About Us
The story so far...
In 2010 Siop Griffiths, one of the oldest buildings in Penygroes, closed its doors after more than 100 years of business. From 1828 to the First World War it was a tavern, the Stag's Head. Then, in 1925, Siop Griffiths opened as an ironmongers, a family business for 85 years.
After Siop Griffiths closed its doors in 2010, the building was fast turning into a ruin and was empty for a few years. It was a huge loss for the village, so a group of people came together and tried to think of a plan to restore the old building and offer something new to the community.
A Community Benefit Society was established by the group of volunteers to ensure the building stayed in the hands of the community, for the benefit of the community. In 2016 Siop Griffiths was bought with money raised by the community and in 2019 a second building was bought on the original site.
Numerous consultations were held with the local people in order to understand what exactly the community wanted here in the Nantlle Valley and as a result, a detailed business plan was created.
Over 3 years Siop Griffiths raised £900,000. The money has renovated 3 buildings, and opened a café, accommodation, guesthose, offices and a digital centre for young people. There are also several community projects on site, which use dozens of volunteers to deliver the social enterprise's community benefit.
Our next step is to renovate the old stables behind the main building to create more accommodation and a bike shed for our electric bikes.
Yr Orsaf's team has changed and grown since employing the first member back in 2019, and by now there are 9 members of staff either working full or part time. The cafe is run by an independent individual and he's also responsible for the cafe staff.
The group of volunteers who established the enterprise are still working hard behind the scenes and have monthly meetings to discuss developments, any issues that rise and plans for the future.
Although we have some income by now, we still rely on grants and funding for the staff's future.
Yr Orsaf has brought life back to the old building and can finally offer something back to the community once again.