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image captionOne of Aneurin Bevan s slogans - We will Tredegarise you - is on the wall
A building that was pivotal in the formation of the NHS opens to the public later and it is hoped it will help rejuvenate a Blaenau Gwent town.
Number 10, The Circle, was home to the Tredegar Medical Aid Society, which was used as a blueprint by Aneurin Bevan when he set up the National Health Service for the UK in 1948.
However, the building became derelict.
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust bought it in 2019 and hopes it will make Tredegar a destination town .
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The project will see the trust, the county borough council and Aneurin Leisure Trust working together.
An artist s impression of the chapel converted into a new library and hub The council’s executive member for education, Cllr Joanne Collins, said: “We are committed to delivering on a new 10-year leisure and culture strategy which has been developed for the borough, and we fully recognise the importance of library services and adult education opportunities to our residents. “Libraries are about so much more than just books and offer a range of services that help combat digital exclusion and, in some cases, can stop people becoming lonely and isolated.
The deputy minister for housing and local government, Hannah Blythyn welcomed the renovation. “This building has real historical significance and its renovation will benefit the local community, act as a community hub, and increase footfall to the town centre,” she said Completed over three years, the building will be used as an open access multi-functional space for educational classes, training, seminars, meetings, and include a heritage centre which will tell the story of the building. The first floor will comprise of four offices, available for rent on a flexible basis to create flexible working space that small and third sector businesses require; as well as complete renovation and restoration of the building’s exterior.