A Halloween and Christmas clear-out in Llanwrtyd Wells this October will raise money for a local girl living with a rare genetic condition, as well as other charitable causes.

The event will take place at Victoria Hall on Saturday, October 18, with doors opening at 11am. Entry costs £2 per person and visitors are encouraged to bring their own bags-for-life.

Donated Halloween and Christmas decorations will be on sale. Shoppers can purchase a £5 sticker for each bag they bring, which will allow them to fill the bag with items from the sale. Stewards will stamp stickers as people leave, while larger items will be individually priced in a separate section.

Funds raised will go towards supporting the family of Polly Thomas, a pupil at Ysgol Penmaes in Brecon, who lives with a SWAN (Syndromes Without A Name) condition. Money will help purchase a specialist safe bed for Polly, as well as training for hospital staff to use it effectively. Proceeds will also benefit another local charitable cause that wishes to remain anonymous.

SWAN is a collective term for conditions where the exact cause and diagnosis remain unknown. Some genetic conditions are so rare that they are difficult to diagnose, either because there is no test available yet or because doctors do not fully understand why they develop.

The idea for the fundraiser came from Anne Ward, a fellow parent at Ysgol Penmaes and a resident of Llanwrtyd Wells.

“In Llanwrtyd Wells we like to do things uniquely, hence the bog snorkelling, Man vs Horse, The Real Ale Wobble. We are well known for our other weird and wonderful things," she said.

“It was an idea I had after I saw on Facebook once a charity shop doing a clear out and they said if you can carry it, you can have it for a dollar. So I thought fill a bag could work, like charity shops do a bag for five pounds or something similar.

“It’s not an original idea, but the twist comes with it being in October and being Halloween and Christmas decorations for sale only.

“It is in aid of a local girl, Polly Thomas, who has the condition SWAN. She has a collection of undiagnosed medical conditions which are life changing for her and her family. So why not raise awareness for an unusual condition with another unusual event?

“Another positive from it is we are potentially stopping these decorations going to landfill. Items that don’t sell will be removed and disposed of by a house clearance company, which we have pre organised. We’re doing everything we can to keep stuff away from landfill.”

Anne and the organisers are asking people to donate Halloween and Christmas decorations to sell.

“Most importantly, the decorations have to be ‘like new’, this is not a tipping opportunity, or for up-cyclers,” said Anne.

“Please be respectful, it’s not a waste opportunity.”

Please drop off your donations at Victoria Hall the day before the sale (Friday, October 17) between 3pm and 5pm.