A CEREDIGION charity has beaten its New Year deadline to secure the future of a building to care for people with chronic and life-limiting illnesses.

The Cambrian News has previously reported on Hospice at Home Aberystwyth Volunteers (HAHAV) and its bid to raise £600,000 to secure the purchase of its base - the former hotel Plas Antaron in Southgate - by the end of 2022.

The charity launched a Christmas appeal in November to raise the final £25,000.

This week, HAHAV heard the news that it is to receive more than £170,000 in additional UK Government, securing the future of the dedicated centre that will provide practical help, social care and companionship for people in Ceredigion with chronic, life limiting illness.

HAHAV has been granted the cash through levelling up funding from The Community Ownership Fund.

The fund reports HAHAV has been given “over £170,000 that will help dedicated volunteers at the Aberystwyth and District Hospice to provide vital support to people with chronic and life limiting conditions and their carers”.

“The grant will give the local community the funds they need to buy their premises outright,” it adds.

Dr Alan Axford OBE, HAHAV’s chair of trustees, said: “We are amazed and delighted to have been awarded such a substantial grant from COF.

“This investment will be transformational, enabling us to protect, Plas Antron - our ‘Living Well Centre’.

“The building makes such a difference to the quality of life for hundreds of people across Ceredigion each year, many of whom are isolated and vulnerable.

“Without the COF grant, Plas Antaron was at risk of being lost with time rapidly running out for us to secure the funding required to finalise the purchase.

“We would like express our sincerest thanks to the UK Government, the Welsh Government, and everyone locally who has assisted in fundraising towards this vital project, for their life-changing support.”

As well as donations from the public towards the ambitious project, funding has been secured from the Welsh Government, Ceredigion County Council and Aberystwyth Town Council.

Elsewhere in Ceredigion, among the other four projects receiving funding is Aberporth Village Hall which will be “rebuilt brick by brick into an environmentally friendly community hub to act as a one-stop-shop for tourists and local business”.  

The UK Government Welsh secretary, David TC Davies, said: “Last year we launched three new funds – the Levelling Up, Community Renewal and Community Ownership funds - which have so far seen more than 175 projects right across Wales given more than £165m for schemes.

“These latest recipients of the Community Ownership Fund are fantastic projects that will make a huge difference to their local areas.

“Levelling up is at the centre of the UK Government’s ambitions and communities across Wales will be transformed over the coming years as this funding continues.”