On Sunday, October 15, the Llangynidr community pulled out all the stops to welcome around 200 people for a day out in the beautiful Breconshire countryside.

Working with Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees (HBTSR) Llangynidr hosted a group of people seeking asylum who came from Swansea on a coach coordinated by Swansea Asylum Seekers Support (SASS), as well as a group of Ukrainians from Penarth. These were joined by other Ukrainians living in the surrounding area and dozens of local supporters and their families, all of whom enjoyed the glorious sunshine as well as the generous supplies of good food and entertainment.

The first arrivals were welcomed with a performance of happy songs by children from Llangynidr Primary School, many of whom then stayed on with their parents for the rest of the day, taking part in some of the many activities, and mixing and mingling with families of people seeking asylum. For most of the rest of the day there was music from the Hallelujah Joes band and friends from Hay, as well as a Ukrainian performer with a beautiful voice who accompanied herself on the piano and gave special pleasure to her fellow Ukrainians.

Llangynidr Village Hall is ideally suited for such events with plenty of space for a crèche for toddlers and all sorts of craft workshops for both children and adults, including quilting, knitting, leaf-printing and lantern-making. There was also the ever-popular face-painting for children while women could have their nails painted or enjoy a relaxing massage. All of these activities were provided by volunteers, including several from The Big Skill team. One unusual contribution to the day’s activities was a big blow-up planetarium provided by the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority and staffed by members of the Usk Astronomical Society. People could go into this big dark space and listen to a volunteer explaining about the different planets in our solar system while watching them circling overhead.

Outside Llangynidr Hall there is a generous children’s playground and some very well-equipped playing fields, all of which provided more energetic forms of entertainment for visitors and locals alike, including tennis, football and kite-flying.

The Llangynidr team had also organised local walks, including one down to the canal that included a demonstration of how a canal lock works.

Meanwhile, to relax between the many activities, people moved lots of tables and benches outside onto the hall terrace where they could chat and enjoy the sunshine and views.

One lady spoke for many when she said: “My words fall short of what I really want to express. Thank you so much to all who make these tours possible. God bless you in return.”

Val Fraser, Trustee of HBTSR said: “We were able to send some lovely home-baked cakes and freshly picked apples back to Swansea so that people who were not able to travel could have a Treat.

“Also thanks to parents and pupils at Llangynidr school we were able to send a large supply of toiletries that will be a godsend to people on a very limited budget. Thanks to everyone who helped to make this such a good day.”

To learn more about HBTSR please visit their website: https://hbtsr.cityofsanctuary.org