A COMMUNITY centre that just three years ago had water pouring through its roof and a heating system installed shortly after World War II is now a “warm hub” for local residents – if they know it’s available.
Panteg House, in Sebastopol, was originally a home built by the owners of the Panteg Steelworks it overlooked before being passed on to employees as a social club in 1920. It had served as a military hospital during the First World War and was again requestioned by the military during World War II.
Also known as the “Employees Club”, the building had fallen into disrepair before being taken over by local residents and operating as a community centre, with a licensed bar, that now houses some 60 clubs and societies including a football team, a long-standing bowls club, a choir and foodbank.
In 2022, the National Lottery provided £390,000 to repair the then 150-year-old roof and install a new heating system to replace the one that had been in place since 1948.
Canddo (Can Do) Project
Among those based at Panteg House is the Canddo (Can Do) Project a wellness group which aims to get people involved in various activities from art and crafts to gardening.
At present Canddo also hosts a warm hub, a space for anyone of any age in the community, to come and sit in the warm, meet with others and take part in activities as well as getting some hot food.
But Russel Jones, who set up Canddo after his own struggles with mental health, said he fears despite Panteg House’s “perfect location between Pontypool and Cwmbran” too few people are aware they can call in on Wednesday and Friday mornings for company, keep out of the cold and get involved in its projects.
Panteg House is on Greenhill Rod, that runs through Sebastopol, but set back in its extensive grounds, and some seem unaware of what lies behind the boundary wall.
“There’s a bus stop right at the entrance and we sometimes get people who say they’ve lived in Sebastopol for 30 years and they didn’t know they could come in here,” said the 50-year-old married father.
“It might be it has a reputation as a gentleman’s drinking establishment and that puts some people off but it’s a real community hub that people don’t know about.”
Canddo has been based at Panteg House since November 2024, and ran a warm hub last winter, while it has also run events during the summer and Easter holidays aimed at children and families.
However the charity lacks permanent funding, having had a charitable grant that helped it get established, and Mr Jones is having to look for work but believes it would benefit from being able to employ someone and said: “It needs a paid facilitator of some sort.”
The Welsh Government has made £70,000 available, through Torfaen council, for various local groups to run the warm spaces from November through to March this year.
That has allowed Canddo to pay towards heating costs at Panteg House, to ensure it is providing a warm as well as friendly atmosphere, as well as food and some equipment.
The cold snap that marked the start of the new year has however presented challenges as volunteer Miriam Evans said she’d been concerned freezing temperatures, slippery pavements and black ice could be a deterrent to people leaving their own homes.
Ms Evans said most of its regular group mainly enjoy each other’s company though art therapy, craft and crochet session, as well as gardening, are all available.
“I ask them what they’d like to do but they like to sit and chat,” said Ms Evans of the group that has around 10 regular, mostly male, attendees: “They say they want to sit, talk and relax.”
Canddo’s main aim is to help people stay active through hands on activities such as gardening, with its own garden in the grounds while it also restored what a had been “an old 1960s horse box with holes in the roof” into a snack van to serve drinks.
“Not all of them can walk that well but to do some gardening is beneficial. Any movement, even a couple of stiches when crocheting, is better than nothing,” said 75-year-old grandmother Ms Evans who lives in Pontypool.
There is no criteria for attending the warm hubs and Ms Evans doesn’t press those who do for a reason. She suspects most come for social interaction but has a letter, from one woman who hopes to help with gardening “when the weather gets warmer”, stating its importance to her.
She wrote: “It’s lovely here to get warmed up because I can’t afford heating at home. The morning here, away from the relentless treadmill of life, is very therapeutic for me. I can go out to face another week with renewed strength mentally”.
Find out more about Canddo
Anyone interested in finding out more, or getting involved with Canddo, can contact it at Panteg House on 01495 763605.