JAMESTON Community Association (JCA) started life over 15 years ago, and in that time they’ve acquired and converted the old church mission building into the thriving community hall, although it’s temporarily still out of use as Manorbier Junior School is using the site since its own buildings burnt down three years ago.

The trustees and the local community are all looking forward to the hall coming back into use, and with the county council consultation underway, a decision on the school’s future could come fairly soon.

In the meantime nobody could accuse the JCA trustees of standing still while the hall is out of action.

Having set up a new website a few weeks ago, at JamestonCA.co.uk, they’ve now taken another major step towards the future.

As Ray Hughes, the JCA Chair, said: ‘We’re absolutely thrilled that the Charity Commission has just approved our application to upgrade the Association’s status, from a simple Charitable Association to a fully-fledged CIO… that’s a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

“Our secretary, Jane George, has done an amazing job, supported by Vanessa John from Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services.”

The legal titles may be just legal jargon to most of us, but becoming ‘incorporated’ is a bit like moving turning a small family business into a limited company.

Hughes added: “This is a massive step forward, although the local community and the association members probably won’t even notice the change day-to-day. But everything is now more professional… and for example we now own the hall in our own right, and don’t need three Holding Trustees to look after our assets.

“There’s still a lot to nitty-gritty stuff to do to complete the upgrade, but we’re all working hard to get it all done, so we can move forward yet again.”