From the day of its grand opening in April, 1940, the gorgeous art-deco Plaza cinema on Talbot Road in Port Talbot town centre was the place to watch a film. Hundreds would flock through the grand entranceway and queue at the ticket booth before taking their seat in the plush, red velvet cinema chairs - excited to feast their eyes on the big screen.
A trip to the Plaza was a popular evening out for people from across Port Talbot for years - frequented by couples on dates and also much loved by families and groups of friends too. For more stories about Port Talbot, go here.
But despite its popularity, the Plaza was shut down in 1999. And it wasn't long before the once-beautiful structure fell into a state of disrepair. And without much-needed refurbishment and investment, the Plaza continued to deteriorate - prompting a campaign to save it and turn it into a space for the local community.
In 2017, council bosses and community leaders began to discuss what the Plaza could be in the 21st century and what it could offer people. It was decided that the Plaza should become a "community hub" with facilities for people of all ages – and fortunately the millions of pounds needed for the major transformation was secured from the European Regional Development Fund (£3.4m), Welsh Government (£2.2m) and Neath Port Talbot Council (£1.7m). The council then asked local companies to bid for the venue and explain what they'd do to ensure the Plaza would be operational once more and would serve the local community.
The bidding process was won by Port Talbot YMCA who have led the restoration of the 'old' part of the Plaza, the construction of the new part - and have laid the foundations for a wide range of opportunities and activities to be housed in the Plaza.
CEO of the Plaza and Port Talbot YMCA, Andy Brown explained: "The new Plaza has the charm of its original art-deco structure but now has efficient modern facilities. We've been able to save the front and the façade from when the Plaza was a cinema, all the entranceway and the front of the building is original – but past the reception desk is all new."
"It's for the whole community, the YMCA has moved on from just being for young men, its facilities are for everyone," he added. "The Plaza is a community hub, but really it's so many different things. There’s four main themes we focus on in our ethos: wellbeing, culture, business and community – and the Plaza covers all these things."
While it was initially hoped the Plaza would be able to open in 2021, inevitably the Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions caused long delays. But now, finally, the Plaza community hub is open to the public. While a semi-official 'YMCA Launch' is set to take place on March 1, 2023, and a formal launch is expected to follow in late-March or early-April, the venue has had a soft launch this month and its doors are open to the public.
We visited this week to check out the facilities. Scroll down for our guide to the impressive new venue:
The location and what you'll find there
Located on Talbot Road in Port Talbot town centre, the Plaza is just a stone's throw away from the town's transport hub and a short stroll from the shops, cafes and restaurants in the town centre.
On the ground floor, you'll find the café, the Anthony Hopkins Theatre, a digital studio and a fitness studio. You’ll also find reception, toilets and changing rooms. In the coming weeks, a new health shop and wellness space run by the team at the Old Mill Foundation cancer charity will be launching. There's also an occasion wear agency shop located on the ground floor, with its entranceway just to the side of the external main entrance to the Plaza.
On the first floor, you'll find a gym, a mini Barclays bank branch that's open twice per week and a shared-working space where people can hire-out a desk. There's also a kitchen, a meeting room and break-out space for team discussions.
On the second floor, there's the team from Peoples’ Plus - a company that works with the DWP and employers to help people get back into work.
The Anthony Hopkins Theatre
Named after legendary Welsh actor and director Sir Anthony Hopkins, this theatre/community hall is located at the rear on the ground floor.. The large hall has a performance area on one end, complete with professional theatre lighting, a projection screen and portable staging for shows and concerts. If that wasn't enough, there's also a 252-seat retractable auditorium area too.
The seating area can be collapsed against the wall when not in use, allowing the theatre-hall to be used for sports activities for young people or for fayres or social events. Information on events and fayres in the theatre will be shared later in the year.
The café
Caffi Plaza opened to the public earlier this month and is already becoming popular with people looking for a place for a coffee or a bite to eat. The café is owned and managed by husband and wife team Andrew and Emily Cronin, who previously ran a huge multisport facility in Rhonda Cynon Taf and its café.
“I’m actually a professional parkour athlete,” Andrew told WalesOnline previously. “My wife and I previously ran a 5,000-square-foot multisport facility in Rhonda Cynon Taf. We ran sessions and managed the venue, and its large café, for five years – it was the dream – but then the lease ran out and we weren’t able to come to an agreement with the landlord.
“We were looking for something else and we’d been speaking with [new Plaza operators] the YMCA – I remember actually delivering parkour classes there when I was 18 – and the café became available and so we bid for it,” Andrew said. “We won the bid and took the café on and we’ve now opened it. It’s really community-orientated – we’ll be having cooking evenings, theme nights, and pop-up chef evenings with a different chef visiting and cooking and showing people how to cook. We want the café to be more than just a café.”
You can read more about Andrew, Emily and Caffi Plaza in a previous article here.
Digital studio
Still in the process of being kitted-out, in the coming months the digital studio will house all the equipment you need to record a script, song or podcast. An adjoining room will have the technical equipment for editing and post-production. The studio will be available for community groups to hire out, while the YMCA/Plaza team are planning on hosting activity sessions in school holidays for young people to try out the equipment and produce projects .
“We want to encourage the next generation of talent. We’ve had Sir Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen and Richard Burton [all grow up locally], now we want to create opportunities for the next generation,” Andy said.
