Additional repair work has started at Y Dolydd, Llanfyllin’s historic Workhouse, after receiving a £25,000 grant from the Welsh Government.

Scaffolding has returned to The Workhouse for more repair work on the facility has as a result of a Maintenance and Repair Grant awarded by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic buildings agency.

The grant has been awarded as part of a scheme aimed at protecting historic community assets, with The Workhouse receiving the maximum amount of money a site can be rewarded under the initiative.

Cadw grants are awarded on a competitive basis, judged against bids from across the whole of Wales.

The Preservation Trust, which owns the building, will be contributing £8,000 to match the Repair and Maintenance Grant.

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The money will be used for stonework roof repairs in the Men’s Wing beside the A490, where some gable ends are reportedly in poor condition and will benefit the most from the repairs.

The work will maintain the integrity of the structure and improve its appearance from the entrance and the road.

The repairs are being carried out by Smith Building and Conservation, Oswestry, under the supervision of the Preservation Trust’s architect, Geraint Roberts.

An additional piece of funding of £500 has been donated by Localgiving and the Postcode Community Trust, a grant-giving charity funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

However, instead of going towards the building work, this additional funding will be used to improve the internet services at The Workhouse, which have always been poor as a result of its complex plan and thick stone walls.

The £500 has been spent on four new access points, which have been installed by an expert volunteer.

By improving internet access, conditions should improve for the building’s 20 tenants and small businesses, who should find it easier to accept cashless payments once the service is improved.

The better internet access will also be an incentive for new arrivals at The Workhouse, as units there are always in demand, with some of the newest additions being a sculptor and a basket maker who have taken up residence in the complex.