PLANS are afoot to convert a church hall in Crosskeys which has been closed for almost two years into a community hub.

The Crosskeys Community Association is hoping to bring St Catherine's Church Hall in Gladstone Street - which closed in December 2017, leaving many community groups without a home - back into use.

When the hall closed several community groups were forced to either disband or relocate - alienating some members unable to travel.

The association, which was formed in June 2018, has been given first refusal to take over the building by the Church of Wales.

Association trustee Rita Purnell said: “We wanted to rent the building but were not allowed to do this. So we looked into leasing and found it to be more worthwhile to buy the building outright.

“The Church of Wales have offered it to us for £85,000 and we only have until the end of the year before it is put on the open market.

“We have previously applied for National Lottery funding but were turned down, as most are on their first application. Some of their feedback was that we had not held a public meeting despite having a lot of public support.

“So we have taken out a one-day public liability insurance for the hall for Tuesday, November 12, and will be hosting a public meeting for the community to tell us what they want to see the hall used for.

“The project will be nothing to do with the church or religion, it will be all community based and a centre for everyone.”

Among groups which have said they would like to use the hall if it is re-opened are Waunfawr Primary School, Coleg Gwent, Caerphilly County Borough Council, the Crime Prevention Panel, NHS Wales Hearing and Balance Unit, girl guides, scouts, the post office and more among those wanting to use or previously used the hall when it was open.

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The community association is re-applying for a grant from the lottery and the Welsh Assembly to purchase and decorate the hall – which they believe will cost around £100,000 in total. They have already had some offers of donations, but have so far kept them on hold until they know for certain whether they will be able to purchase the hall.

“We want to provide something for everyone," said Mrs Purnell. "Although we are nine trustees in the association, the only reason there are not more of us is space. We must meet at one of our houses, but we do have several people including schoolteachers and PTA members who want to join. We are a group for the community, both young and old.

“With the loss of the ambulance hall, institute, TA barracks hall, college hall and British Legion hall, most of which have been made into social housing, there isn’t a lot for those in the community and who have moved into the social housing to do. They have no community hall.

“We want to provide a space that can be used for a wide range of community events. The school and college have both said they would like to use it. Waunfawr Primary School don’t have a hall and used to use the building for their plays and concerts before it was closed. It was also a polling station, held slimming groups, coffee mornings, dance classes and even puppy training.”

The building opened in 1913 after the land was given to the community by Lord Tredegar in 1910. Risca Colliery owner Mrs Watts funded the building work. It began its life as a mission and community hall and was given to the Church of England in the early 1920s. The building has had a varied life, with multiple uses including as an antenatal clinic in the 1930s, a drama group and a rations pick-up point for baby food and other products for those aged under five during World War Two.

Even when the building belonged to the Church of England, it was still a community centre as the extension that was built in the 1950s was part funded by the congregation.

The public meeting will be held at St Catherine’s Church Hall, Gladstone Street, Crosskeys on Tuesday, November 12, at 7pm.