© (h) Iain Kempton, 2006
Newsletter 6
6 June 2007
Cylchlythyr 6
6 Mehefin 2007
Dolgoch - WE'VE DONE IT !
The present
Yes, after a hectic but rewarding campaign for funds, the Trust has contracted to buy Dolgoch. Barely two months ago, the Trust agreed terms with the YHA for a purchase at £125,000. With only £40,000 available at that time the task of raising the balance within the limited period specified by the YHA looked formidable. However, the response to our urgent appeal has been overwhelming. Donations received means that monies in hand for the purchase now amount to £106,500 and we have firm promises for further sums which together with a claim for gift aid should bring us close to the balance needed for completion at the end of October. Should we be fortunate enough to exceed the magic figure the money would swiftly be used for much needed repairs and improvements to the property.
A huge thank you to all of you out there for the generous way you have answered the call and made for smiling faces all round.
The future
Once we take possession it is intended to open for business at once unless we have to close for immediate essential repairs. The terms of the sale to the Trust require operation under the YHA's Enterprise Scheme for an initial period of two years as in the case of Ty'n Cornel. It will therefore be possible to make advance bookings for Dolgoch and Ty'n Cornel through YHA central reservations
Dolgoch - LLWYDDIANT !
Y presennol
Yn dilyn ymgyrch prysur a llwyddiannus, rydym wedi cytuno i brynu Dolgoch oddiwrth y YHA am £125,000. Dau fis yn ol, dim ond £40,000 oedd gennym ond roedd yr ateb i'n hapel yn wych a diolch i gyfraniadau (£106,500 erbyn hyn) ac addewidion pellach, gobeithiwn cael meddiant ym mis Hydref. Os codir mwy na'r gofyn, a'n syth tuag at waith adnewyddu.
Diolch i bob un ohonoch am eich haelioni -mae nifer o wynebau hapus yma.
Y dyfodol
Ym mis Hydref, felly, bwriedir agor yn syth os bosib, (onibai am unrhyw waith angenrheidiol) a gellir trefnu aros o flaenllaw trwy Brif Swyddfa YHA. Fel Ty'n Cornel, rhaid gweithredu o dan gynllun 'YHA Enterprise Scheme' am ddwy flynedd.
AGM
Despite the focus on Dolgoch much else has happened this Spring. A well attended AGM took place at the Community Hall in Llanddewi Brefi on the 21st April when our chair Marilyn Barrack admirably summarised the Trust's achievements and spoke of our hopes for the future. Ty'n Cornel was running well and bed nights reserved had already exceeded the 500 target figure.
Our former treasurer Richard Hollis gave a very clear presentation of the accounts for the past year which had been approved by the Financial Examiner John Finney. Richard who has taken on the responsibility of hostel maintenance manager at Ty'n Cornel also gave his report on the repairs and refurbishment work carried out there.
Our fund raising member Pearl Chalk who has put an enormous amount of work into preparing and submitting Grant Applications reported that to date there had been no positive response to submissions to assist with the Dolgoch purchase. There seemed to be a greater possibility of success for repairs and refurbishment grants.
Two new trustees, David Davies of Ynysybwl and Stephen Griffith from London, were appointed. David, a keen walker, had already been an active, helpful member of the Trust. Stephen is chairman of cycling's 'Rough Stuff Fellowship' and has previously attended a number of meetings when he was able to add usefully to the discussion of matters affecting the Trust.
Cyfarfod Cyffredinol
Yn ogystal a Dolgoch, bu digwyddiadau eraill yn ystod y gwanwyn. Roedd presenoldeb teilwng yn Neuadd y Gymuned, Llanddewi Brefi ar 21 Ebrill. Sonioddd Marilyn Barrack, ein Cadeirydd, am lwyddiant yr Ymddiriedolaeth hyd yn hyn, a'n gobeithion am y dyfodol. Yn barod, gwerthwyd 500 'noson' (y targed) yn Ty'n Cornel.
Cafwyd adroddiad ariannol gan ein cyn-drysorydd, Richard Hollis (gwerthuswr - John Finney) ac adroddiad am welliannau yn Ty'n Cornel (ei 'swydd' newydd).
Er bod Pearl Chalk (Swyddog Codi Arian) wedi gweithio'n galed iawn, ofer bu ei hymdrechion i gael unrhyw fudd-dal tuag at brynu Dolgoch, ond mae'r rhagolygon rhywfaint yn well ar gyfer y gwaith adnewyddu.
Apwyntiwyd 2 Ymddiriedolwr newydd: David Davies o Ynysybwl a Stephen Griffiths o Lundain. Mae'r ddau yn mwynhau cerdded/beicio ac wedi dangos eu diddordeb yn ein hymgyrch ers tro.
