Your help and support needed please!

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hello all
I'm currently heading a group of volunteers in the valley to restore an old 18th century chapel house and the surrounding burial ground to save it for community use and as an historical monument and focal point for the village - it's not much to look at but it's ours and we love it; at the moment the only time it gets used is on Christmas day for the 'Plygain' the early morning service at 6AM, in future we hope to put it to a variety of uses throughout the year .
We've done quite a bit of work this year but we don't have much money, only what we've raised (begged) locally and I've applied for a cash grant through the Natwest Community force scheme.
The decision who gets the awards is made by members of the public voting on their favourite project on the community force website, so far I'm close to, but have not reached the requisite number of votes to have a chance of a thousand pounds.
I wonder if I could impose on you forum users to spend five minutes registering with communityforce and casting your vote for my project. I have been working mostly on my own to save this building for many years and it is a project very close to my heart. Hen Fethel (the old Bethel) is dear to the whole community and my family have been involved with the chapel since it was built in 1773 - it would be a shame to lose one of the oldest and dearest buildings in the community for the sake of a few thousand pounds.

There are only ten days left to vote, We are called the friends of Hen Fethel post code region SA18 - here's the link
http://communityforce.natwest.com/project/2129
Thanks
Emyr
PS The chapel wall is also the home to a colony of 'wild' dark honeybees which I seem to have adopted

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Happy to support you - will vote later tonight.
I have a quite a lot of experience of charity funding so would be quite happy to give you some leads, unless you've already got it covered.
PM me if you think I can help.

 

[oliver90owner]

Looks like a worthy project to me. Just registered.

RAB

 

[Headnavigator]

Looks like a worthy project to me. Just registered.

RAB

another vote done

 

[Storm™]

Add me to the count. Just registered and voted. Tomorrow I'll bandy that link around so you hopefully get some more people join in.

 

[Lois]

Done and I've voted for a local project too

 

[victor meldrew]

Have you tried the lottery 'awards for all'?
If your project is inclusive and draws people together you stand a very good chance you need too be prepared to stick at it and jump through hoops but it will be worth it
VM

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Have you tried the lottery 'awards for all'?
If your project is inclusive and draws people together you stand a very good chance you need too be prepared to stick at it and jump through hoops but it will be worth it
VM

Also worth trying The Heritage Lottery.

 

[Brosville]

Voted - good project!

 

[jakethedog]

voted too. good luck with the project.

 

[johnandyrob]

Got my vote Ill get the wife to vote tommorow

 

[Cazza]

Voted. It looks fantastic. Brilliant work.
Cazza

 

[Olebluenose]

Commendable. Just registered and voted.

Best wishes

 

[Luminos]

Registered, logged in, voted - hope you get all the votes you need!

 

[johnandyrob]

There we go the wife has just added her vote

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks all so far - numbers are creeping up jsut a few more and we'll have a chance I think fingers crossed

 

[Anduril]

Good project, best of luck from a fellow Welshman.

 

[jakethedog]

sorry to see that your project didn't win through this time, but I'm sure you'll keep on going -and best of luck with that.

 

[Appinpiper]

I am sorry also that you did not become successful I was too late to help but if I can in future let me know

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks to everyone for your support - unfortunately we were pipped to the post at the last minute - but it was worth a try. As one volunteer told me, we've done well on our own so far so we're not too disenheartened. The chapel has now been whitewashed, the front area has been tidied up, the gravestones righted and the whole area covered in membrane and chippings, inside has also had a coat of whitewash to freshen up, we have a restoration cabinet maker has volunteered to restore the pews and pulpit, and a crowd of local girls have scrubbed the place from top to bottom so it's now spotless - so there is good progress oh, and one of my fishing club members who is an engineer is going to do all the surveys/structural reports.
Resting now until after the Christmas day service and then it's tidy up the ceiling for now and then look at some serious work such as making good one of the roof trusses so we can remove the jury rigged repair and the false wall that's hiding the mess etc. and maybe even trying to rebuild the stables before it's too late (that and over 200 years of graves to tidy up and make good!!
Also when I get time I'll be (or hopefully other volunteers) investigating the possibility of funding etc