A CAMPAIGN group who have been working to save and restore a Llandeilo church are planning to hold a fundraising concert.

Friends of Llandyfeisant Church, Dinefwr Park, Llandeilo, was set up last year to try and rescue Llandyfeisant Church from a state of disrepair.

Llandyfeisant Church is a hidden gem, tucked away in the scenic surroundings of Castle Woods within Dinefwr Park but, since its last restoration in the 1980’s, is falling into a state of ruin.

Possibly built in pre-Christian times, the church has a rich history with one of its windows dating to the 13th century and, in recent years, has seen the burial of the last Lord Dinefwr in its graveyard.

However, Llandyfeisant Church has not been used for worship since 1961 and was last opened to the public as an information centre in 1986.

Beth Davies, a resident of Llanwdra, launched a petition to spark action in restoring the historical building, hopefully opening it as a visitor centre once more.

Since then plans have progressed, and the group now has more than 350 members.

An open day was recently held to raise money for the church restoration and showcase what could be offered at the site.

Beth Davies said: "The project of saving this little church and bringing it back to life again so that it can be enjoyed by the community is going extremely well.

"We have recently held a very successful open day at the church allowing people to come and see the interior of the church, which is in a remarkable condition overall.

"However, we do have some repair work to do on a section of the floor, especially the area where the simulated badger hide was when the church was used as a wildlife information centre.

"We had an ideas board enabling people to share ideas about what they would like to see Llandyfeisant used for in the future and we have formed a committee of pro active local individuals who now meet regularly to look at ways of bringing the church back to life again."

A fundraising concert is now being arranged to raise funds to repair the floor and allow the church to be opened up to hold events.

The concert will be held at Newton House, on the Dinefwr Estate, on October 12 at 6.30pm.

There will be performances from choirs and local performers, as well as a raffle and auction with prizes donated by a number of local businesses.

For tickets, contact Beth Davies on 07788 810464 or Andrew Gardener on 07759 272668.