Interior designer and television personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has joined charity Connect to Purpose, which provides retreats for disadvantaged families, to restore one of Wales' oldest homes here in Cowbridge.

One of the finest and most complete early gentry houses in the Vale of Glamorgan, Plas Llanmihangel is currently for sale for £1.3 million.

Connect to Purpose aims to purchase and restore the Grade 1 listed manor house, and turn it into a safe and peaceful space for disadvantaged young people and their families from across South Wales.

The support offered to families will include personal development coaching, health and wellbeing therapies, education and creative arts (including film-making, art, music and photography), opportunities to enjoy the surrounding countryside and help in the conservation of the manor.

The charity also intends to share the historic home with the wider community; offering bed and breakfast, and holiday rental accommodation for public use as well as hosting wellbeing retreats and open days, and holding an annual medieval festival of arts.

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, said: "I am compelled to support this extraordinarily exciting initiative to revivify one of my favourite Welsh buildings and give it a new life that is so thoughtful and so very relevant today.

"Now is the time to start saying to everyone, we have got an idea that will make a big change but it's actually asking a small thing from you; all we need from you is a little bit of money, to just start greasing these wheels, which means that we can start to create this vision of, as I say, brand Plas Llanmihangel."

"We are really fortunate to have charismatic interior designer and TV personality, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, on board with us, taking part in our crowdfunding launch and supporting our mission. We are inspired by his empathetic understanding of our project and his creative insight into how we take this special vision forward," said the charity.

"This property has been uninhabited since January 2018. The outcome of the project is the rescue of one of Wales' oldest homes and, rather than let it fall into the hands of private residents, restore it to a comfortable family home to be shared with its wider community; including a diverse range of people who would not normally experience a stay in historic accommodation.

"It will provide opportunities for both local employment, giving it an economic value in this rural area, and a high level of volunteering, encouraging social interaction and promoting wellbeing.

"The historical and inherent spirituality of Plas Llanmihangel, and its perfect tranquil setting deep in Glamorgan countryside, lends itself to this development as a retreat. However, it does require substantial refurbishment and some restoration; we will be applying to the National Lottery Enterprise fund and other grant-making bodies."

In order to purchase Plas Llanmihangel, the charity has launched a crowdfunding page.

To find out more about the project, visit www.plasllanmihangel.com.