South Wales West Community Champions

As well as their foodbank Liz and her team at Bethel Trust Port Talbot provide meals, clothing, help with finding jobs and accommodation, IT access and addiction recovery support, helping between 50 and 70 individuals each week.

Lem is Pastor of Bridgend Compassion Church and his church are regularly involved in community projects, including supporting women and girls with previous drug abuse issues.

During lockdown he provided pastoral support to many and delivered packages to teachers to show the community’s gratitude for their hard work.

Linda has been a champion for her community for many years. Throughout the pandemic, her work for the Mayals community has only increased. She has worked to ensure her community are supported by launching community cafes and supporting food banks as well as securing grants to build much needed recreational facilities.

“Masks and social distancing have not dampened the team spirit; they get the job done!”

Here are just some of the team at Eastside Foodbank in action, as they have been since 2014 and throughout the pandemic.

The foodbank in Birchgrove was set up just before the initial lockdown and has been dedicated to supporting the community ever since.

Juliet and her team have supported over 1,500 adults and children with food and essential goods in hard times.

During the pandemic they supported the community by delivering over 10,000 bags of free school meals to children's doorsteps, by operating a food bank 5 days per week and distributing tonnes of surplus food from supermarkets across the city to people most in need of food, supporting vulnerable new mums through their baby basics programme and collecting prescriptions and essential supplies for those who were housebound.

Leanne Hill is now the manager at Hill Community Development Trust, Phoenix Centre, Townhill but started there as a volunteer. Her drive to improve people’s lives has turned the centre into a thriving hub of the community.

Thom and Volunteers at Matthews House Swansea prepare, cook and serve meals for homeless and vulnerable people using leftover stock from supermarkets. They also provide dignity packs, showers and laundry services. 

As a ‘local area coordinator’ in Townhill, Swansea Bethan has worked hard to establish herself in the community. She’s reached out to people in isolation and connected them to community groups and has delivered parcels and medication  - going beyond her role to meet the needs of the people of Townhill.

“...a wise, caring and supportive individual”

This is Hannah Sabatia with her team of volunteers and some of the refugees and members of the asylum-seeking community that she works with, as the development Officer for the Better Welcome to Swansea project.

Rachel is the founder and project manager at the refugee charity Swansea bloom where she supports families to settle and integrate in Wales, and gives her heart and soul to help people who have suffered difficult and traumatic journeys.