A unique Machynlleth project, which is looking to bring a community sauna to the Powys town, hopes to be up and running by the end of 2024. Having received £20,000 in funding from the National Lottery Awards for All grant earlier this summer, the Sawna Dyfi Project are hoping to make their initiative a reality by creating a community sauna for Machynlleth by the end of 2024. With a permanent home for the sauna already in mind, the team behind the project are looking into organising a pop-up scheme that they will begin work on in the “next few weeks”.
Sawna Dyfi’s Rob Key said: “There have been a few similar successful projects in the UK over the years and I also knew there used to be some semi-informal community saunas in Machynlleth, mainly from people building their own private ones and inviting people round. “When I became aware of both I was inspired by the similar projects and decent demand in the area, I kicked off the project in early 2024. “It began with just me but then grew to a non-profit company made up of a team of four, which now has National Lottery funding behind it.
“We’ve approached the council over having a permanent site at a disused piece of land in Y Plas grounds, with an understanding to lease the site when the project is up and running, but as that’s a Grade II listed building that would be a lengthy planning process. “In the meantime, we’re looking to build a portable unit that we hope to have at pop-up locations for 28 days at .