When I was a child I got the chance to sleep and have adventures staying in this former shepherd's house, on a remote hill outside of Abergavenny. Those times inspired me to believe in myself, in the power of the landscape and in the possibility of making a difference in the world. We want to make sure that other people have this same opportunity, particularly children and young people who do not get a chance to enjoy the outdoors.
As a community group who share the same vision, we've been consulting with children, young people and outdoor educationalists, to find out what we need to do to make the cottage work for groups now. Volunteers have been cleaning and repairing, digging trenches for a water supply and securing funding to renovate. The builder is just finishing the kitchen. The property now has solar power and showers. But, we are short of the last few thousand to finish the work, and we need money to install fire alarms and lighting, and to repair the fireplace.
We need your help now. And we hope you would like to become a Friend of Pen y Cae, and give us a small donation every month, so that we can help keep this opportunity open to as many people as possible in the future.
You may have known my Dad - John Larkins - who set up this project more than forty years ago. At the age of 21 he cycled to Llantony from near Heathrow airport, where he grew up. That was his first taste of the Black Mountains. He became determined to share his joy and adventure with other young people.
You may have gone to Portway School and got a chance to stay here yourself. Or you may just care about sharing this sort of opportunity with as many people as possible. Whatever your motivation - we are really happy to connect, or reconnect with you.