Sarah Brisco House, owned by The Sarah Brisco Trust, and occupied by Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council and The Robert Owen Museum, has received a welcome boost thanks to latest funding awards.
Plans to develop and modernise the historic Grade II listed building are now a step closer thanks to the award of a Capital Development Grant of £112,846 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The welcomed funding will enable a Project Board, consisting of members of the three parties, to work together to take forward the redevelopment of Sarah Briscoe House and the accredited, Robert Owen Museum.
An additional £4,754 has also been awarded by The Architectural Heritage Fund, along with contributions from the parties themselves. Funds will now be used to develop plans for the building, including studies to improve physical accessibility, community engagement and designs to create new community and business facilities.
Work has begun with the engagement of a Project Manager, before further consultant teams are procured in late 2025 to bring additional expertise to the project, including business planning, interpretation, community engagement and architectural design. Together, these teams will conduct architectural assessments and develop designs, review existing collections to identify new themes and stories, test ideas with local communities to understand their interest and needs, and look to redevelop the upper floors for improved community and business use.
The Robert Owen Museum will benefit from update to date, engaging new interpretation, retelling the story of Robert Owen, a nineteenth century pioneer of the worldwide cooperative movement, free education and better working conditions for all. New galleries will also aim to explore Newtown’s history and heritage while also welcoming local residents to help capture relevant contemporary stories and issues.
The Town Council will benefit from investment in a building fit for its democratic purposes in the 21st century with an emphasis on physical access to democracy and improved use of the building.
The Trust will benefit from investment it its attractive Grade II listed property to prevent irreversible decline.
The community will benefit from a town centre building modernised to 21st century standards for 21st century community use, and an attraction in its own right.
Community engagement is expected to begin in late 2025, with people and organisations from all backgrounds being invited to join the team on site, online and at outreach sessions to help inform the project and to support development of plans for future interpretation, events and activities on site. To become involved, please visit the Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council website and keep an eye on social media pages.
Upon completion, it is planned that Newtown will have a new heritage attraction and community centre, with modern, engaging and relevant displays, an inspiring learning hub and new meeting spaces available to support the communities of Newtown. The building will be more accessible with improved entranceways and access to the upper floors, while reconfigured museum galleries will provide meaningful and inclusive interpretation to visitors of all backgrounds.
A transformed Council Chamber will offer a multifunctional, digital space for the public, local organisations and businesses, along with offering a versatile learning space for local schools and education providers. A varied and high-quality activities and events programme will offer multiple opportunities for engagement, with operations underpinned by a detailed business plan, leading to a long-term, financially secure business model for Sarah Briscoe House.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
For more information see www.heritagefund.org.uk Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund
Datganiad i’r Wasg ar gyfer Prosiect Trawsnewid Tŷ Sarah Brisco 22/09/2025
Mae Tŷ Sarah Brisco, a eiddo i Ymddiriedolaeth Sarah Brisco, ac a gynhelir gan Gyngor Tref Newtown a Llanllwchaiarn yn ogystal â MUSEUM ROBERT OWEN, wedi derbyn hwb croesawgar diolch i ddyfarniadau ariannol diweddar.
Mae cynlluniau i ddatblygu a modernisio’r adeilad hanesyddol wedi’i raddio fel Gradd II bellach yn gam yn nes diolch i roi Grant Datblygu Cyfalaf o £112,846 gan Gronfa Treftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol. Bydd y cyllid a dderbyniwyd yn galluogi Bwrdd Prosiect, sy’n cynnwys aelodau o’r tri parti, i gydweithio i fynd â datblygiad Tŷ Sarah Brisco a’r MUSEUM ROBERT OWEN sydd wedi’i achredu yn ei flaen.
Mae £4,754 ychwanegol hefyd wedi’i ddyfarnu gan y Gronfa Treftadaeth Adeiladu, ynghyd â chymorth gan y tri parti eu hunain. Bydd y cyllid yn cael ei ddefnyddio i ddatblygu cynlluniau ar gyfer yr adeilad, gan gynnwys astudiaethau i wella hygyrchedd corfforol, ymrwymiadau cymunedol a dyluniadau i greu cyfleusterau newydd ar gyfer y gymuned a busnesau.
Mae gwaith wedi cychwyn gyda chymryd rhan Rheolwr Prosiect, cyn i dîmiau ymgynghorol pellach gael eu caffael ddiwedd 2025 i ddod â gwybodaeth ychwanegol i’r prosiect, gan gynnwys cynllunio busnes, dehongli, ymgysylltu â’r gymuned a dylunio pensaernïol. Bydd y tîmiau hyn yn cynnal asesiadau pensaernïol a datblygu dyluniadau, adolygu casgliadau presennol i nodi themâu a stori newydd, profi syniadau gyda chymunedau lleol i ddeall eu diddordeb a’u hanghenion, ac edrych i ailddatblygu’r lloriau uchaf ar gyfer defnydd gwell cymunedol a busnes.
