A NEW centre will be opened today to celebrate Tredegar’s role in the creation of the NHS.
As part of the Bevan Festival – a four-day festival across the town celebrating its most famous son, Nye Bevan – health minister Eluned Morgan will open the new heritage centre.
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust invested £500,000 in 2020 to save and renovate the site at 10 The Circle – the offices of the former Tredegar Medical Aid Society.
The Tredegar Medical Aid Society contributed to the model on which Aneurin Bevan based the NHS when he created the health service in 1948.
The renovation of the site was also supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.
Had it not been bought, the building was at risk of being auctioned off with its historic value being lost forever.
As well as providing a boost to tourism through celebrating the Tredegar’s health service past, there is also a space where local filmmakers Cymru Creations are based, and the building was also used by volunteers to co-ordinate food parcels and support for vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic.
Michelle Rowson-Woods, head of operations in Wales for the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, said: “We’re delighted the minister could join us to mark the opening of this hugely significant landmark.
“The people of Tredegar are rightly proud of their history as the birthplace of the NHS and the Tredegar Heritage Centre will ensure that legacy is honoured for generations to come.”
“This building is a key part of our history in Wales and the history of our health service,” said Ms Morgan.
“It was once the home of the Tredegar Medical Aid Society, which was Aneurin Bevan’s blueprint and inspiration for the National Health Service.
“More than 70 years on from the birth of the NHS, as health minister it is particularly poignant that I have the honour and the privilege to mark this special event.
“I am delighted we have been able to support the refurbishment and I want to thank the Coalfields Regeneration Trust for its work to bring this special building back to its former glory, which will create opportunities for the local community.”
Andrew White, Wales director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “Being the birthplace of the NHS is one of the proudest parts of Wales’ rich and diverse heritage.
“With the opening of the Tredegar Heritage Centre, this story and site will be preserved for today’s and future generations.”
And councillor John Morgan, executive member for place and regeneration at Blaenau Gwent council said: “This building is not only significant in the history of Tredegar but also to the origins of our NHS, as it is where this essential service was pioneered.
“The opening of the Tredegar Heritage Centre celebrates the political and social history of the town, acting as a regeneration beacon to what can be achieved through partnership work.
“For years to come future generations and visitors will now be able to enjoy this historic landmark.”
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