The sixth visit by people seeking sanctuary in Swansea to the beautiful village of Llangynidr was another very special day — and once again, the warmth and generosity of the local community made our visitors feel incredibly welcome.

Over 60 local people, including quite a few children, joined people seeking sanctuary and HBTSR supporters for a day of food, music, crafts, walking and friendship.

A particular highlight was the welcome from the local school. The children’s choir came along to sing songs of welcome, and the school also brought delicious homemade soup made with vegetables donated by Langton’s Farm. It was a wonderful reminder of how much can be achieved when a community comes together.

The day was expertly organised by Lucy, Tessa and Mike. Simon once again taking charge of the kitchen with the dream team of Katharine, Helen and Odile and many other helpers. There was a real sense that we had done this before — and that meant we could do it even better this time!

And what a feast there was. Red Indigo generously donated vast quantities of curry, while the Red Lion and Walnut Tree Cafe provided lovely pasta salads. Several large trays of lasagne from The Coach were also enthusiastically wolfed down. Other local businesses and supporters contributed more food, cakes and treats, making sure nobody went hungry. A special highlight was the magnificent towering coffee cake made by Samantha at Llangynidr Cakes.

Later there was tea, delicious cakes and sandwiches kindly provided by the church and chapels — although these were very slightly overshadowed by Maryna’s incredible homemade ice cream! Maryna served 93 ice creams, with very generous portions and five different flavours to choose from. Needless to say, they went down extremely well. Maryna is herself a refugee from Ukraine who has been able to settle in the area and runs a successful business making ice cream and Juices. It was good to see her enjoying chatting to two Ukrainian visitors who like her come from Donetsk. 

There was a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere throughout the afternoon. Tim helped Pip and Gil make apple juice, watched by a crowd of fascinated people, and there was even enough juice for people to take some home. Thanks to William for the extra apples! Llangynidr tennis club allowed us to use the tennis courts and loaned balls and racquets. Footballs and kites were also available to loan.

Younger children were entertained in the play area by Cat and enjoyed having their faces painted by Claire and helpers.

Stable Adventures very generously donated vast quantities of Pot Noodles, quick-cook porridge, tins of beans, condiments and sauces. The school had organised a wonderful collection of toiletries from parents and carers and there were many other donations from supporters. These were all much appreciated by the visitors and the surplus was taken back to Swansea to share with others.

Another lovely example of community collaboration came from the flowers left at Lizzie’s house by local people. Lizzie turned them into beautiful bouquets of flowers and foliage to decorate the tables, and then made them into bunches for people to take home. They will provide a lovely bright focus in their homes for a few days.

For those wanting to get creative, there were crafts coordinated by Rachel including clay, colouring and a nature hunt. Musical entertainment was provided by Lottie, Bella, Roshan and Summer with some fantastic contributions from some of our visitors, especially the energetic young dancers [and not so young] and singers. 

Yolanda again came to do shoulder massages for women and as always this was much in demand. Several women commented upon how relaxed they felt afterwards. 

Arthur’s walk along the canal was particularly popular, with more than 50 people joining in. One of the highlights was discovering some parasol mushrooms growing in a fairy ring. A few were discreetly picked to savour at home later. Interestingly, our visitors often seem to know much more about safe foraging than many local residents!

Above all, the day was about people spending time together: sharing food, music, skills, laughter and conversation. These visits have become a wonderful way for people seeking sanctuary and the Llangynidr community to meet as equals and build friendships.

A huge thank you to everyone who made the day possible — to Lucy, Tessa, Mike and Simon; to the Community Council for their generous support; to the school and children’s choir; to Lottie and her musical friends; to the local businesses and the church and chapel who donated food; to the wonderful washer-uppers, to everyone who brought something along; to everyone who helped with the activities; and to all the local people who came to offer such a warm welcome.

And, of course, a very special thank you to everyone who travelled from Swansea to join us.

We’re already looking forward to the next visit!

Thanks from our visitors

“I had such a wonderful day. Thank you so much for everything.”

“It was amazing! I really enjoyed the trip. Thank you so much for organising it. ”

“I loved the trip today. It was so, so fun. I loved the food and the ice creams at the end. The welcome was very nice and I loved the massage too.”

“Thank you for today. I enjoyed it very much. Everyone was very kind and welcoming. I had a lovely time. Thank you for organising everything.”

“I really enjoyed the day out with the Hay, Brecon & Talgarth Group. It was such a lovely day, with lots of fun activities, beautiful scenery and a great atmosphere.

“It was also a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, make new friendships and enjoy some quality time together. Everything was well organised, and I really appreciated all the time and effort that went into making the day so enjoyable.

“Thank you for organising such a lovely day. I’m already looking forward to the next one!

“Best wishes”

Thanks also to Michael and others for some of the photographs