The doors of Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre may be closed for the winter break but a successful grant funding bid means that volunteers and friends from the community can meet up and warm up weekly.

A Community Warm Spaces grant from Pembrokeshire County Council allows the centre to open its meeting room and annexe to groups and volunteers for the equivalent of two days a week during the closure period.

Trustee Tim Payne, who bid for the grant, said: “The centre has become much more than a museum, hosting various groups which meet regularly. With our winter closure period extended to save on high energy costs these groups were losing the meeting facility and in danger of folding.

“Also, a lesson from lockdowns was the need to provide regular social meeting places for our 60 plus volunteer team to retain their involvement with the centre and with colleagues, and this has already been well supported.”

The grant covers energy costs, volunteer expenses and refreshment costs. The gatherings are on Tuesday mornings from 10.30am to 12.30pm with Friday mornings likely as well.

Over the closure period several changes are taking place to the centre’s display areas, including the flying boat workshop, and re-creating a children’s play area. This work team is being led by maintenance trustee Rik Saldanha. The centre re-opens on February 20, 2023.