Chapel re-opening will rejuvenate village (From South Wales Guardian)

Chapel re-opening will rejuvenate village

12:00am Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in News

THE fruition of a substantial refurbishment project to a Towy Valley chapel will be unveiled at a re-opening ceremony on Sunday.

The trustees and members of Bethel Chapel, Cynghordy, found themselves in a tricky predicament when it emerged that their beloved chapel – that dates from 1814 – was riddled with dry-rot.

The 17 members decided to take the brave step of undertaking a massive refurbishment project to make it more user-friendly for its members and the wider community.

An application for Lottery funding was unsuccessful so members decided to go it alone and sell property that was available to them to fund the work.

The newly-renovated chapel now includes a substantial new interior with a versatile open floor space, a state-of-the-art heating system, a kitchen and toilet facilities.

It will not only be used for the congregation’s services, but will also be available for hire to the wider community.

This will hopefully breathe new life into a struggling rural community which has no community hall facilities and where the local school has recently closed.

Roland Griffiths, treasurer of the trustees, said: “We are looking to the future with huge hope and anticipation.

Our doors have always been open to the community but with these new facilities the community will hopefully find a new home within the doors of Bethel Chapel.

“We would like to extend a very warm welcome to everyone to join us on Sunday at 2pm in a special re-opening service under the guidance of our minister, the Reverend Gerwyn Jones.”

For further details, please contact the secretary, Carol Davies, on 01550 750219.