For a number of years ,HBTSR has helped Swansea Sanctuary seeking support groups with Christmas celebrations and part of this support has revolved around gifts donated by Breconshire schools, churches and supporters. This year as well, many generous gifts have been donated by  pupils and staff of Brecon and Gwernyfed High Schools, Llangors CIW , Llangattock CIW  and Ysgol y Mynydd Du  primary schools and TimeOut group.
Each school had planned their giving in different ways. Llangattock CIW school  pupils’ council discussed that they wanted to help families seeking sanctuary and designed a poster to encourage gifts.  They stored the gifts in their Sanctuary corner and were able to hand over the gifts to representatives of HBTSR.

Ysgol Y Mynydd Du asked each pupil to design a gift bag with a message of support and to put items into their bag. These bags were carefully loaded into boxes for pick up.

Llangors CIW school PTFA helped to promote the collection alongside their Christmas hampers for raffle prizes..

Pupils at Brecon and Gwernyfed High schools were encouraged to think about what might be a welcome gift  to someone living on a small amount of money and away from home.  Gifts were collected together ready for collection at both High Schools with the help  of teachers.

More than 600 gift bags  of various sizes and shapes, many containing a number of gifts were taken to Swansea by Colin Preece, Lawrence Duffy and Ailsa Dunn   on Tuesday 10th December in a large trailer that Colin had managed to borrow. If the trailer hadn’t been available we would have had to make at least  6 journeys .. The gifts  will be shared  between Unity in Diversity and Swansea asylu seekers support to give to  the families and others seeking sanctuary.

As Ian, the Vicar of St James Church,  who host Swansea Asylum Seekers Support group quipped, ‘Most people have heard of the  Christmas Shoebox appeal. Now see the  HBTSR  Horse box appeal!’

please see above to Llangattock school where the camel came from and we know this toy will be very popular in Swansea.

A M  had to flee from her country when a change of government threatened the life of her husband. She had to leave a comfortable lifestyle  seek sanctuary in the UK with her husband and children. She speaks poignantly about the loss of her old life and the difficulties of not being allowed to work and the hand to mouth  existence as an Asylum Seeker. She said,‘ For the past two years my daughters had a wonderful Christmas ,thanks to Hay Brecon group and the schools. It would  be such a pleasure to meet pupils and speak to them and thank the Hay Brecon team and the schools for everything they do for us in person. ‘

HBTSR secretary Ailsa Dunn said,’It has been uplifting and humbling to see the happiness and kindness on the faces of local children who seem really pleased to be able to give gifts to people they know are so much less fortunate than themselves. Equally it is an enormous privilege  for us to be able to help bring some happiness into the lives of people seeking sanctuary. We are delighted that a number of local schools are working towards recognition as Schools of Sanctuary ; an award which recognises that they are especially welcoming and inclusive places to be educated.’