Welcome back to the Six Bells monthly newsletter!
 

This is our newsletter to keep you updated on our campaign to Save The Six Bells and make it a sustainable business, improving social cohesion and quality of life for Peterstone residents and the wider community.  
 

YOU DID IT !!  

A huge thank you to those who attended the Engagement Evening on the 7th March to hear the progress the Steering Group has made to date and our plans for the future.  Since then, the Facebook Live stream of the presentation has been played over 1,000 times! Click here if you missed it! 

In just a 2 week period, over 50 people gave their backing for our plans to Save the Six Bells. We are excited to confirm that the Six Bells Steering Group believe they have your mandate to take the next steps. Since then we have had many more pledges to buy shares or to donate from people and businesses and the mountains of messages of support have been inspiring to hear.  

With your endorsement, the Steering Group made a decision that we will be pushing ahead with our campaign. 

We are now planning how we progress with a Share offer and to raise further funds to meet our goals. 

The Business Model for the Six Bells Community Hub 

  • A Gastro Pub – offering fresh food using locally sourced ingredients 
  • A Café – a meeting place for all  
  • A Shop – selling some of the fantastic local produce we have on our doorstep 
  • A Visitor Discovery Centre – celebrating the geology, ecology and history of the Gwent Levels 
 
 
 
Pledge to buy a share in the Six Bells Community Hub
 
We ran a rapid campaign to ask our community to pledge to buy a share in the Six Bells. This gave us an idea of the appetite to support this campaign with a community share offer and we were blown away by the response. While we get ready to launch this formally, you can still pledge here! 

This is not a commitment at this stage - but we will add you to our list of potential share holders and keep you informed regarding the progress of our campaign. Any questions, or to receive further information get in touch at savethe6bells@gmail.com.

The benefit of these pledges is not only to understand the level of support we have and the capabilities to raise the funds we need, but also helps us to demonstrate this level of support to potential funders.

This short film explains more about community shares. 
I want to pledge! Click here for the pledge form!
 

Social Event at Peterstone Golf Club 

Saturday 4th May, 

We are really excited to invite supporters to an engagement event we are holding, aiming to:
  

  • celebrate our achievements so far 
  • get to know one another and create some excitement around the next steps in our journey 

  • provide our future shareholders and supporters with more detail around what we have done and what we are planning to do next 

  • discuss opportunities to get more involved with the project 
     

This will be an informal event with a welcome drink and nibbles available.  You will have the opportunity to speak with steering group members to ask key questions, and a copy of our business plan will also be available. 

We will have a raffle on the evening and have some fantastic prizes available so far – including a Magnum of wine, photoshoot on the Sea Wall, photography gift voucher including a 30 minute session and 10 digital images – more to come here! 

Limited spaces available - book your free tickets at this link: FREE EVENT - Confirm attendance – Save The Six Bells Engagement Evening – Peterstone Lakes Golf Club - Fairways Suite, Sat 4 May 2024 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (tickettailor.com)


Monthly Coffee Mornings 

Our monthly coffee mornings at Peterstone Village Hall continue to be popular. 

27th April Coffee morning and plant swap, trialing a new time of 10.30 -12.30
We will have more organic vegetables available from Blas Gwent Farm. We wanted to make this a plant swap too, so if you have any tomato, pepper, squash plants and more, bring them along to swop or sell. And of course there will be cake! 

Future dates for your diary:
25th May Coffee morning
29th June Summer Fayre (TBC)
27th July
31st August
28th September
26th October Halloween themed! 
30th November Christmas Fayre

Our coffee mornings have run regularly for nearly 2 years! Your support has made it possible for the Save the Six Bells steering group to set up the foundations that we can now build on. Special thanks goes to those who regularly donate their delicious homemade cakes. See key dates below and some information regarding our next coffee morning.
 
 
 
 

There has been a lot going on behind the scenes, the work of the steering group and volunteers is starting to pay off.  See below an overview of some of the progress we have made along the way. 
 

Social Media 

In March we hit 1,400 followers on our 'Save the Six Bells'  Facebook page with many sharing memories and photographs of good times at the Bells.  

Our Instagram “savethesix” is growing too. Your responses have been overwhelming.  

It's been a great reminder that the Six Bells is a valued historical landmark in our village and was once at the heart of the larger community. It could be again, with your support. 

New website 

Our Website is live and a great place to keep up to date with our progress. www.savethesixbells.org 

Call for Pics.  Please send us any photographs of the Six Bells that we can use on our social media channels and on our website – please send to savethe6bells@gmail.com 


Key Progress 

  • We worked with Cwmpas and Co-op UK to register as a Community Benefit Society (CBS) with the Financial Conduct Authority. Such Societies have been around for a long time and the model is tried and tested with great success in community pubs and shops across the UK 

  • We have written our business plan. 

  • We have developed links to environmental groups across the Wentlooge levels,  

  • In November 2023 we received £2,000 funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund. This covered the cost of the December 2022 valuation of the Six Bells and a recent updated valuations and business assessment.  

  • We opened a bank account with Co-op Bank  

  • Set up a web page www.savethesixbells.org 

  • Engaged productively with the Estate Agent at Lindells to discuss the terms of the purchase of the Six Bells by the Peterstone Wentlooge Community Benefit Society 
     

Creating partnerships

A number of our Steering Group focused on obtaining messages and letters of support from key groups and supporters. Building these links will enable us to make the Visitor Discovery Centre a reality and enable us to showcase all that's great about the Gwent Levels. Supporters include: 

Academics 

  • Professor Martin Bell (expert on the Gwent Levels Environmental and Marine Archaeologist). 

  • Professor Stephen Rippon (expert on the Gwent Levels; Landscape Archaeologist and Historian) 

  • Dr Mark Lewis (Archaeologist Caerleon Roman Museum)  

Organisations 

  • The Living Levels Landscape Partnership Christopher Harris Programme Manager 

  • RSPB Cellan Michael Area Manager 

  • Gwent Wildlife Trust Adam Taylor Chief Executive 

  • Friends of the Gwent Levels Co-chairs Catherine Linstrum and Diana Callaghan 

  • Buglife Clare Dinham Head of Cymru 

Local politicians 

  • Ruth Jones MP 

  • Jayne Bryan MS Newport West 

  • Allan Screen Ward Councillor Marshfield and Tredegar Park 

  • Rhian Howells Ward Councillor Marshfield and Tredegar Park 

  • Trevor Watkins Ward Councillor Marshfield and Tredegar Park 

  • Marshfield Community Council 

  • Wentlooge Community Council  
 
 
 

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Save the Six Bells
Peterstone Wentlooge
CARDIFF, Gwent CF3 2TN
United Kingdom



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