Welsh cultural centre plan for Wrexham pub Seven Stars

Supporters have already pledged £19,000 towards a takeover of the building

A community group hopes to turn a former Wrexham town centre pub into a Welsh cultural centre.

The volunteers want to make the Seven Stars - Saith Seren in Welsh - into a place where people come together using the medium of Welsh.

Wrexham councillor Marc Jones says the town has thousands of Welsh speakers who don't always use it because they are unsure who else can speak it.

He wants the venue to be a place where speakers and learners can interact.

Mr Jones helped to set up the organisation Canolfan Gymraeg Wrecsam, or Wrexham Welsh Centre, as a cooperative society.

It has pulled together volunteers from different backgrounds including a local solicitor, business people and micro brewer among others.

Money pledged

The plan is to "promote all things Welsh locally" serving food and drink downstairs with offices, meeting rooms and classes upstairs.

The volunteers have already secured £19,000 in pledges from supporters to take over the lease of the venue with plans to buy it in the future.

Society members are hosting public meetings in Welsh on Wednesday and English on Thursday to promote their ideas.

The sessions are being held at the Seven Stars itself on Chester Street at 14:00 BST, 17:00 BST and 19:00 BST.

Built in 1898, the listed Ruabon red brick building used to be a cinema.

It has a turret on the corner and a mural on its frontage.

The cooperative hopes to open the cultural centre in December.