Menter Felinheli

Beth am brynu ein Marina

Let's buy our Marina

Rydym wedi pennu targed o £300,000 erbyn y 15fed o Ragfyr, a'r agosach y byddwn at y swm hwnnw, y mwyaf y bydd ein cyfleoedd o fod yn llwyddiannus.

We have set a target of £300,000 by the 15th of December, and the closer we come to that sum, the higher our chances of being successful will be.

At a public meeting held in the village in July 2023, strong support was shown for the objectives of the Initiative. The intention is to develop the resources within the village for the benefit of the local community. It is necessary to be inclusive and consider everyone's input locally while developing projects and plans for the community's well-being.

As our first project, Menter Felinheli is considering the possibility of buying the Marina at Y Felinheli, which has been in the hands of the receiver since June 2023.

The marina is on a very significant site – indeed, this is the reason for the existence of the village, as it was the port where Dinorwig slate was exported to all four corners of the world. But despite past efforts, there is nothing to link the location's history with the modern age.

The marina was created on the outskirts of the village in the 1980s, but to a large extent, it exists as a separate community – we hope to change this for the benefit of the community in Felinheli.

If successful, this will be the first community enterprise in Wales to own a marina, although examples already exist in Scotland. 

These are very early days for Menter Felinheli and whatever happens to the marina in the future, there will be other valuable projects that the initiative can support for the benefit of the village and its people.

So many questions? ... well here are some answers (English below)

Pam a sut mae prynu marina

Mae’n cais i brynu marina a harbwr Y Felinheli i’r gymuned wedi codi lot o gwestiynau. Dyma atebion i rai o’r rhai mwyaf cyffredin.

Menter Felinheli

Be ydi Menter Felinheli?

Sefydlwyd Menter Felinheli yn gynharach eleni hefo’r bwriad o fanteisio ar gyfleon perthnasol i wella’r pentre yn economaidd ac yn gymdeithasol. Mae 34 menter debyg drwy Wynedd yn unig, yn rhedeg bob math bethau o siopau a thafarnau i theatrau a chynlluniau cynhyrchu trydan. Eu bwriad nhw i gyd yn y bôn, ydi i ddarparu adnoddau i’r gymuned a chreu elw i fuddsoddi mewn cynlluniau eraill yn y cymunedau hynny.

Pam bod ei angen o?

Mae yn ffordd dda o ddenu buddsoddiad. Mae yna lot o grantiau arian cyhoeddus ar gael i wireddu prosiectau cymunedol, ond mae’n rhaid cael corff addas i geisio am y grantiau yna. Mentrau cymunedol, fel yr un yma, ydi’r ffordd orau o wneud hynny.

Be ydech chi’n wybod am waith o’r math yma?

Mae’r bobol sydd y tu ôl i’r Fenter hefo profiad helaeth o redeg mentrau cymunedol, busnesau, a denu grantiau o ffynhonellau cyhoeddus.

Prosiect y marina

Pam ydech chi isho prynu’r marina?

Y peth cyntaf ydi, gan ei fod o ar werth, rŵan. Mae o’n gyfle unigryw i sicrhau fod adnodd o’r fath hefo dyfodol sicrach yn nwylo lleol. Ryden ni isho cadw’r elw o’r lle yn lleol a’i ddefnyddio er budd pobol leol. Ers degawdau mae lot fawr o’r elw o’r harbwr a’r marina wedi gadael y pentref. Os gallwn ni ei brynu fe fydd yr elw yna yn aros yma, i ddatblygu mwy o swyddi a phrosiectau yn y pentre. 

Faint mae o am gostio?

Allwn ni ddim datgelu’r pris rydan ni wedi gynnig oherwydd cyfrinachedd masnachol. Ond rydan ni wedi cael arbenigwyr i’n cynghori ar be ydi gwerth y lle ac mae’r cynnig yn seiliedig ar hynny. Rhaid pwysleisio hefyd ei fod yn gynnig cyfrifol – ein prif nôd ydi ychwanegu gwerth i’r pentre, felly roedd yn rhaid i ni fod yn ofalus nad oedden ni yn cynnig mwy na gwerth y safle i’r gymuned.

Mae o’n swnio fel rhywbeth sydd ddim ond ar gyfer bobol posh hefo lot o bres. Be ga’ i allan ohono fo?

Dim o gwbwl. Holl bwynt y cynnig yma ydi i ddod a budd i’r pentre cyfan. Os gallwn ni brynu’r  safle, mae o’n creu cyfle wedyn i gadw’r elw o redeg y lle yn y gymuned. Os medrwn ni godi’r gwariant oddiyno, bydd mwy o bobol yn gwario’i harian yn lleol. Fe fydd hynny’n helpu busnesau eraill yn y pentref. Ac fe fydd yr elw o redeg y safle yn cael ei sianelu yn ôl i wella’r marina a’r harbwr ac i brosiectau eraill yn y gymuned yn y dyfodol.