The launch
The formal opening of Ty'n Cornel followed the AGM. Blessed with brilliant sunshine a large crowd of members and wellwishers, many from the locality, witnessed the official opening of Ty'n Cornel. Some experienced an exciting journey by bus which it is alleged never slackened speed on reaching the last mile of unmade track to the hostel!
The tape was cut by our youngest member present, Sidney Townsend and the Mayor of Tregaron jointly. There were welcoming speeches from the Mayor and Ceredigion County Councillor, Catherine Hughes. Our chair Marilyn Barrack spoke for the Trust and the YHA was represented by Elenydd manager Helen Maurice-Jones and their Enterprise Officer John Cant. John Morgan, a local historian, gave an excellent impromtu snapshot of what the Doethie valley was like a hundred years ago.
Member Sarah Townsend had raised the profile of the Trust by approaching Outdoor Sales Specialists who had responded by providing some of the prizes for the raffle she had arranged. The much coveted first prize of a rucksack donated by Taunton Leisure was won by the volunteer warden at Dolgoch but trustee David Davies was, we heard, very content with the Black's discount voucher he won. A grateful thank you to Sarah for her effort in raising almost £100.
Thanks too to Janet Hollins for organising the excellent refreshments for the occasion and all members who helped to provide these.
Y lansio
Ar ddiwrnod heulog braf, agorwyd Ty'n Cornel yn swyddogol yn dilyn y Cyfarfod Blynyddol ac ym mhresenoldeb nifer o aelodau a chefnogwyr - sawl un yn frodorion lleol. Cyrhaeddodd llawer yr hostel mewn bws oedd ar tipyn o frys, yn enwedig ar hyd y milltir olaf sy'n arwain at yr hostel.
Torrwyd y rhuban gan ein haelod ifancaf, Sidney Townsend, a Maer Tregaron ac yn dilyn, anerchiad gan Y Maer; aelod o'r Pwyllgor Sir - Catherine Hughes; ein Cadeirydd - Marilyn Barrack; Rheolydd Elenydd y YHA - Helen Maurice-Jones a'u Swyddog Menter - John Cant; ac i orffen, adroddiad gan hanesydd lleol, John Morgan am Gwm Doethie can mlynedd yn ol.
Bu Sarah Townsend yn brysur yn codi proffil yr Ymddiriedolaet/hel gwobrwyon raffl oddiwrth cwmniau Adnoddau Awyr Agored ac ennillwyd y wobr cyntaf - rycsac o 'Taunton Leisure' - gan Warden Gwirfoddol Dolgoch, a Thaleb Blacks gan David Davies. Diolch i Sarah am helpu i godi bron £100, ac hefyd i Janet Hollis am drefnu'r lluniaeth ardderchog (ac aelodau am eu paratoi).
Sponsored walk
Another success for the Trust, thanks to the hard work and careful planning of our student member Jeffrey Matthews whose brainchild it was. To date over £3000 in sponsorship money has been raised but this reflects only part, an important part nevertheless, of the success story. As a social occasion and one which promoted the Trust's aims and proclaimed the beauty of the Elenydd it could hardly have been bettered. Well, maybe the weatherman could have been as kind as he had been at the Launch but there were generous bursts of sunshine!
Two walks were arranged. A shorter one of 6 miles between Dolgoch and Ty'n Cornel via Soar y Mynydd. A longer one of 15 miles, again using both hostels, which kept southwards west of Llyn Brianne before returning northwest via the Doethie Valley to Ty'n Cornel. All were greeted at the finish with the sight of a stupendous feast - nominally a barbecue but none of your burnt sausages and burgers here. What our supporter Liz Snell of Tregaron and her friend, together with supportive spouses, provided at cost only was truly sumptuous. Many thanks Liz.
What of our successful young entrepreneur Jeffrey, victim of his own success and now saddled with arranging a similar event next year? To be truthful before the subject could even be broached JJ was already planning for 2008. Rumour has it the stakes (ascents) might be higher. Did we hear mention of Drygarn Fawr? We will let you know the date for the 2008 walk, when fresh challenges can be met and new friendships forged, in the next newsletter. Over to you young Jeffrey!
You can see photos of the walk and the launch here.
Tro Nawdd
Llwyddiant arall i'r Ymddiriedolaeth, a syniad Jeffrey Matthews - aelod myfyriwr - oedd hwn. Roedd angen paratoi gofalus a gwaith caled er mwyn codi bron £3,000 (hyd yn hyn), ond bu hefyd yn achlysur cymdeithasol gwych ac un i ddathlu prydferthwch yr Elenydd ac amcanion yr Ymddiriedolaeth.