The fitness studio and gym
The fitness studio fits around 30 people and will be the base for a wide range of fitness classes, set to launch very soon. Among the list, you can expect dance classes and movement to music classes – and staff at the Plaza are keen to hear from visitors’ on what other exercise classes they’d like to see offered here. Just past the fitness studio, located on the ground floor, you’ll find a Changing Places toilet and changing area, a men’s changing area and a women’s changing area. Further toilets can be found near the entrance.
On the first floor, you’ll find the gym. Colin Gill, director of the gym, is on-hand to support anyone looking for a bit of guidance through their workout and here you’ll find a wide range of gym equipment from the usual treadmills and indoor rowing machines to a more specialist hand-bike.
All the equipment has been chosen for the gym here as it can be adapted to people of different abilities and many of the pieces are wheelchair-friendly too. There’s also a weights area and Colin, who has 20 years of experience in the health and fitness sector and has a Masters degree in exercise and public health, is able to assist anyone looking for advice or support with this.
His approach to exercise and fitness is an “academic” one, he says, and he wants to support people exercise safely in the gym – and is especially looking forward to welcoming people who may not think the gym is the place for them or people who have had illnesses such as strokes or heart issues and want to work on their fitness and rebuild their strength.
“The gym isn’t aimed at ‘gym bunnies,’ it’s for everyone. We’ll have a timetable of activities with movement to music classes in the fitness studio and some social events, and I’ll be available to help people in the gym, if they want that,” Colin added.
In the coming weeks, there’s also plans for parent and child sessions. One of the barriers for many people wanting to access the gym is childcare, Colin said. With parent and child sessions, the parent will be able to use the gym while their child is looked after in the theatre/community hall and can get involved in multi-skill sports activities.
An annual membership to the gym is £260, or it's £25 for a monthly membership (£20 concessions). Alternatively, it's £6 pay as you go. Classes are also £6 pay as you go.
Bookable desks and shared workspace
On the first floor, is the stylish shared workspace area. Individuals or groups of colleagues can book a desk here for £9 per day (or £160 per month) and work from here. The desks come with superfast broadband and plugs – and you can even order your coffee or food from the café downstairs to your desk here.
There’s also a break-out space, designed for group discussion or for people to take phone calls, and a kitchen area if you want to bring your own food or drink.
You’ll also find a meeting room in this area, which seats up to 23 people. It can be booked for a work meeting or for a community group.
Barclays Bank
Barclays closed its Port Talbot town centre branch in 2022 – much to the dismay of its customers. However, there’s now a mini Barclays branch at the Plaza. It is staffed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Barclays customers can pop-in if they’re after advice, have any questions or need to do some general banking. The small bank doesn’t offer as many services as a full-size branch – so people may be directed to a full branch for any larger enquiries or issues with their accounts. However, Barclays say the mini bank will be able to support many local people.
PeoplePlus
The Port Talbot office for PeoplePlus has moved to the Plaza from elsewhere in the town centre. The organisation works alongside the Department for Work and Pensions and local employers to support local people back into work. The team support people in writing and updating their CVs and job applications and finding them training courses and employment. Staff say their new base in the Plaza is much more accessible than their previous office, and they’ve already seen an increase in the number of their clients engaging with their services and reaching out to them, in just a few weeks.
Sarandhels occasionwear agency
Accessed from the outside of the Plaza, Sarandhels occasion wear agency is open now and sells new and pre-loved occasion wear, shoes, bags and accessories. Founder, Helen Mitchell explained: "My occasionwear agency sells items that have either been bought new and never worn for whatever reason or they have very little wear. Members of the public can make an appointment for me to assess their items. If I feel they are in excellent condition, I showcase them in my shop and on the shop's Facebook page."
She added: "This allows the public to come in to the shop and try on the clothes too. I agree a price and if the items sell, the customer splits the sale fee with Sarandhels. This gives the people of Port Talbot and surrounding areas, the opportunity to buy quality occasion wear and accessories at a reduced cost. I also sell on behalf of the charity Sandville, and the charity receives 50% of the sales."
"The reason I opened the occasionwear agency is that when I was a dance teacher in Port Talbot for over 20 years, I always had to go out of town to buy my clothes for special occasions," Helen added. "Also I always paid high prices for my outfits, only to be worn once!
"I thought it would be good for the people of Port Talbot and surrounding areas to have the opportunity to buy quality occasionwear at a reduced cost. I have been open since November and already had the pleasure to dress mothers of the brides and grooms from head to toe. It is so rewarding to help the community in such difficult times!"
Sarandhels is open from 10am to 4pm Tuesdays to Saturdays.
The Old Mill Foundation health shop and holistic therapies
In the next few months, a new health shop run by the Old Mill Foundation will open in the Plaza. The organisation has bases across south and southwest Wales and provides physical and emotional support for people living with cancer, and their families.
The shop will stock vitamins and minerals and foods that help with the side effects of cancer treatment, and the team will offer holistic therapies such as scar-tissue massage, on Thursdays. These treatments will be available for cancer patients and will be free.
“Our treatments work alongside conventional therapies,” founder of the Old Mill Foundation, Sarah Clark said. “Our health shop will have vitamins and minerals and food that supports people going through cancer treatments, we’ll also be there offering nutrition advice."
"We'll be working with the community to see what’s needed locally," added deputy-CEO Vicky Blake. "We're also looking for volunteers, aged 18+, to volunteer with us." For more information about the Old Mill Foundation, or to enquire about volunteering with them, visit the Old Mill Foundation’s Facebook page here.
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