The future of the Herb Garden Cafe in Llandrindod Wells has been secured thanks to over 200 donors pitching in to raise £50,000 to transform it into a community cafe.

Raised in just six weeks, the money will enable the much-loved cafe to keep its doors open now its owner, Sally Bramhall, is retiring.

When Sally struggled to find a buyer for the cafe last year, staff and customers rallied round to form a committee to run the cafe as a Community Benefit Society (CBS).

They then appealed for other members of the community to come onboard as shareholders for as little as £20. The support soon came flooding in, with one donor pledging £10,000.

Over 200 people bought shares and therefore became members, with purchases coming from as far away as Hull, London, Cornwall and Canada.

Sally Bramhall said: “We are absolutely delighted with the level of support we have been shown.

“We would like to thank all those people who have bought shares and also all the wonderful people who have given freely of their time to make this happen over the last year.

“We could never have done this without them.”

The members will now be asked to come forward to sit on the new management committee, as agreed in the CBS rules.

An election will take place towards the middle of June. The cafe will then close for one week in early July for refurbishment and redecoration.

The successful takeover means that the cafe will continue to provide a unique service to residents and visitors of Llandrindod, offering a range of foods to suit all dietary needs and a venue for community groups and activities.

Dorienne Robinson, chairman of the community cafe management committee, said: “200 shareholders now own this cafe. To all of them I say, use it, be a part of it but most of all enjoy it.”