This was the fourth visit to to Llangorse organised for young people supported by Newport Social Services’ Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children team. Building on the success of last year’s visit with an EYST families group, we chose the beautiful lakeside setting for a day of barbecuing, boating and outdoor activities.
The weather was glorious and everyone enjoyed a wonderful day together. It would not have been possible without the support of our fantastic volunteers: Colin, Lawrence, Rhiannon, Florence, Rowland, Claire, Lynne, Philip, Ailsa, Robbie, Ciaran, Nicola and Becs, together with Michael, Sam, Katie and, of course, the lovely group of teenagers who managed to be up in time for the journey!
Despite the negative media coverage that often surrounds people seeking asylum, the local community once again responded with warmth and generosity, helping to host a day of friendship, food and fun. With temperatures soaring, we decided against walking around the lake. Instead, many of our visitors enjoyed several trips out on the water, while others relaxed after lunch or had a go at circus skills and archery. Football made only a brief appearance before the heat persuaded everyone to seek the shade.
Setting up was made remarkably easy thanks to Colin, who transported gazebos, gas barbecues and tables. Volunteers arrived with an impressive selection of salads and homemade cakes, while Becs came armed with fruit and a food thermometer before cheerfully taking charge of the barbecue.
By the time Michael arrived with the minibus, fruit kebabs, watermelon, biscuits and cold drinks were all ready to enjoy. The only thing missing was tea and coffee—one of the few drawbacks of holding an event outdoors without a kettle! No doubt Colin would have found a generator if it had become essential, or we could have relied on the Lakeside Café.
The meat, kindly provided by Newport Social Services, consisted mainly of marinated chicken. To ensure it was thoroughly cooked, Colin and Ailsa prepared it at the Community Centre. It turned out so perfectly that there was no need to finish it on the barbecue, leaving Becs to concentrate on expertly cooking the burgers and vegetarian options.
For the second time this year, we experienced an unfortunate incident when a man was seen filming the event. Rhiannon politely asked him to stop recording, explaining that the children were in the care of Social Services and that permission had not been given for filming. While he responded rudely and suggested we were judging him because of his tattoos and appearance, it was made clear that our concern was simply the welfare and privacy of the young people. We believe that asking someone not to film children should be respected without question.
Michael also plans to ask our visitors whether they are comfortable with our banners, which clearly identify the event. If they feel this makes them uneasy, it is something we can easily reconsider for future outings.
Once again, it was a wonderful day spent together in the countryside, creating happy memories and strengthening friendships. Our sincere thanks go to Nicola from Powys Sports Development, Lakeside Boats, Newport Social Services, and all of our volunteers for making the day such a success.
Some photos from Rhiannon. Thanks