"Bethshan was opened as a result of the vision and passion of Hope Community Church who took up the challenge to provide Newtown with its only Nursing Home. Our dream was to provide a place where the frail elderly could be cared for with love, dignity and excellence in an environment grounded in Christian principles, yet open to all regardless of their personal faith. The name "Bethshan" was chosen because it means "House of Security" and our goal was for every resident to experience a sense of peace and security which would be a blessing both to them and their families. The trustees are committed to ensuring that Bethshan is a great place to live and a great place to work and we seek to ensure that our values permeate every aspect of the home. Our Church calls Bethshan "the miracle on the hill", and we are both humbled and thrilled that we have been able to play a role in meeting the needs of the elderly in Mid-Wales."

- Rev. Alan Hewitt: Chair of Trustees Senior Pastor of Hope Community Church

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Sometime ago, in beautiful Mid-Wales, Hope Community Church (previously known as Newtown Pentecostal Church) began to address the need for suitable housing for the elderly in the Newtown area. The motivation for this concept was driven by a belief that to be relevant, Christian compassion must be practical, and should be addressing the needs amongst its community.

The initial ideas were taken forward with the formation of Bethshan Sheltered Housing Project in April 1996 with the aim of providing quality care and support for older people living in the locality. Whilst the basic philosophy of the project is unashamedly Christian, the intention has always been to be totally inclusive.

After much research and discussion with voluntary and statutory bodies, in October 1997 planning permission was granted to build a 40-bedded Nursing Home at Heol Treowen in Newtown.

In the summer of 1999 we were delighted to receive a visit from HRH The Prince of Wales. He visited the Open Door Day Centre, which is held in the church, and talked with many of the clients. He then viewed the plans for the nursing home and discussed the needs of older people with the project team. At that time only half of the funds to build the nursing home had been raised.

As part of our fundraising campaign, we opened a Charity Shop in the centre of Newtown, with the aim of raising funds for the building project, and to help raise awareness of the needs of older people in our community.

The shop is open 6 days a week and is run by a dedicated team of volunteers. Towards the end of 1999, contractors began building the Nursing Home. In May 2001 after 5 years of research, planning, fundraising (over £2 million raised) and building, the Home was completed and opened. Within 3 months of opening, the Home was fully occupied.