A shop in Brecon has become temporary art gallery and pop-up shop for ten days.

From February 4, the old Oxfam shop in Bethel Square will be open daily from 11am till 3pm. The shop will be selling art, which has been donated by local artists, to help raise money for refugees.

Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees (HBTSR) would like to thank Brecon Rotary Club for the use of premises. Thanks to their generosity, the group is able to hold an art exhibition to fundraise for people seeking sanctuary, especially those currently living in South Wales.

The exhibition will run daily from February 4-14, from 11am to 3pm, and offer more than 70 pieces of artwork by local professional artists, as well as art-related books and other items for sale.

The Reverend Margaret Blake, Chair of HBTSR, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to not only raise money but also to inform people about the plight of refugees. We are so very grateful to Brecon Rotary and to all the artists who have donated paintings for this purpose. It is wonderful to see the community coming together to help people less fortunate than ourselves.

“During our time in the shop we will also be raising awareness about the Nationality and Borders Bill currently going through Parliament which we fear will be a hammer blow to the UK as a place of safety for people fleeing war and persecution.”

Roger Reese, president of Brecon Rotary, said: “Thanks to the efforts of member Gareth Griffiths, we were able to obtain the temporary use of the empty Bethel Square shop through the generosity of Skyscape Property Management. Their representative, Tim Austen, was keen to see the shop used for the benefit of local community groups and charities.”

Whilst Brecon Rotary has been looking after the shop they have set up a festive display of local primary school children’s artwork, as well as enabled Brecon Beacon Mountain Rescue to organise a pop-up sale of second hand items, and also host a window display by the ‘Westenders’ drama group to coincide with the town’s Brecon with Bells switch-on of Christmas lights.

Roger added: “Rotary International has a long history of providing emergency and other forms of support to displaced peoples around the world and we are delighted that the current use of the shop by Hay, Talgarth and Brecon Refugee Group will be to raise funds to support those desperately in need who have had to leave their homes through circumstances not of their making.”