Groups benefit from SwansAid grants
1st February
Swans defender Kyle Bartley and club ambassador Lee Trundle have handed out the Community Trust's latest round of SwansAid cheque presentations.
Kicking off in Ammanford with Hafal, followed by Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Club, the grants are being used to support the winning charities and organisations to encourage their participants to engage in physical activity.
Now in its third year, SwansAid was set up as the club's grant-giving pot and has since distributed over £100,000 to a variety of charities and community organisations across South West Wales.
First to receive their cheque were Welsh charity, Hafal, who have benefited from a £2,000 donation.
Covering all areas of Wales, Hafal provides help to over 1,000 people affected by illnesses including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
The organisation, which is Wales' leading charity for people with serious mental illness, will use their funds to offer their Ammanford participants the opportunity to engage in physical activity.
As opposed to sport, Hafal encourage their participants to exercise in a slightly different way - gardening.
"The grant money will be used to purchase a Polly tunnel and gardening equipment to run an ongoing horticultural session to help clients engage in physical activity," said Barbara Cook, Hafal's project coordinator.
"This may be the only physical activity that some of our service users are able to undertake," she continued. "Regular involvement in gardening and horticulture, which involves food growing, can help increase levels of physical activity and fitness, burn more calories and contribute to healthy weight management and reduce the risk of obesity."
By taking part in gardening and physical activity, the clients are able to not only profit from health benefits, but also mental and social benefits.
Their self-esteem, confidence and social skills are enhanced, thus enabling Hafal to achieve their mission of helping their clients achieve a better quality of life, as well as helping them to recover.
Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Club, on the other hand, will be using their grant of £1,725 to provide training for ten play-workers, as well as equipment for a total of five clubs in Swansea.
By promoting, developing and supporting quality, accessible out-of-school childcare clubs, the organisation aims to enable parents or carers to return to work whilst leaving their children in safe hands.
"We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a SwansAid grant that we will use to fund a project to deliver 'Games Galore' workshops to five out-of-school childcare clubs in the most disadvantaged areas of Swansea," said Sian Jewel, the organisation's childcare business development officer in Swansea.
"The project will equip play-workers working within the clubs with skills and ideas to increase the amount of physical activity of staff and children."
Up to 80 children will therefore benefit from more physical activity across the five clubs, leading to better health, improved fitness, as well as developing long term, positive attitudes toward physical activity.
These recent presentations will be followed by two more for Hands Up For Downs, as well as the Gower Riders Cycling Club in the coming weeks.
Hands Up For Downs will be using their £1,800 to pay for gymnastics and swimming sessions for their group members, and the Riders Club will use their grant of £2,000 to purchase seven children's racing bikes.
For more information about SwansAid, please contact the Trust at Helen@scfccommunitytrust.co.uk