Be fyddech chi’n wneud hefo’r safle pe baech chi yn llwyddo?

Y peth cyntaf fyddai sicrhau swyddi’r bobol sydd yn gweithio yno a rhoi rhywfaint o sicrwydd i’r busnesau sy’n gweithredu oddi yna.  Mae’n rhy gynnar i fynd i fanylion ynglŷn a datblygiadau, ond mae yna lot o bosibiliadau cyffrous i’r lle. Yn dilyn esiampl Port Patrick yn Yr Alban, lle mae menter debyg wedi prynu marina yno, fe fydd modd i ni fel cymuned wneud yn siŵr bod y safle yn fwy hygyrch i bobol Felinheli drwy ddefnyddio’r gofod prin sydd yna fel adnodd cymunedol, er enghraifft cynnal gŵyl fwyd môr a gweithgareddau tebyg. Mi fyddai hynny’n gyfle i ni fel pentre deimlo mai ni sy’ bia’r ardal.

Oes angen buddsoddi lot mewn gwaith cynnal a chadw?

Mae ‘na ambell beth fydd angen sylw ond dim byd yn syth bin. ‘Da ni wedi derbyn barn peirianydd profiadol fel ein bod ni’n gallu blaenoriaethu. 

Os ydi busnes masnachol profiadol wedi methu, be sy’n gwneud i chi feddwl y byddwch chi yn llwyddo?

Roedd y perchenog blaenorol yn berchen ar bump marina, Y Felinheli yn un o’r rheiny, ac mae’r cyfan hefo’i gilydd wedi mynd yn fethdalwr. O edrych ar y ffigurau ryden ni’n hyderus y byddai rhedeg yr harbwr a’r marina mewn ffordd wahanol yn llwyddiannus. Fyddai Menter Felinheli ddim jysd yn mynd a’r elw i ffwrdd, fe fydden ni yn ei fuddsoddi er lles tymor hir y marina a’r pentref.

Fydd ‘na fwy o swyddi yn cael ei creu?

Y cam cyntaf ydi diogelu’r swyddi sydd yno ar hyn o bryd. Tu hwnt i hynny mae llawer o bosibiliadau am ddatblygu’r safle fyddai, gobeithio, yn creu mwy o swyddi uniongyrchol, a rhai lleol, a fyddai yn cadw’r budd yn lleol. 

Ydech chi’n meddwl bod pobol y pentre yn cefnogi?

Ydyn, heb amheuaeth. Rydan ni wedi cynnal dau gyfarfod cyhoeddus hyd yma a does dim byd ond cefnogaeth wedi cael ei fynegi yn y cyfarfodydd hynny. Mae gan bobol lot o gwestiynau yn amlwg ond mae pob sgwrs rydan ni’n gael yn creu mwy a mwy o gefnogaeth.

Be ydech chi’n wybod am sut i redeg marina?

Mae rheolwr a staff y marina a’r harbwr yn brofiadol tu hwnt - mae nhw’n dallt y busnes yn dda iawn. Os llwyddwn ni, y nhw fydd yn rhedeg y lle o ddydd i ddydd ac fe fyddwn ni’n gweithio’n agos hefo nhw ynglyn ag unrhyw gynlluniau i fuddsoddi a datblygu.

Y cyfranddaliadau

Faint fyddan nhw’n gostio?

Mae rhanddaliadau yn costio £1 yr un, gyda lleifswm gwariant o £100 (100 rhanddaliad).

Faint ddylai pobol brynu?

Mae cyllideb pawb yn wahanol wrth gwrs, ond fe gaiff unigolion fuddsoddi hyd at £100,000 yn y Fenter pe byddai nhw eisiau. Rydan ni’n apelio ar bobol i brynu nifer o shârs os gallan nhw, ond wrth gwrs mae pob un sy’n cael ei werthu yn mynd a ni gam yn nes at y targed.

Be ga’i nol am y buddsoddiad?

Mae hyn ychydig yn wahanol i fuddsoddiad mewn cyfranddaliadau arferol. Ar ôl y dair mlynedd gyntaf gall y Bwrdd (a fydd yn un etholedig) benderfynu faint o lôg fyddai’r fenter yn ei dalu ar  fuddsoddiadau. Gall buddsoddwyr ddewis gadael yr elw yno neu dderbyn beth bynag fysa’r penderfyniad ar y llôg. Ac wrth gwrs, fe allwch chi dynnu eich arian allan yn y dyfodol pe bae chi eisiau gwneud hynny. Dyma’r drefn arferol hefo mentrau cymunedol o’r math yma.

Dwi ddim yn defnyddio’r marina – pam ddyliwn i fuddsoddi?

Buddsoddi yn nyfodol y pentref a’i economi fyddwch chi. Fe fydd yn helpu’ch cymdogion a’ch ffrindiau a’ch teulu drwy helpu i greu dyfodol mwy llewyrchus i’r pentref.

Be fyse’n digwydd i mhres i os na lwyddwch chi i brynu’r marina?

