A small village is set for a cash windfall from the sale of its school building four years after it was shut.

It is hoped that the cash injection will bring the community back together after children from the area moved to different schools.

Ysgol Rhydgaled near Groes on the Conwy and Denbighshire border closed its doors after 136 years of history in July 2014 and money from the sale of the building will be used to promote the Welsh language in the area.

The Welsh medium school’s 19 pupils were transferred to neighbouring schools, the closure followed a fifteen year campaign to save the school.

A meeting of Conwy’s cabinet next Tuesday is expected to approve giving £37,840 over 10 years to the board of the village hall, Neuadd Goffa Plwyf y Bylchau.

Ffion Clwyd Edwards, Chair of Ysgol Rhydgaled Friends Committee said: “Ysgol Rhydgaled offered a vibrant and quality Welsh language medium education to generations of children for 136 years, and its closure was a difficult pain to bear.

During the past four years, members of this community have worked tirelessly to ensure that Conwy council do not forget these children.”

She added: “Community payback will go some way to ensure that the children of this area  can access bilingual social activities with support, well-being and health benefits forming an integral part of their future.”

An auction in December 2015 brought in £195,000 for the school building when it was sold. Once fees were subtracted, a sum of £189,201 was credited to Education Services.

At the time of the sale the county’s cabinet decided: “That cabinet agree in principle, once the process of the sale of the Rhydgaled School and School House has commenced, to discuss further the release of a community payback fund.”

The money is to be awarded on the basis that it is to be used for the purpose of organising activities and events and providing IT and other infrastructure to enhance the facilities in and around the village hall.

A report before the cabinet said: “The community of Rhydgaled and nearby Groes has a strong Welsh cultural tradition. Village life centred about the school and continues in the Village Hall in Groes. The community have expressed the opinion that once the school closed, there is little to bring the community together and this is to the detriment of community life and the Welsh language in particular.”

Proposals on using the funds would see the hall’s committee working with various organisations to deliver the aims of the fund. This includes working with Conwy Youth Service to deliver activities for young people as well as working with Wales Young Farmers Club, Urdd, and Menter Iaith Conwy to organise events and enhance the provision available to children and young people.

Cllr Garffild Lloyd Lewis, lead member on education said: “I fully support the proposal based on the Cabinet minute, and discussions with the local member who has highlighted the community benefits of the payback fund.”