YOUTH players, families and volunteers from Milford Athletic FC are set to take on a sponsored mountain trek next month in a bid to raise funds for new football equipment and improvements at the growing community club.

The club will host its “Team Trek” fundraiser on June 28, with participants climbing the 1.2-mile route to the trig point at Foel Eryr in the Preseli Mountains.

Organisers hope to raise £800 to help improve training sessions and ensure matches can continue to be delivered in line with Football Association of Wales guidelines.

Funds raised will go towards purchasing new footballs, cones, posts and other training materials, as well as maintaining and replacing existing equipment. Club representatives said even essential items such as the club’s lawnmower are in need of upgrading.

A spokesperson for the club said Milford Athletic FC is committed to providing “fun grassroots football” for children and families in the community, adding that the fundraiser would help create a sustainable future for the club as it continues to grow.

They said the aim is to ensure children from “all walks of life” feel welcomed and supported, with access to high-quality training sessions and matchday experiences.

Players, friends and supporters are all expected to take part in the trek through the Preseli hills later this summer.

Historic building will be brought back into use with support from Welsh Government town centre funding

A HISTORIC Aberystwyth hotel is set to be restored and brought back into wider use as part of a major town centre regeneration scheme.

The Cambrian Hotel, on the corner of Alexandra Road and Union Street, opposite Aberystwyth railway station, is one of the latest projects to benefit from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme.

The funding is being delivered through the Growing Mid Wales Partnership, with Ceredigion County Council working alongside Powys County Council to support regeneration in key towns across the region.

Aberystwyth is one of six priority towns in Ceredigion included in the programme, along with Aberaeron, Cardigan, Lampeter, Llandysul and Tregaron.

The Cambrian Hotel dates back to before 1867 and originally operated as a coaching inn. It has also been known historically as the Commercial Inn and the Commercial Vaults.

Although the building is not statutorily listed, it lies within the Aberystwyth Town Conservation Area and is recognised for its local architectural and cultural importance.

Its distinctive features include a half-timbered frontage, decorative roof details, traditional sash and casement windows, and surviving internal period features such as joinery and coved ceilings.

In recent years, the upper floors of the building have fallen out of use as traditional hotel accommodation became less viable. The business has continued to operate as a ground-floor bar and restaurant.

The Transforming Towns Placemaking Grant will now support the restoration and conversion of the vacant upper floors into high-quality, self-contained accommodation units.

The work will be carried out sensitively, with original features repaired and retained where possible, alongside modern improvements to comfort, energy efficiency and sustainability.

Planned improvements include insulation to external walls and roof areas, upgrades to sash windows using discreet sealing systems, roof-mounted solar panels, and secure cycle storage in line with Welsh Government active travel guidance.

Council officials say the scheme will improve the appearance of a key gateway into Aberystwyth, support the local visitor economy, and help secure a sustainable future for an important historic building.

Paul Davies, Senior Architectural Technician at DB3 Architecture, and owner Jayne Fisher said: “This would not have been possible without the support provided through the Transforming Towns Programme.

“Through the scheme’s support, it was possible to deliver the work to a high standard using local craftsmen who applied their skills to carry out a range of sensitive repair works, which is something the building deserved.”

Councillor Clive Davies, Ceredigion Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Carbon Management, said the project showed how the programme could help bring historic buildings back into meaningful use.

He said: “Investment through the Transforming Towns Programme is playing a vital role in strengthening our town centres, and the regeneration of the Cambrian Hotel is a prime example of how this funding can bring historic buildings back into meaningful use.

“This project will safeguard a key landmark, provide high-quality accommodation, and support the local visitor economy.

“I would encourage other businesses and property owners to explore the opportunities available through the programme.”

Further information about the Transforming Towns Grant Programme is available by emailing [email protected].

Driver was seen swerving through Milford Haven before hitting traffic barrier

A STEYNTON motorist has lost his licence after being caught driving through Milford Haven while over the drink-drive limit.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard this week that at around 2:00am on Saturday (May 10), police received a call from ambulance staff who were concerned about the manner in which a white Kia was being driven in the Milford Haven area.

The vehicle had been seen swerving across the road.

Officers located the Kia as it entered Milford Haven and watched it turn right into Thornton Road, where it collided with a traffic barrier.

The driver identified himself as Jordan Wootton. As officers approached the vehicle, they could smell intoxicants. Wootton was also heard slurring his words, while an open bottle of alcohol was seen inside the vehicle.

Wootton, 28, of Conway Drive, Steynton, was arrested. Subsequent breath tests gave a lowest reading of 59mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

Wootton was fined £430 and ordered to pay a £180 surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 16 months.