Joy as historic Miners’ Welfare Hall is saved from closure

A historic Miners’ Welfare Hall in the Rhondda has been saved by closure thanks to funding from the National Lottery.

Tylorstown Welfare Hall, the last remaining Miners Welfare Hall in the Rhondda Fach, has secured a grant of £4,773,504 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, staving off the threat of the building closing its doors for good.

It also ensures the hall continues to serve as a vibrant community hub for the Rhondda Valleys, as it has since it was built in 1933 through the contributions of local miners.

The funding will allow the Grade II listed building to receive renovation of its architectural features and, importantly, restoring the capacity of the building to allow it to increase its range of vital services, activities and resources.

Restoration of the building will honour key elements that reflect Tylorstown’s rich mining heritage and key improvements will include:

Development of arts, educational, and cultural heritage activities to foster learning, collaboration, and social connection for local communities
Better accessibility with the installation of 2 new lifts, entrance ramps and accessible toilet facilities and hearing loops to create an inclusive environment
Creation of flexible, lettable spaces for community groups, local businesses and events, and improved kitchen facilities to better enable a wider range of uses.

The building is little changed since construction but due to limited maintenance resources for many years, and a flood in 2019, the building fabric is at risk. A lack of accessibility and critical services such as heating, plumbing and electrics mean that only one floor of the building is currently in use. Without intervention, this crucial link to the area’s coal mining heritage could be lost for future generations.

Rebecca Sullivan, Project Director for Tylorstown Community Hall, said: “In one of Wales’s most deprived areas, Tylorstown Welfare Hall stands as the last remaining Miners Welfare Hall in the Rhondda Fach. While other buildings of its kind have been lost to time and either closed, repurposed, or destroyed, ours endures as a powerful symbol of the community’s history and identity.

“We are absolutely delighted to receive this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Together as a community we’ve worked tirelessly over the last five years to campaign for this building to remain at our heart and it’s a reflection of who we are and the strength and belief we hold in our community.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, Tylorstown Welfare Hall will be a thriving beacon of opportunity, inclusivity and support for the people of Rhondda, inspiring pride in our heritage and hope for the future.”

Andrew White, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Wales, said: “Investing in heritage means investing in the community it belongs to, which is why we are proud to support Tylorstown Welfare Hall. For 90 years, the Hall has been at the heart of the community, bringing people together, and is as important today as it was in 1933. It stands as a crucial link to the area’s mining heritage, a symbol of resilience, and a testament to the collective spirit of the community. This project will not only preserve this important heritage to be enjoyed by local people and visitors from further afield but will also play a significant role in boosting the local economy and aiding the wider regeneration of Tylorstown.”

The Hall was originally funded by donations from workers’ wages, colliery companies and the Miners’ Welfare Fund. Its purpose was to provide a place for the people of the town to gather and enjoy recreational activities. It included a dance and function hall that was used as a cinema, as well as a library, snooker hall and meeting rooms.