WHAT began as the pipe-dream of just a few a little more than 12 months ago is fast becoming reality.

Last year, the Newbridge Memorial Hall was in a shocking state and was facing by a real prospect of demolition if its deterioration worsened.

Alarmed by the decline of this once-magnificent art-deco cinema/theatre and top-notch dance hall, a dedicated band of volunteers decided to act quickly to arrest the decay.

The Newbridge Memorial came about after a group of local miners took out a mortgage for £6,000 in 1898 to build an institute to provide social and educational amenities within their community at a time when many workers lived below the breadline.

The Friends of Newbridge Memo was hastily formed to turn around the fortunes of the historic building, and in just one year it has become an important community asset.

The Argus, the official campaign newspaper for the Newbridge Memo, is calling upon all our readers to vote for the facility today and tomorrow.

If the Memo scoops the £3 million prize on offer to the winner of BBC2 programme Restoration, it could be completely transformed and become a major tourist attraction.

In recent months 60s pop sensation Ricky Valance played a barnstorming concert to a packed audience, and Falklands veteran Simon Weston and Tyrone O'Sullivan - the chairman of the last deep mine left in Wales, Tower colliery - have appeared at the Memo to lend their support to the cause.

Yesterday, singer Cerys Matthews, the Archbishop of Wales, the Rt Rev Dr Barry Morgan, and High Sheriff of Gwent Brian Watkins rang the Memo to pledge their support.

Simon Weston said: "The Memo is hugely important, not just for Newbridge, but also for the whole of Wales."

He added: "We have to preserve it and preserve it now, because if we don't we are never going to be able to replace it."

Mr O'Sullivan said: "I think this facility is fantastic. People may be sad it is in such a state of disrepair but I'm very grateful we have caught it when we did because it would have been a tragedy if we had lost it for good."

The issue to save the Memorial has united politicians who normally wouldn't see eye to eye.

Labour's Islwyn MP, Don Touhig, said: "I have been involved since the first public meeting last year, and I think it is important we get as many people to vote as possible.

"It has certainly become the heart of Newbridge and it just proves what can be done - just imagine what could be achieved if we won."

Plaid Cymru South Wales East AM Jocelyn Davies, who lives in the same street as the Memo, said: "I don't want to detract from the other buildings involved in Restoration, but the Memo project is just as much about the people as the building, and that is why people should vote for it."