‘Thank you for this beautiful day. I enjoyed food, drinks, and the company of new people. Thank you very much indeed.’ these words from a young sanctuary seeking man expressed his feelings about a day out on  August 21st 2024 when  a large group of people seeking sanctuary in Swansea visited the Bannau Brycheiniog Visitor Centre  with the support of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority [BBNPA]  and  Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees [HBTSR ] .In addition a number of local Ukrainian Refugees and some fostered Sanctuary seeking teenagers from Cardiff and Llandrindod  came to join in the fun. Also,Ramblers Cymru attended as part of their mission to reach anyone who wants to enjoy the simple pleasure of walking.

Setting up the education centre, welcome desk in place and banners erected. Jacob has already started washing up!

When HBTSR started in 2015 the main aims were to champion the rights of  people seeking sanctuary and to demonstrate that they were welcome, principally by sharing our beautiful Breconshire countryside with them. HBTSR  partnered with  BBNPA for a Welcome day trip in 2016 and since then have visited Craig y Nos at least  annually ( sometimes twice in a year )  apart from in 2020 when no one went anywhere much! The first visit to the Visitor Centre in Libanus was in 2022 and was so successful that it is now a much anticipated annual fixture. It’s not far from support in Brecon, the facilities and parking are close together and occasional visitors drop by to say hello. It also has stunning views, easy walks and the new Education centre makes it even easier to cater for a large group if the weather turns out to be less than clement. It undoubtedly assists with inclusion  [ many of the people who visit us from Swansea might not normally manage to see the Welsh  countryside]  and  it’s good for visitors to see a large diverse  group of people  enjoying themselves. Several people dropped in to ask what was going on and stayed for a cuppa and chat.  Two thanked us for what we were doing and pressed money onto us.

The recent unrest and extremist violence against people seeking sanctuary in England and Northern Ireland has not been mirrored in Wales, possibly reflecting the aspirations of the Welsh Government to be a Nation of Sanctuary but more probably reflecting the Welsh tradition of welcome. It nevertheless seemed prudent to alert the local police that we were holding a day out and Josh, a PCSO,  called by to check and reassure. Predictably teh day passed without untoward incident.

Storm Lillian  brought some high winds but no rain to the gathering and the education centre was well used to share a delicious picnic lunch and plentiful cups of tea , squash and coffee. There was a great supply of sandwich fillings, salads, breads and enormous quantities of fruit  The Big Skill and Pontardawe crafters came with painting and weaving which was much enjoyed and a badminton net was used almost exclusively for a long and inclusive game of volleyball by two teams named as Ronaldo and Messi!

After lunch  a short walk onto the common became a chance to talk about the history of Wales, the concept of Common land and to see some birds and sheep. We were  reassured that the were no bears or lions and just some friendly dogs who shared our walk. It was most interesting  to hear a young visiting man talk about Welsh history and legends.  Many of the visitors on this occasion were from South America and they were delighted when Mike interpreted the discussion led by Hayley  into Spanish.

Returning to the education centre for tea and a large variety of cake was also much enjoyed. Most of the volunteers had checked that the cakes were of an  acceptable standard!

Meanwhile throughout all of this Steve, Sharon and Jacob were washing up outdoors . At one stage , they were heard to start singing and we hope that this scratch group christened The Pantrymen might feel the need to practice at  future events.

Thanks are due to BBPNA  staff  and volunteers for their immense support and for  paying for the transport from Swansea.

Thanks to the Pontardawe Crafters and The Big Skill.

Thanks to Stuart and Steph for bringing their foster children.

Thanks also to  Lis, Claire, Melrose, Rowland, Penny & Andrew, Barbara & Reg, Adil, Rhiannon.Virginia, Sharon, Steve, Gail, Margaret and Pat, MikeJackie and Jacob and many others who provided food or cash to ensure the day could be so successful.

Hello! Thank you for this trip! An extremely beautiful place. My daughter really liked the playground. We met new friends, an interesting creative activity was organized for the children. We had a great time! Always grateful for organizing such trips.