Community-owned pub opens outdoor events space

The Tafarn yr Heliwr in Nefyn, Gwynedd, diversified its offering through a Community Services Fund grant from Pub is The Hub, which was provided to help with the purchase of a gazebo for the pub’s community garden, Gardd Yr Heliwr.

Established by volunteers and organised by the pub, which gave around 1,000 hours of towards the development of the project, the community garden will help Nefyn residents with little or no garden space.

Providing an all-weather space to bring people together including volunteers, groups and families, the funding has also helped to landscape the garden and create tall, raised beds to support green-fingered volunteers with mobility issues.

Wonderful space

By creating a new seating area inside the gazebo, with benches and chairs, the garden committee plan to enable more activities, such as apple pressing, volunteer training, and coffee and cake mornings.

The new structure will also mean there is space to hold more events and meetings within the garden, supporting groups to socialise together which can help to tackle rural isolation, and improve wellbeing.

Chair of Yr Heliwr Rhodri Evans said: “This wonderful outdoor events space will encourage local people to spend more time together and volunteer in the garden.

“It will also provide an outdoor space where we can offer educational as well as social events.”

Positive impact 

After being closed since 2009, the local community decided there was a need to get the pub reopened in 2018 and successfully purchased the venue in November that year.

In addition, Pub is The Hub, a not-for-profit organisation that helps pubs to diversify and provide essential local services, pledged to support projects in rural areas across Wales after receiving a grant of £25,000 from The Royal Countryside Fund.

Pub is The Hub Wales advisor Malcolm Harrison said: “This events space will have a positive impact in helping to bring people together to help combat loneliness and isolation.

“Volunteering in the garden and using this outdoor space will have a real social benefit for local resident and those in the wider community.”