This document is a snapshot of content from a discontinued BBC website, originally published between 2002-2011. It has been made available for archival & research purposes only. Please see the foot of this document for Archive Terms of Use. 4 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Wales Home The Institute more from this section To celebrate the Big Lottery Llanfair Caereinion grant for Llanfair Institute's Adfa Chapel Photos Centenary Project we have Belgium Refugees collected together memories, Great Fire of 1758 photos, and articles that show Lewis Evan Llanfair Carnival - 2007 BBC Local how local people feel about the Llanllugan Church Mid Wales building and its past: Local Life Things to do Local Photos My Town People & Places Scout Group Nature & Outdoors Centenary Project Phototour Town Photo Tour Clive Hopwood tells us Take a closer look at The History about the proposals for a Institute designed by the Llanfair Utd FC Religion & Ethics media centre and lift at Davies' family favourite Sammy G Arts & Culture The Institute. architect Dickens Lewis. Sian James Profile Music The Institute Old Photos Whose Institute? Web Guide TV & Radio Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway Check out these old Find out about some of Local BBC Sites photos of The Institute the groups who use The News and its role in town life. Institute today. Sport Weather Centre of Town Recording the Years Travel Find out how one local Take a look at some remembers his boyhood photos of the many papers Neighbouring Sites days at The Institute in documenting The North East Wales the 1940s. Institute's history. North West Wales South East Wales Your Institute Memories South West Wales Photos of some recent Listen to Dr John and community events and Barbara Jones talk about Related BBC Sites artist impressions of the their memories of the Wales Centenary Project. Institute. Cymru Canolbarth More on Llanfair Awards For All For more articles and Eirianwen Jones' photo of photos about Llanfair the institute's new lights. Caereinion, its people and its attractions. 4 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Wales Home The Centenary Project more from this section Last updated: 27 February 2008 Llanfair Caereinion In February 2008 the Adfa Chapel Photos Institute's Centenary Project Belgium Refugees Great Fire of 1758 was informed that it was Lewis Evan successful in its bid for a Big Llanfair Carnival - 2007 BBC Local Lottery Grant of £120,000. Co- Llanllugan Church Mid Wales ordinator Clive Hopwood told Local Life Things to do Local Photos us about the plans and how My Town People & Places the community will benefit: Scout Group Nature & Outdoors Town Photo Tour History "The Institute was opened on 15 October 1913. It cost Religion & Ethics £5,000 to build, the necessary funds being donated by the Arts & Culture Davies family of Llandinam (its 2007 valuation is £200,000). Music TV & Radio Clearly the town has seen a great many changes through the Local BBC Sites last 94 years but the Institute has done its best to aspire to News Mr Davies's ideals and "make it part of the real life of the Sport locality". The building and land is owned by the Institute Weather itself. Travel A registered charity, run by volunteers from the local Neighbouring Sites North East Wales community, it continues to play host to a wide variety of North West Wales societies, scouts and brownies, Young Farmers, classes, South East Wales dramas and concerts, private functions, the town's branch library as well as coffee mornings, sales and fairs. South West Wales Related BBC Sites The Institute's purpose is be at the heart of our community, Wales offering a meeting place for all ages and interests, accessible, Cymru affordable and of benefit to as wide of spectrum of the Canolbarth community as possible. The Institute Committee meets every two months and elects its members annually at the AGM (usually October/November); other members are co-opted as appropriate. The committee is comprised of local residents and includes representatives of all the major users of the building, with a Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Bookings Secretary. Sub-Committees, such as fundraising, are appointed to deal with specific projects or areas of activity. The consultation process with the local community began informally with the community before we even presented the original Outline Proposal to Big Lottery People and Places. It gave voice to a general feeling in the town that not only did the Institute need a facelift and improved facilities but that it would be ideal if we could it in place in time for the building's centenary. We designed a bi-lingual questionnaire in three versions - School, Households and User Groups (and potential user groups)- which were distributed to every household, schoolchild (Primary and Secondary), and Institute user group in the community. 