Roedd 2 dro o Ddolgoch i Ty'n Cornel - 6 milltir heibio Soar y Mynydd a 12 milltir i'r de o Lyn Brianne ac i fyny Cwm Doethi. Croesawyd pawb gan wledd godidog (wedi ei baratoi gan Liz Snell a'i chyfeillion o Dregaron) a oedd yn BBQ mewn enw, ond heb y selsig a'r byrgyrs llosg, ac am bris cost yn unig. Diolch yn fawr, Liz.
Yn anffodus (?) i Jeffrey, ein mentrwr llwyddianus, mae'r cyfrifoldeb arno nawr i drefnu un arall blwyddyn nesa - ond heb wahoddiad, hyd yn oed, mae syniadau mentrus ganddo eisioes - Drygarn Fawr efallai? Cyhoeddir y dyddiad yn ein Cylchlythyr nesaf - cyfle arall i fentro a gwneud cyfeillion newydd. Drosodd i ti, Siefffre!
Mae lluniau o'r Tro Nawdd a Lansio Ty'n Cornel yma.
A new walk
Something more concrete than rumour has also emerged - the possible creation of a permanently waymarked, new route by the Tregaron Walking Group in conjunction with Forest Enterprises commencing at Twm Siôn Cati's cave at Rhandirmwyn. It is hoped the route will pass Ty'n Cornel before continuing to the house of his birthplace in Tregaron. No Welsh man or woman needs to be reminded of Twm Siôn Cati's identity, but for the less fortunate a brief word about him might be helpful. Twm and Siôn are the Welsh versions of Tom and John and Cati a Welsh abbreviation of his mother's name Catherine. Twm was a 16th century Welsh Robin Hood of noble blood who, after many exploits of derring-do - no doubt some of them the stuff of legend as in the case of the illustrious Robin - lived to achieve respected retirement as a magistrate, antiquary, genealogist and poet.
Tro arall
Mae son am ffurfio Tro swyddogol o Ogof Twm Siôn Cati yn Rhandirwyn, heibio Ty'n Cornel i'w garte enedigol yn Nhregaron. Cynllun yw rhwng Grwp Cerdded Tregaron a 'Forest Enterprises'. Mae pob Cymro yn ymwybodol o Dwm Siôn Cati ond i'r llai fodus, gair o eglurhad. Cyfieithiad 'Twm Siôn Cati' yw Tom/John/Catherine (enw ei fam). Mae'n gymeriad 'Robin Hood' o'r 16G, yn fonheddwr o dras ond 'lliwgar' ei fywyd cyn ymddeol fel ynad heddwch a bardd, ymysg pethau eraill.
Membership
This is just a little short of 300. At least 500 are wanted, so scour your address book, think of friends of old, exercise your persuasive powers and help us reach this target.
Membership forms are available here. Tax paying members can gift aid their subscription, a very valuable extra for the Trust courtesy of The Treasury.
Aelodaeth
Mae llai na 300 ar hyn o bryd a'r targed yw 500, felly cysylltwch a hen ffrindiau o'ch llyfr cyfeiriadau.
Mae ffurflenni aelodaeth yma. Dylai trethdalwyr gofio am 'Gift Aid' - ychwanegiad pwysig iawn o'r Trysorlys i'n coffrau ni.
Help required NOW !
The pressure of work is so great at the moment, especially with the imminent acquisition of Dolgoch, that we urgently need more people to come forward who would be willing to give help. If this does not happen, the situation may become critical. If you feel you can help in any way please contact Marilyn or Bill.
Cymorth NAWR !
Mae cael gafael ar Ddolgoch yn golygu llawer mwy o waith inni. Rhaid cael mwy o wirfoddolwyr i gynnig eu gwasaneth er mwyn atal argyfwng. Cysylltwch a'r Cadeirydd/Ysgrifennydd os gallwch helpu: Marilyn neu Bill.
Meetings
The next open meetings when all are welcome to attend are as follows:
- 10am, Sunday 8th July at Ty'n Cornel
- 10am, Saturday 4th August at Dolgoch
- 10am, Saturday 22nd September at Ty'n Cornel
Cyfarfodydd
Mae croeso i bawb:
- 10.00, Ddydd Sul 8 Gorffennaf yn Ty'n Cornel
- 10.00, Ddydd Sadwrn 4 Awst yn Dolgoch
- 10.00, Ddydd Sadwrn 22 Medi yn Ty'n Cornel
Contacts
Marilyn Barrack, Chair
Bill Hine, Secretary
Colin Francis, Treasurer
Cysylltiadau
Marilyn Barrack, Cadeirydd
Bill Hine, Ysgrifennydd
Colin Francis, Trysorydd
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