We are always overwhelmed by the generosity of so many people since our group started in September 2015. We have monthly meetings (to which all are welcome) where decisions are taken regarding what funds should be spent on. Please see some of the projects that we have supported below…
Please note that we provide a hardship fund for sums up to £250 to help people in severe need and we also lodge money with support groups in Swansea that they can use for emergencies and account for later. . For further information, please click here.
A news article from March 2017 also shows how donations are used – please click here. A news article from May 2019 also shows what we do please click here
For details of activites during Covid19 please see here and subsequent articles outline how we’ve restarted activities based upon demand.
Our Welcome Days
One of our aims is to provide short-term respite and sanctuary for refugees in the peaceful countryside in and around the Brecon Beacons National Park. Our first Welcome day was in December 2015 and since then people seeking asylum or refuge in Swansea, Ystradgynlais, Newtown and Newport have come to spend time in many locations in and around the National Park, including Hay-on-Wye, Brecon, the Elan Valley, Craig y Nos, Llangenny and Llanfihangel Talyllyn. Some of the donations given to our group are spent on these wonderful days (mainly on transport). Please click here for more information on our Welcome days.
Unity in Diversity and Swansea Asylum Seekers Support
Swansea Asylum Seekers Support [SASS] run twice weekly drop in sessions and have paid volunteer coordinators and volunteers. It was started by local people in 1999. Drop-ins began in 2001, and were organised by some of the first asylum seekers who arrived in Swansea.
Unity in Diversity (UID) runs regular sessions providing food, support and learning opportunities to asylum seekers and refugees in the Swansea area. It is entirely by dedicated volunteers,
We work with these groups to arrange days out and to give donated goods in support of their work, through donating laptops, computer equipment as well as giving donations to help with running costs.
Bethel Community Church Sanctuary Project.
The Sanctuary Project, based in Newport, runs English classes for men and women, weekday drop-in services offering help and advocacy, a Mums and Toddlers group, a Men’s games nights, provide a weekly meal, plus a number of other occasional social events and opportunities for asylum seekers and refugees throughout the year. Our group helped to fund a new table football table and a pool table and have had Bike maintenance days, trips out and Collaborated on Project Get Together.With our support they have set up regular Bike Maintenance sessions and Sewing groups. Please click here for further information.
City of Sanctuary
City of Sanctuary (CoS) is a movement committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for refugees seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. The network of local groups includes boroughs, towns and cities across the UK and Ireland, all committed to building this culture of welcome across every sphere of society. We made the decision to join the CoS movement shortly after setting up the group and CoS have been instrumental in supporting our work in a variety of ways. In particular, this website is provided and maintained by COS We have made donations to support their essential work in supporting the network of CoS groups across the UK and Ireland. Please click here for further information.
Asylum Justice – #SaveAsylumJustice
Asylum Justice provides free legal services to asylum seekers and refugees in Wales. Despite the unprecedented demand for their life-saving services, the charity has experienced a decline in individual charitable giving (experienced similarly by other voluntary sector organisations post-recession) and difficulty in securing the voluntary support of sufficient numbers of qualified lawyers to meet the demanding caseload. We have responded to their #SaveAsylumJustice campaign with donations. Please click here for further information.
When people first claim asylum, they are given somewhere to live and a small amount of money per week while their case is examined. If they are successful, they are granted “leave to remain” in the UK and are then allowed to seek work. If they are refused, and if they have no dependent children, they are usually evicted from their accommodation, and are not given any money by the government. They are not allowed to work. They have absolutely nothing to live on. They often go on to challenge the decision to refuse them, and are able to prove that they are in danger. Share Tawe offers hospitality, in the form of accommodation, meals, welcome and solidarity to destitute asylum seekers in Swansea. The group does this through volunteers who offer a room in their home, or who support the scheme in other ways. We have made financial donations and helped to provide accommodation .Since the start of the Pandemic we have provided accommodation and subsistence for a man who in October 2025 is still awaiting a decision on an appeal. . Please click here for more information.
Hafan Books
Is an offshoot of SASS publishing writing about Sanctuary and also the work of Asylum seeking or Refuge authors. we often sell their books on our stalls. ‘Hafan’ is a Welsh word meaning haven, sanctuary, asylum. For more information on Hafan Books please click here
