A community project to buy a Victorian corrugated cottage meeting room in Pembrokeshire has gained £4,000 in support in just one week.

Following a public meeting, the community assets group in the village of Boncath is looking for investors near and far to help safeguard the community cottage that has been used by the community for over 130 years.

The corrugated building has been used for different purposes over the decades, and since the 1930s has been the meeting place for the Boncath WI.

Previously, the building was used as an office for a sawmill, and people have also come forward to say it was initially owned by the local mansion house to collect rents from the houses owned by the local estate.

Cris Tomos of the community development association called PLANED of Narberth, explained that as a community purchase, there are incentives of tax relief of 50% back to investors under the HMRC scheme called the Seed Enterprise Investment scheme.

“It is great to report that after just one week we have seen £4,000 raised, which is one third of the target, but we now have a limited time to raise the remaining £8,000 by the end of March,” said Cris.

People are being asked if they could support with a £500 investment, and that those who are UK taxpayers would be eligible for the 50% tax relief.

Such a tax incentive scheme was recently successful as the community bought the Crymych Arms pub in the village of Crymych, just 4 miles away and the community investors there raised £210,000 to reopen the community pub and get the tax relief.

Anyone who is interested can email: [email protected]

Printed investment forms can also be picked up from Boncath Village Shop and Post Office.