Ammanford News

Hall ‘looks likely’ to shut down

4:50pm Thursday 18th March 2010

THE future of yet another Gwendraeth Valley community building has been cast into doubt after a lack of public interest has pushed the facility to the brink of closure.

Cefneithin Welfare Hall, which was granted charitable trust status by the charity commission, faces almost certain closure unless members of the community come forward to take an active part in the running of the building.

The grim news came at a meeting of Gorslas community council where members where told that the last two trustees on the hall committee had announced their imminent retirement.

Despite numerous requests to householders to support the hall and take over the trustee roles, nobody has yet come forward.

“The current committee have put up notices and asked people for their support, but there has been absolutely no interest from the people of Cefneithin,” said clerk to the council Elfryn Williams.

“Without new trustees the hall will not be allowed to operate.”

Currently, the only organisation actively using the hall is the village gymnastics club, but without increased interest from the community the situation remains desperate.

“Nobody else wants to use the hall and if no one in Cefneithin will use it or help support it, then there is simply no future for it,” said Cllr Clive Scourfield.

The council, which owns the land on which the hall is built, did consider attempting to have the hall’s charitable status withdrawn, cutting through much of the red tape which is set to force the hall’s closure.

“If the committee were to withdraw from being a charity then it would become much easier to run,” said Cllr Terry Davies.

“If we could take the Charity Commission out of it then we as a council could run it.”

Although the proposal received support from the council, it seemed unlikely that the move would be able to overcome the numerous legal hurdles it would face after the local authority solicitor told the council that any such change of status was likely to be “extremely complex”.

“What you must consider is that the Charity Commission will regard the hall as one of its assets and would therefore not be keen on losing it,” said Cllr Wyn Edwards.

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