Bydd Amgueddfa Robert Owen yn elwa ar ddiweddariadau cyfoes, gan ddod â dehongli newydd, adrodd stori Robert Owen, arloeswr o’r bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg o’r mudiad cydweithredol byd-eang, addysg rhad ac amodau gwaith gwell i bawb. Bydd y galeri newydd hefyd yn ceisio archwilio hanes a thraddodiad Newtown gan groesawu preswylwyr lleol i helpu i ddal straeon a phroblemau cyfoes perthnasol.
Bydd y Cyngor Tref yn elwa o fuddsoddiad mewn adeilad sy’n addas ar gyfer ei ddibenion democrataidd yn y 21ain ganrif gydag i bwyslais ar fynediad corfforol i ddemocratiaeth a defnyddio gwell y adeilad.
Bydd y Ymddiriedolaeth yn elwa o fuddsoddiad yn ei phropperti ddeniadol sy’n rhestru Gradd II i atal dirywiad annhebyg.
Bydd y gymuned yn elwa o adeilad yn y canol tref sydd wedi’i adfreshu i safonau’r 21ain ganrif ar gyfer defnydd cymunedol yn y 21ain ganrif, ac yn atyniad yn ei ffordd ei hun.
Disgwylir i ymgysylltiad â’r gymuned ddechrau ddiwedd 2025, gan wahodd pobl a sefydliadau o bob cefndir i ymuno â’r tîm ar y safle, ar-lein a mewn sesiynau allgymorth i helpu i hysbysu’r prosiect a chefnogi datblygiad cynlluniau ar gyfer dehongliad, digwyddiadau a gweithgareddau yn y dyfodol ar y safle. I ddod yn rhan, gwnewch yn siŵr i fynd i wefan Cyngor Tref Casnewydd a Llanllwchaiarn a chadw llygad ar dudalennau cyfryngau cymdeithasol.
Ar ôl cwblhau, mae cynlluniau ar gyfer Newtown i gael atyniad treftadaeth newydd a chanolfan gymunedol, gyda arddangosfeydd modern, deniadol a chysylltiedig, canolfan dysgu ysbrydoledig a mannau cyfarfod newydd ar gael i gynorthwyo cymunedau Newtown. Bydd y adeilad yn fwy hygyrch gyda phorthladdoedd gwell a mynediad i’r lloriau uwch, tra bydd orielau’r amgueddfa wedi’u hailfeddwl yn darparu dehongliad ystyrlon a chynhwysol i ymwelwyr o bob cefndir.
Bydd Siambr y Cyngor wedi’i thrawsnewid yn cynnig gofod digidol amlweithredol i’r cyhoedd, sefydliadau lleol a busnesau, yn ogystal â chynnig gofod dysgu amlbwrpas i ysgolion a darparwyr addysg lleol. Bydd rhaglen amrywiol o weithgareddau a digwyddiadau o safon uchel yn cynnig cyfleoedd lluosog ar gyfer cymryd rhan, gyda gweithrediadau’n seiliedig ar gynllun busnes manwl, gan arwain at fodel busnes ynni fydd ar ei ben ei hun yn hir-dymor, sy’n ariannol ddiogel ar gyfer Tŷ Sarah Briscoe.
Ynghylch Cronfa Treftadaeth Lotri Genedlaethol Mae ein gweledigaeth yn sicrhau bod treftadaeth yn cael ei pharchu, ei gofalu amdani ac ei chynnal ar gyfer pawb, nawr ac yn y dyfodol. Dyna pam, fel y buddwr mwyaf ar gyfer treftadaeth y DU, rydym wedi ymrwymo i gefnogi prosiectau sy’n cysylltu pobl a chymunedau â threfniadaeth, yn unol â’r cynllun strategol, Treftadaeth 2033. Gall treftadaeth fod yn unrhyw beth o’r gorffennol y mae pobl yn ei pharchu a phobl eisiau ei drosglwyddo i genedlaethau’r dyfodol. Credwn yn nerth treftadaeth i roi hwb i’r dychymyg, cynnig llawenydd ac ysbrydoliaeth, a chreu balchder yn y lle a chysylltiad â’r gorffennol. Yn ystod y degawd nesaf, rydym yn bwriadu buddsoddi £3.6 biliwn a godwyd ar gyfer achosion da gan chwaraewyr Lotri Genedlaethol i wneud gwahaniaeth pendant i bobl, lleoedd a chymunedau.
For more information see www.heritagefund.org.uk Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund