The Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust has been awarded a grant of £7300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The grant will enable the Trust to strengthen its capacity as an organisation to raise funds towards the capital cost of the repair works to the Grade II listed Goods Shed.
The Trust was set up in 2011 with the aim of restoring the shed and bringing it back in to use for the benefit of the community. The Trust has already completed a feasibility study and is now engaged in further detailed studies and consultations which will enable it to prepare a project plan – a key element of which will be putting together a funding package.
The shed is a very substantial and imposing building which is one of the few remaining examples of its kind in the country and a reminder of Llanelli’s heyday as an industrial centre. The building and surrounding land is large enough to accommodate a mix of uses. Whilst focussing on an arts hub other additional uses are also being considered. The strategy is to deliver a project which will be of benefit to the wider community and help regenerate the area.
The Trust is working closely with Collaborative Communities Officer, Helen Martin, based with CAVS, to deliver the training funded by this Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
Commenting on the award Nia Griffith MP, who chairs the Trust said:
“We are very excited about renovating this building for the good of our community. But good management and fundraising skills are essential for the success of any project as huge as this, and we are therefore very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for helping us in this way.”