Dyfodol Salem
Community Facilities Project
Great news! We've been awarded £10,000 by Welsh Government to develop our project.
What’s it all about?
After serving the community for over 150 years, Salem’s historic Angel Inn closed its doors in July 2022. The Angel was the heart of our village, and its closure was devastating for the community. We ran a really positive campaign to try and save it - our community consultation demonstrated firm support for a community pub, and our share pledge campaign raised over £27,000 in its first 3 weeks - but factors outside our control meant it was not to be.
This new project is born out of the campaign to save the Angel, and the desire of the community to come together and bring the life back to our village.
Through the Heol-galed Memorial Hall charitable trust, the village already owns a thriving community hall and field - so we've formed a working group and are developing a vision for extending the community facilities on that site.
Improved facilities could offer affordable food and drink, a cafe or social club and wi fi daytime space, with a small shop, parcel collection and improved space for clubs and societies to meet and socialise. It could provide a tourism offer, jobs for local people and a warm space for us all to connect, meet old friends and make new ones. There are lots of examples where this works well elsewhere in Carmarthenshire and across Wales.
We want to know what you think - and need your input to shape our vision.
Our aim is that the improved community facilities will create jobs and volunteer opportunities, strengthen community cohesion and resilience, provide affordable food and drink, attract tourists to stay, eat and drink, and create a vibrant community space for all.
What’s the plan?
Working with Cwmpas (social business experts) we formed a new community organisation in January 2024, with volunteers from the village and outlying areas.
We ran a consultation in Autumn 2024 to help us understand what people want and need, how much support we have, and to use as evidence in any grant funding applications. We’re now consulting and engaging with the community to develop a shared vision for new community facilities in Salem. Alongside the consultation we’re holding events to fundraise for the project, and identifying grant aid streams we can apply for and doing community fundraising events and activities.
Welsh Government Project
In November 2024 we were awarded £9,600 grant aid from Welsh Government under the Perthyn grant scheme, to enable us to engage consultants (Miller Research) to help us with the Feasibility stage of the project. They will meet with the community, analyse the results of our consultation, speak to key stakeholders, and produce an Options Appraisal for us, to use as evidence to demonstrate community needs - through the planning process, and as evidence for funders.
Follow us on social media for regular updates on the project , check out Whats On and join us at our events!
