Scores of people filled the Alexandra Hall in Llangammarch Wells recently for the launch of RE-think’s Fundraising Campaign.

In total, more than £2,600 was raised to support the group’s fight against industrial scale wind farms and associated pylons being proposed across Mid Wales, leading the organisers to declare it a “resounding success”.

RE-think was very honoured to welcome the Chair of Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) Jonty Colchester as guest speaker, along with his wife, Zara.

The group was also delighted that Cllr Sarah Jones, Mayor of Llanwrtyd Wells and Cllr Kay Coldrick, Chair of Llangammarch Community Council were also able to attend. Cllr Coldrick kindly led the evening’s proceedings.

Mr Colchester spoke of the importance of the RE-think campaign, and pledged CPRW’s ongoing support. He described Bute Energy, which is planning up to 16 windfarms plus overhead power lines in Mid Wales, as a “spec developer” which had never built a windfarm but was looking to play the subsidy system in order to make a quick buck.

He also reminded guests of the centuries of co-operative effort that had gone into creating Mid Wales’s treasured landscapes, whilst also referring to the fragility of the social and economic systems that sustain it.

Both CPRW and RE-think are promoting a petition calling for a temporary moratorium on large-scale onshore wind developments. This is until the Welsh Government updates its energy policies, it says, to reflect the advances of other technologies and includes the full potential of offshore wind. The petition was circulated during the evening.

RE-think Chair Jenny Chryss updated guests on the campaign’s progress, and what was likely to follow over the next few months, warning that there must be no let-up in the fight. She urged people to learn as much as possible about the proposals now, so that they could make an informed response to any future planning applications.

Central to the evening was a highly successful auction with top-quality items donated by local businesses and individuals. These included Wales v France Six Nations rugby tickets, vouchers for meals and spa treatments at a local hotel, a Welsh Overland Safari, and a three- night break at a holiday cottage in Pembrokeshire.

There was also a raffle which drew plenty of support. A bar and light refreshments were provided entirely through the efforts of local volunteers, to whom the RE-think committee are extremely grateful.

One of the main attractions was the superb “Monty Pylon Jazz Band,” along with their fabulous singer, Becca “Turbine in a Hurricane” O’Hara. They played tirelessly and evocatively throughout the evening, and kept going almost until the last guest had left.

After the event, Jenny Chryss said: “I can’t thank people enough for the effort they have made. The volunteers who organised, catered, sung, played, washed up, sold tickets and beer, ran the auction and the raffle or simply came along have my heart-felt thanks. So too do all the individuals and businesses who contributed to making the evening such a success.

“It has been so humbling to see how much support there is for our campaign. Many people expect their lives and livelihoods to be ruined if the proposals of Bute Energy to build massive wind farms plus a power line through the area go ahead. And while others might not be directly affected, they, like me, fear the ruination of the ecology, environment and much-loved landscape for miles around.”

The petition requires 10,000 signatures to stand a chance of triggering a debate in the Senedd.

More information about RE-think’s campaign can be found on their website.

The petition can be found on CPRW website here, If you would like to sign a paper copy, or you would be willing to help collect signatures, please contact RE-think or CPRW.