St. Teilo

The Reverend Colin Galsworthy, Priest in Charge of St Teilo's during the building project, related, "You are faced with the undeniable fact that the church where you have worshipped throughout your life has to be demolished. This is where generations have been baptised, confirmed, married and one day buried. What do you do? St. Teilo's answer -we'll build a new church. Sounds simple doesn't it? But there was a large amount of money to be raised, there were administrative details to be sorted and many other difficulties to be overcome.

 

"I knew that the church members would be determined that St. Teilo's would survive albeit in a new building. The question was, how much support would there be? My doubts, and those of others were unfounded. The entire community rallied around and here we are just four years after the devastating news, with a new church building."

 

After the church in Oakwood was closed there were plans to build a new church in Pontrhydyfen but planning permission was refused. After many struggles, indeed battles, planning was granted for a new church in Tonmawr . The money was raised in just about two years and we were looking for £30,000." Willing volunteers pushed envelopes through every door in the Pelenna Valley -there was not a single refusal. Everybody, church goers and non-church goers contributed. "Perhaps they don't come to church regularly but they still feel St. Teilo's is theirs. St. Teilo's is their local comfort. .In times of joy or need they know St. Teilo's is there for them.

 

Fund raising took many forms. Concerts by local choirs, a duck race down the river, The Rugby Club supported everything that was done. This truly was a total community effort.

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