Pobl ifanc Conwy yn codi £2,000 i adfer tŵr Eglwys y Santes Fair
Mae dau berson ifanc o Gonwy wedi codi bron i £2,000 ar gyfer adfer tŵr Eglwys y Santes Fair ar ôl trefnu a chynnal cyfres o ddigwyddiadau codi arian cymunedol.
Trefnodd Oliver Groves a Macauley Knight, a sefydlodd O&M Community Events, Ffair Pasg a gododd £875. O’i gyfuno â digwyddiad Nadolig y llynedd, mae’r cyfanswm bellach ychydig o dan £2,000.
Mae’r ddau, sy’n 15 oed, wedi arwain y gwaith o ddod â phobl leol ynghyd, gan gynllunio a chynnal y digwyddiadau eu hunain. Mae eu gwaith wedi denu stondinwyr, gwirfoddolwyr ac ymwelwyr, gan helpu i feithrin cefnogaeth ehangach i’r prosiect.
Fe drefnon nhw Ffair Nadolig yn Neuadd Ni ym mis Rhagfyr. Roedd y digwyddiad yn cynnwys 15 o stondinwyr yn gwerthu crefftau, celf, mêl a chacennau, ynghyd â rafflau a thombola, gan godi £881.57.
Dywedodd Chris Roberts BEM, Cyfarwyddwr Cerddoriaeth ym Mro Celynnin: “Rydym yn ddiolchgar am frwdfrydedd ac ymrwymiad y ddau berson ifanc hyn.”
Dywedodd Lynne Jones, sylfaenydd banc bwyd Bags of Love: “Fel eglwys, rydym yn falch o’r ddau berson ifanc hyn sydd wedi codi proffil y gronfa adfer i genhedlaeth newydd.”
Mae’r Tŵr Gorllewinol, sy’n fwy na 800 oed, mewn cyflwr gwael, gyda difrod dŵr, cerrig wedi treulio a llystyfiant yn tyfu y tu mewn iddo. Yn wreiddiol yn rhan o fynachlog Sistersaidd a sefydlwyd ym 1186, mae’n parhau i fod yn un o strwythurau hanesyddol hynaf Conwy.
Cofnododd Eglwys y Santes Fair fwy na 21,000 o ymwelwyr y llynedd, gan ei gwneud yn un o’r safleoedd yr ymwelir â hwy fwyaf yng Nghonwy.
Disgwylir i waith i wneud y tŵr yn ddiogel ac yn ddiddos ddechrau’n fuan, gyda chymorth grant o £60,000 gan y National Churches Trust.
Dywedodd Oliver: “Rydym wedi mwynhau trefnu’r digwyddiadau hyn ar gyfer apêl adfer y tŵr, a dyna pam y sefydlon ni O&M Events. Rydym nawr yn paratoi ar gyfer ffair haf.”
Ychwanegodd Macauley: “Hoffem wneud mwy o ddigwyddiadau cymunedol ac rydym ar hyn o bryd yn cynllunio gŵyl gynhaeaf a ffair Nadolig.”
Conwy teens raise £2,000 for St Mary’s Church tower restoration
Two teenagers from Conwy have raised nearly £2,000 for the restoration of St Mary’s Church tower after organising and running a series of community fundraising events.
Oliver Groves and Macauley Knight, who set up O&M Community Events, arranged an Easter Fayre which raised £875. Combined with a Christmas event last year, the total now stands at just under £2,000.
The pair, both aged 15, have taken the lead in bringing local people together, planning and delivering events themselves. Their work has drawn stallholders, volunteers and visitors, helping to build wider support for the project.
They first organised a Christmas Fayre at Neuadd Ni community hall in December. The event included 15 stallholders selling crafts, art, honey and cakes, along with raffles and a tombola, raising £881.57.
Chris Roberts BEM, Director of Music in Bro Celynnin, said: “We are grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment of these two young men.”
Lynne Jones, founder of Bags of Love food bank, said: “As a church, we are proud of these two young men who have raised the profile of the restoration fund to a new generation.”
The West Tower, which is more than 800 years old, is in poor condition, with water damage, worn stonework and vegetation growing inside. Originally part of a Cistercian monastery founded in 1186, it remains one of Conwy’s oldest historic structures.
St Mary’s Church recorded more than 21,000 visitors last year, making it one of the most visited sites in Conwy.
Work to make the tower safe and watertight is due to begin soon, supported by a £60,000 grant from the National Churches Trust.
Oliver said: “We’ve really enjoyed organising these events for the Tower restoration appeal, which is why we set up O&M Events. We are now preparing a summer fair.”
Macauley added: “We would love to do more community events and we are currently planning a harvest festival and a Christmas fair.”