Does dim perygl o fath yn y byd i’ch buddsoddiad. Os nad ydi’n cais ni am y marina yn cael ei dderbyn, fe fydd yna brosiectau eraill y bydd Menter Felinheli yn ymgymryd a nhw yn y pentref. Ac wrth gwrs, fe all unrhyw un dynnu eu pres allan ar unrhyw adeg.

Why and how to buy a marina

Our bid to purchase the marina and harbour for the community has raised many questions. Here we provide answers for some of the more commonly-asked ones.

Menter Felinheli

What is Menter Felinheli?

Menter Felinheli was set up earlier this year with the aim of securing benefits from relevant opportunities in order to improve the village economically and socially. There are 34 similar initiatives throughout Gwynedd alone, running all sorts of things from shops and pubs to theatres and electricity generation schemes. Their aim, essentially, is to provide resources to the community and generate profits to invest in other schemes in those communities.

Why is it needed?

It’s a good way of attracting investment. There are many public funding grants available to deliver community projects, but there has to be a suitable body to apply for those grants. Community enterprises, like this one, are the best way of doing that.

What do you know about work of this kind?

The people behind the initiative have extensive experience in running community enterprises, and businesses and attracting grants from public sources.

The marina project

Why do you want to buy the marina?

The first thing is, because it’s for sale, now. It’s a unique opportunity to ensure that such a resource has a more secure future in local hands. We want to keep the profit from the site-local and use it for the benefit of local people. A great deal of the profit from the harbour and marina over the decades has left the village. If we can buy it that profit will stay here, to develop more jobs and projects in the village. 

How much will it cost?

We can’t reveal the price we have offered because of commercial confidentiality. But we’ve had experts to advise us on the value of the place and our bid is based on that evaluation. It must also be emphasised that it is a responsible proposal – our main aim is to add value to the village, so we’ve been very careful to not offer more than the value of the site to the community.

It sounds like something that’s just for posh people with lots of money. What will I get out of it?

That isn’t the case. The whole point of this proposal is to provide benefits for the whole village. If we can buy it, this will create an opportunity to keep the profits from the site in the community. If we can increase expenditure there, more people will be spending their money locally. That will help other businesses in the village. Profits from the operation of the site will be channelled back to enhance the marina and harbour and for other community projects in the future.

What would you do with the site if you were successful?

The first thing would be to secure the jobs of the people who work there and give some certainty to the businesses that operate from there. It is too early to go into detail about developments, but there are lots of exciting possibilities. Following the example of Port Patrick in Scotland, where a similar enterprise has bought a marina, we as a community will be able to make the site more accessible to the people of Felinheli by using the limited space that exists as a community resource, for example, holding a seafood festival and similar activities. That would be an opportunity for us as a village to feel that the area is ours.

Does a lot need to be invested in maintenance?

There are a few things that will need attention but nothing straight away. We’ve received advice from an experienced engineer so that we can prioritise. 

If an experienced commercial business has failed, what makes you think you will succeed?

The previous owner owned five marinas, Y Felinheli’s being one of them, and they all went bankrupt together. Having looked at the figures, we are confident that running the harbour and marina in a different way would be successful. Menter Felinheli would not take the profits away, we would invest them for the long-term benefit of the marina and the village.

Will there be more jobs created?

The first step is to safeguard the jobs that are currently there. Beyond that there are many possibilities for developing the site which, hopefully, would create more direct jobs, and local ones, which would retain the benefit locally. 

Do you think the people of the village are in support?

Yes, without a doubt. We’ve held two public meetings so far and have been delighted by the levels of support that’s been expressed. People obviously have lots of questions but every conversation we have creates more and more support.

What do you know about how to run a marina?

The site’s manager and staff are extremely experienced – they understand the business very well. If we succeed, they will run the place on a day-to-day basis and we will work closely with them on any plans to invest and develop.

The shares

How much will they cost?

Shares cost £1 each with a minimum spend of £100 (100 shares).

How many should people buy?

Everyone’s budget is different of course, but individuals can invest up to £100,000 in the initiative if they want to. We’re appealing to people to buy lots of shares if they can, but of course, every single one sold takes us closer to the target.

What do I get back for my investment?

This is slightly different from an investment in ordinary shares. After the first three years, the Board (which will be an elected one) can decide how much interest the initiative would pay on investments. Investors can choose to leave the profit there or take whatever interest is set. And, of course, you can withdraw your money in the future if you want to. This is the usual procedure with community enterprises of this kind.

I don’t use the marina – why should I invest?

You will be investing in the future of the village and its economy. It will help your neighbours, friends and family by helping to create a brighter future for the village.

What happens to my money if you aren’t able to buy the marina?

There is no danger of any kind to your investment. If our bid for the marina is not accepted, there will be other projects that Menter Felinheli will undertake in the village. And, of course, anyone can withdraw their money at any time.

Share Offer Document, Business Plan and Rules can be downloaded below.