Barmouth Oasis Community Group Ltd. (BOCG) has received £300,000 to renovate the Elephant Works.

The Community Facilities Programme Welsh Government grant has enabled BOCG to complete Phase 1 of its renovation and improvement programme to provide enhanced community facilities for the people of Barmouth and the surrounding area.

Rev Dawn Robinson, BOCG Chair and Pastor of Barmouth Elim Pentecostal Church, said: “We are so grateful to Welsh Government for giving us this grant.

“At last, we have been able to make the building watertight and kicked off improvement works that will bring the building into full use for the community. It has also encouraged other grant funders to support us.”

Phase 2 plans include a larger community space with a commercial style kitchen, new toilets, a shower room and small meeting rooms.

Phase 3 plans include for a larger auditorium with seating for around 200 people, a lift and solar panels possibly providing a Community Energy Saving Scheme.

Together with grants from other bodies, including The Benefact Trust, The Bernard Sunley Foundation, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The Laing Family Trust, and others, it has been possible to carry out repairs and improvements to the roof and external elevations to the building.

Since purchasing the building in 2017, BOCG has been seeking to raise funds to repair and insulate the leaking roof and replace single glazed windows. This is now complete.

Elephant Works has occupied the site between King Edward Street and Park Road for many years. It has had many uses over including a bus depot, an ammunition factory, snooker hall, and furniture store.

BOCG was a non-profit organisation. It is now a registered charity providing accommodation for numerous community activities. In addition to Barmouth Elim Church and the Oasis Day Nursery, the building hosts Barmouth Community Hub, South Gwynedd Foodbank and ‘Revived’ Charity Shop, with other users hiring rooms including Barmouth Choir, Batala Drumming Group, Social Services, Y Bont, Coleg Llandrillo, etc.

The hub meets every Monday and Thursday from 10am-2pm. During winter it is a recognised Warm Space and provides free lunches to all who attend.

South Gwynedd Foodbank provides emergency food to people in crisis. Currently around 1,400 people receive three days’ worth of food each year. The foodbank also runs the Barmouth Foodshare Scheme helping reduce food waste.

The ‘Revived’ Charity Shop provides quality clothing for adults and children, plus free school uniforms, new and second-hand, for children at Ysgol Y Traeth. There is also a second-hand furniture provision.

“There is still much work to be done to complete the building’s potential,” a group spokesperson said.

“We have a large portion of the finance needed to complete Phase 2 but more is needed. Grant applications are continuously being made. Help is needed to progress the work; some can be carried out by volunteers which will help to reduce costs.

“Should anyone wish to know more please get in touch. “Perhaps you have the time and skills we need to complete the project and would be willing to help.”