279 questionnaires were returned. The results helped to shape materials for the Open Week during which we displayed an exhibition showing the options for the future of the hall and the various plans - ground plans, photographs and artists' impressions supported by explanatory text - with Institute members on hand (with free hot drinks and scones) to explain any of the details and listen to new ideas. We also took names and contact details of any volunteers willing to participate actively in the project. 504 people attended the Open Week during its 5 days. • Just over 17% of the younger members of the community (total respondents 119) didn't know what went on at the Institute or found it not interesting. The six things they voted most strongly for the Media Centre (70), Better Library (61), Stage Lighting & Sound System (47), Internet Café (47), Lift (46) and Re-equipped kitchens (40). • Of the households (145) questioned 111 currently use the Institute. Their top six were Re-equipped kitchens (60), Lift (59), Disabled Toilets (55), Better Library (47) Stage Lighting & Sound System (43) and Art & Exhibitions (36). • From the User groups (15) their top six were Re-equipped kitchens (10), Disabled Toilets (8), Lift (8), Better Library (7), Improved Exterior (6) and Arts & Exhibitions (5). Proposed building works The proposed building works will refurbish the exterior of the Institute and make alterations to the interior and exterior garden area as follows: • Renovate Institute exterior walls, roof, windows and doors. • Construct lift shaft (concrete with brickwork support) and install lift from ground floor to first floor. • Construct new toilets: male (2 x WC and washbasins), female (2 x WC and Washbasins) and disabled toilets (1 x WC and washbasin) • Demolish existing main hall kitchen, construct double doorway/hatch through to new kitchen to be sited in current Institute flat main bedroom. • Carry out Institute flat conversion to meeting rooms/office space and kitchen - remove existing stairs, build flight of stairs to exterior ground floor wall. Construct new ground floor exit door. Construct partition wall to separate stairs from ground floor meeting room. • Refurbish stage dressing room on ground floor. Install work surfaces, lights and mirrors. • Renovate derelict outbuilding as second dressing room. Repair roof and walls, replace door and two windows. Install partition wall and door and WC and washbasin. Install work surfaces, lights and mirrors. • Lay down landscaped garden with pebbles and paving surround. Reconstruct low stone wall and create semi-circular performance platform. • Re-site oil tank. • Construct storage area in the Gallery. • Redecorate as appropriate, including stage to dressing room stairwell, dressing rooms, media centre and gallery. Media Centre The Media Centre will provide a significant contribution to community life in the town. With its facility to publish in print, audio and video, it is designed to appeal right across the age spectrum and to a wide variety of interests in the community. A community newsletter will be published, highlighting activities at the Institute and offering a forum for debate on local issues. A series of books will be published. This facility will be of particular value to the History Group and the Creative Writing Group, both of which have only been able to publish a limited amount of material in the past. The DTP facility will also be available to produce publications for the community - from wedding services to posters. The town's only printers closed in 2006; the nearest alternative is 8 miles away. A Reminiscence Group will be started to record local people's stories onto CD. This is a particularly urgent project as the older generation in Llanfair has witnessed dramatic changes in the town over the last century. We intend to involve local groups, including Llanfair Primary and High Schools, to create a sound archive for future generations. The video unit will produce both documentaries and dramas. This is intended to particularly appeal to the younger age group. Community events and activities will be recorded and a documentary produced to encourage tourism to the town. The audio unit will be available for local storytellers, musicians and bands to record their material onto CD. The Media Centre will also generate income for the Institute through sales of published material as well as through commissions and hire charges for the recording facilities. Almost none of the above activities are currently available in the town in any form. The Media Centre would be a major development in the town's cultural life. Main Hall Improvements to the Main Hall include the installation of a sound and lighting system, together with an extensively refurbished kitchen. The sound and lighting system will make the hall a much more viable performance and exhibition space. A fully functioning kitchen able to prepare and serve hot food will also greatly enhance the facilities the hall offers.