Muslim group breathes new life into chapel
IT HAD been left to go to rack and ruin, with its condition rapidly going downhill. The Grade Ii-listed Brynhyfryd Chapel, which was built in the 18th Century and was used as a Sunday school for generations, was in desperate need of some TLC when it went up for auction at the beginning of 2019.
Made of solid stone under a timber-framed pitched roof with slate coverings, the historic building on Llangyfelach Road in Brynhyfryd, Swansea, which still had many of its original features, went up for grabs for £100,000, with community leaders underlining the need for it to be brought back into use to prevent it from being vandalised and further deteriorating.
The prayers of the community were answered when a charity came forward to breathe new life into the once cherished cornerstone of the area.
Muslim Welfare House purchased the building and has been hard at work for the past two years to restore it.
The Post was allowed a first glimpse inside the newly transformed building ahead of its official opening in a few weeks.
One area of the building will be used as the new Al Mutawa mosque, while other areas will be used as a community hub and a community centre.
CEO of Muslim Welfare House, Toufik Kacimi, explained the hard work that had gone into restoring the building, and what exactly the community could look forward to once it was fully operational.
He said: “When we first came in it was full of pigeons, and dirt, and the roof was leaking. The whole building was in a terrible state. Half a million has been spent repairing and restoring the building, which includes a new heating system and fire alarm system. The roof was leaking in three different places, and because of the storms, we had to repair it four different times.
“We wanted to make it a community hub, not just a mosque. There will be a supplementary school with English, maths and science taught, and anyone who wants to do some work for the community can do it here. There will be a food bank and help for people who are struggling with the cost of living, and programmes to help people with issues such as domestic violence.
“We’ll run classes for ladies like cooking and hairdressing, and there will be help for marginalised groups to help teach them how to speak proper English to help integrate them into wider society. During the evening, after school, the place will be used to support the community improving skills.
“During the weekend there will be different activities and we’ll be looking to bring in things like Playstations and snooker tables. We’ll try and target and cater for different parts of the community – men, women and children.”
Mr Kacimi explained how the reaction from the public to the new venture had been welcomed.
He said: “People are happy and pleased to see that this building is coming back and being used again. It had not been in use for nine years.
“It will be like heaven to many. There are not many places where children can come and enjoy and do something positive with their time.
“There will be an official opening ceremony in the weeks to come where people will be invited to come along and we’ll show everyone around the building.”