About The Miners
At the Miners Centre, our committed team of staff and volunteers has put in tremendous effort to repurpose the former hospital, turning it into the vibrant community hub it is today. We offer a range of activities designed to address some of the most pressing challenges faced by our community.
More About Us
Caerphilly Miner’s Centre’s vision is to restore our former hospital as a resource to support the well-being of the community, celebrate our social heritage, and minimise our impact on climate change. Our project arose because local people decided in 2008 to take action to stop the former Miners’ Hospital being demolished for housing. We have continued to consult and engage with our volunteers and community and shape our project to reflect their needs.
A £1.3 m refurbishment of the upper floors of our iconic building, including a Wellness Hub (counselling, chiropody, osteopathy, reflexology, acupuncture, hairdressing, reiki, beauty therapy), a community hall/ function room, training/commercial kitchen, music and craft rooms, was virtually complete in April 2022. This, together with ground floor community rooms and a climate change garden, currently constitute our project.
Our ethos is as a self-standing organisation, based on community consultation, a volunteer-led approach, collaborative endeavour and a focus on respecting people. We support learning, language equality, and inclusivity; create opportunities for personal development; foster community resilience and well-being; and enable people to gain the confidence and skills needed to fulfil their potential. We value social inclusion, good governance, equality of opportunity, diversity and collective responsibility for addressing our needs.
Our challenge is to maintain a safe, welcoming and accessible building, for use by our community, whilst investing in our volunteers and wider community, addressing the needs of isolated older people and young parents, taking action on climate change, celebrating our social heritage, and achieving well-being.
Our History
1911 - 1919
1919 - 1948
1948 - 2011
2012 - Today
The Beeches was the residence of Mr. Frederick Piggott and his family from about 1911. Fred Piggott, originally from Lancashire, had come to South Wales in the 1890s to pursue his career as a mining contractor. He lived in Maesycwmmer and at other houses in St Martin’s Road, Caerphilly, before moving into The Beeches. He was responsible for the sinking of the shafts of Bedwas Navigation Colliery in 1912.
In 1917 the workmen, as members of the East Glamorgan District of the South Wales Miners Federation (known as The Fed), decided to pay a weekly levy of one penny towards the setting up of their own cottage hospital.
In August 1919 they had enough funds to purchase The Beeches from Fred Piggott for £5,000. The miners increased their levy to 2p and then 6p in 1920. With funds of nearly £30,000 they were able to equip the house as a functioning hospital, with 32 beds, and open it to receive its first patient on the 2 July 1923.
With the newly elected Labour Government in power, the recommendations of the Beveridge Report, and Aneurin Bevan as Health Minister, the move to group the nation’s hospitals into a more rational system of healthcare gathered pace, culminating in the creation of the National Health Service on the 5 July 1948. The Caerphilly Miners’ Hospital ceased to be the property of the local workmen.
In 2012, the Caerphilly Miners Centre for the Community Charity was created. Since then, we have been fundraising to improve the building and facilities, in order to make the centre as accessible and versitile as possible.
The Future
With more volunteers and additional funding, we can expand our programs, reaching even more people and building a brighter, more resilient future for our community. Join us as a volunteer and be part of this positive change—your time and skills can make a real difference!
Timeline of the Miners Centre
