LOCAL MPs Ben Lake and Jonathan Edwards joined Llandysul Paddlers’ club members, staff and the local community on Friday to celebrate the completion of the ‘Blue Shed Project’.

The initiative has seen a derelict building once the home of a fish and chip shop transformed into a state-of-the-art facility, almost a year since the devastating flooding brought about by Storm Callum.

Founded in 1984, the Llandysul Paddlers offer a range of canoeing activities on the River Teifi for around 20,000 visitors per year.

The club decided to create a new building to meet the needs of its members and staff in a location that would mean its young canoeists would no longer have to cross a busy road to get from one building to another while on-site.

Indeed, the flooding to the Paddlers’ original clubhouse in October 2018 also made the need for a new facility even greater.

The club was able to make the project a reality thanks to £60,000 of funding from Statkraft through the Alltwalis Community Benefit Fund, which in-turn helped them to unlock £160,000 from the Welsh Government’s Rural Development Programme.

The MPs and guest were given a tour of the new building, which features solar panels and a green roof, accessible changing facilities and a new reception area.

In addition, the building houses meeting rooms with computers and WiFi for community use and space to host seminars on topics such as water safety.

Ceredigion MP Ben Lake said: “It was a pleasure to have been invited to open this fantastic new building in Llandysul.

“As someone who grew up close to the River Teifi, it is really important to me that we have facilities in the community that offer people of all ages the opportunity to get active and enjoy the beautiful outdoors this part of Wales has to offer.”

MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Jonathan Edwards added: “It was great to take a tour of the new building and to see the huge transformation that has taken place.

“The Llandysul Paddlers offer fantastic facilities for our local community and I am delighted to have been able to celebrate this occasion alongside the staff and volunteers who work so hard to make the club a success.”

Gareth Bryant, Centre Manager at Llandysul Paddlers said: “We were delighted to have our local MPs with us to open our new building and mark this new, exciting chapter for the Llandysul Paddlers.

“The event was a fantastic way to celebrate all the hard work that has gone into making the Blue Shed Project a success and we would like to thank our MPs, Welsh Government, Statkraft and the Alltwalis Community Benefit Fund, and all of our staff, volunteers, members and visitors for their support, kindness and generosity.”