The organisers of the Healing the Wounds Golden Grove Mansion Appeal have been bowled over by the response to a HTV Wales programme featuring their campaign.
It has made a huge difference to public awareness, said Kevin Richards, Director of Healing the Wounds, the appeal fund which aims to turn the famous Golden Grove Mansion in the Tywi Valley into a convalescent home for the Armed Forces.
The appeal is already being talked about within the local community, but the HTV Wales Sharp End programme took us to a whole new, national level, said Mr Richards.
The feedback to the programme has been tremendous. A lot of people out there are unaware of the difficulties our servicemen and servicewomen face when they return from the battlefields and when they try to rebuild their lives in the civilian community.
The programme presented the shock statistic (reported by the Howard League for Penal Reform) that as many as one in 10 of British soldiers who have fought overseas end up in jail after they leave the army.
That is a very shocking figure and illustrates the challenge that we face in making sure that the proper support and care is provided to people when they leave the services or return from the horrors of the battlefield.
Plaid Cymru MP Elfyn Llwyd spoke very eloquently on the programme. He has been warning that the numbers of people ending up in jail and in trouble could be even higher in future as more troops return from battle.
They often suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and Mr Llwyd has been very vocal already in calling on the Government to fund a specialist treatment centre in Wales.
Mr Richards added: Our Healing the Wounds appeal would aim to create just such a centre at Gelli Aur Golden Grove Mansion and all we need is a total of 200,000 to kick-start the project and exchange contracts on a property which would be ideal as a convalescent centre.
As well as looking to treat post traumatic stress disorder, we would also be able to build in retraining programmes, where people leaving the armed forces can learn new skills, everything from being a plumber or a plasterer or an electrician.
The Sharp End programme has really helped focus the minds of the people of Wales that this is a worthy, much-needed project. Of crucial importance is the fact that we have a centre in Wales to treat and help the people of Wales.
Weblink to the Sharp End item presented by Lynn Courtney -<a href=" http://www.itv.com/wales/sharp-end32576 http://www.itv.com/wales/sharp-end32576">http://www.itv.com/wales/sharp-end32576</a>.
Weblink to the Healing the Wounds website - <a href=" http://www.occasionsdvd.co.uk/index.php">http://www.occasionsdvd.co.uk/index.php</a >
The Golden Grove Appeal (Healing the Wounds) has been launched for the purpose of raising the funds needed to enable the purchase of a suitable facility within Wales for the treatment of our Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans and their families, who are suffering from stress related illnesses such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and to provide a convalescent home to allow them to heal and recover from the traumas of conflict.
Golden Grove Mansion has become available for purchase with 100 acres of Country Park, which would provide a peaceful and beautiful environment that would be the perfect place for recovery.
However, if the sale of the property does not materialise, Healing the Wounds charity will continue to raise the funds needed for the purpose of searching for an alternative suitable property to facilitate treatments and convalescence for our Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans and their families.
This is and shall always remain the prime objective of the charity
Golden Grove Mansion was actually used as a hospital for American troops during the Second World War. It was first built in 1560 as the seat of the Vaughan family, descendants of the Princes of Powys. Two hundred years ago it passed to Lord Cawdor and the present mansion was built in 1834. In later years it housed an agricultural college, but is now empty. There are more than 150 rooms and the basic structure is sound. It is a grade II* listed building within a 100 acre conservation area and the grounds include a wooded Country Park, a visitor centre and cafe.
The appeal is more than halfway towards its initial target of raising 200,000.
Donations can be made
By post
To make your donation by post, please send a cheque payable to Golden Grove Appeal, together with your name address and post code to enable us to claim gift aid, to Golden Grove Appeal, 22 Abbey Road, Kenfig Hill, Bridgend, CF33 6HF
Give in person at Barclays Bank
Call into any branch of Barclays and pay your donation into this account:
Golden Grove Mansion Appeal
Sort code: 20-84-41
Account number: 90516929