to allow the community to buy the building failed, the group discovered they had just 14 weeks to raise the funds, prior to the auction on August 30.
The chapel is now set to become what the group has described as ‘a thriving, innovative and inclusive #heritage centre’, focusing on the Welsh language and culture. It will also explore the town’s rich maritime history.
