Wow, what a time it’s been for our fantastic little local charity Faith in Families!
Let me tell you all about it – it’s been a rollercoaster ride of excitement, generosity, real change and tremendous opportunity.
Where it all began – on March 1st, Faith in Families became Swansea Bay Business Clubs, President’s chosen charity – with the awesome Amy Seppman launching her 40 cubed challenge to all members but, the kickoff event was something else. We raised over £5000, thanks to the incredible kindness of those who showed up at Parc y Scarletts St David’s Day Lunch with Lloyd and Whyte matching the donations! Talk about starting off on the right foot!
But wait, there’s more. After 9 months of planning, assisted by the fantastic team at Swansea Council Voluntary Services Amanda Carr and Chris Buchan, we celebrated our partnership with Amazon and the one and only Gordon Brown. The phenomenal team of John Boumphrey, Eugenie Teasley, Rob Dison, Simon, McMahon and Melissa Shanks have enabled us to launch something truly special: Wales’ first multibank, Cwtch Mawr. This isn’t your average bank – it is a way of providing support care and compassion, giving hugs instead of handouts to those who need it most in our communities. With support from Pobl, Coastal, Caredig, the Welsh Government, Swansea City Council, and from the Moondance Foundation, we’re set to make a real difference across South Wales to many thousands of individuals.
And it didn’t end there. We joined “It’s Your Swansea” 4 The Region celebration, where I was invited by Dawn Lyle and Zoe Antrobus to the stage at the opening session of the conference, I was able to share some of the inspiring stories of the impact Faith in Families teams have in caring for our people and planet and the opportunities we have to make South Wales a great place for everyone.
To cap it all off, on Friday – International Women’s Day I spent time at Faith in Families our Teilos Cwtch, celebrating the incredible women in our communities. These women are warriors, overcoming obstacles with grace and strength. We’re here to support them every step of the way, whether it’s through affordable childcare, training courses, volunteering opportunities or just lending an ear when they need it most. We walk alongside them, building brighter futures, so they can be the very best that they can be. I feel humbled every time I join them and this day was no exception. Thanks to my amazing team for putting together a wonderful day and to the awesome volunteers who joined us, Kelly and Lauren from Swansea Mortgage Advice Bureau.
So we really are on a mission, to care for our people and our planet. With a fantastic, passionate team, truly amazing partners by our side and the support of our community, we’re unstoppable. Let’s keep the momentum going, because together, we can do anything, and trust me, it’s pretty amazing!
Swansea Bay – a great place for everyone to live, grow, work and play.
#Hugsnothandouts #Buildingbrighterfutures #CwtchMawr.