Brynmyrnach Chapel, in Hermon village in Pembrokeshire, built in 1888, is to reopen its doors as a community hub after the final Sunday service was held in September 2022.

Another community campaign has achieved the purchase of a closed chapel for community benefit. The members of the congregation of Brynmyrnach Chapel had their final service on Sunday, September 25, 2022, before closing the doors and disincorporating the chapel after being open for 134 years.

The community volunteers in Hermon and surrounding areas secured the purchase of the old chapel following over 2 years' worth of fundraising and land registration hurdles.

The chapel is located in the centre of the village and the plans are now to convert it into a new heritage centre, pop-up cafe and have 2-bedroom flats on the first floor to address local housing issues for young people.

The new community social enterprise that has purchased the building is called CarTrefUn Ltd, and there will now be a public meeting on Wednesday, August 13, at 6pm in Brynmyrnach chapel, followed by refreshment and a presentation at Canolfan Hermon, the village hall.

Anyone wishing to know more can attend and note down ideas for preserving the artefacts and developing the site as a sustainable self-funding enterprise.

The project has recently secured funding from the Share Prosperity Fund administered by Pembrokeshire County Council, and the project team members are eager to ensure full community engagement, ownership and control of this important initiative that will celebrate the agricultural, industrial, Welsh language and cultural heritage of Hermon and the parish of Llanfyrnach.

The idea was initially proposed at a public meeting by Cris Tomos, who explained: “The new Heritage and Housing Trust is a Community Benefit Society and limited company.

“Local people are the shareholders in this cooperative housing venture that will have a local letting policy allowing affordable housing for local families and couples.

“This could be a blueprint for other communities to take on the chapels and churches that are closing.”

The project has seen 20 local investors working together to raise the funds to purchase the chapel for £40,000.

Details about the event are posted on the project Facebook page called ‘Cartrefun’ - or people can phone 01239 831968 to find out more about joining the new committee to help develop the heritage and housing elements.

Cris continued: “People in the village have already come up with additional ideas of a pop-up cafe and even a community bread oven to bake local produce.”

Anyone wishing to know more about the project can contact the project team on [email protected] or phone 01239 831968.