Faith in Families delivers for communities throughout pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on our poorest communities, but Faith in Families has been hard at work helping those in crisis.
The charity, part of the diocese’s Board for Social Responsibility, runs three family centres in Swansea and the St John’s Centre in Brecon and had been planning to celebrate its 21st year this summer.
Instead, its staff were busy delivering hundreds of food parcels and care packs, providing hundreds of online activities, collecting and delivering prescriptions and distributing toys and iPads to families in need.
Faith in Families CEO Cherrie Bija said: “Nobody could have anticipated what was about to happen, no plans could have had us ready for a pandemic that was extremely messy, stressful and, for some, fatal. Yet in such time our focus continued to be to support the children and families in our communities as we all went through extraordinary times.
“Our teams flexed to meet the need, taking activities online and investing time and resources into different approaches.”
Since the start of the pandemic, the charity has provided support to 56 families in crisis and 75 children from 61 different families. It has delivered nearly 500 food parcels, more than 700 activity packs and made more than a thousand check-in telephone calls.
Its Brighter Futures project, which gives children opportunities to be the best they can be, now supports 79 families – providing more than 450 hours of direct intensive work – and, with support from Children in Need, it delivered 140 care and wellbeing packs to its local communities.
“I am incredibly proud of what Faith in Families has been able to achieve during the melee of uncertainty and want to thank each and every member of my fabulous teams despite all the challenges they individually faced,” Cherrie said.
“We also appreciate the trust of our funders, friends and supporters who enabled us to get on with doing what we do best, being where we are needed in the heart of some of the most fabulous communities in Swansea and Brecon.”
Since the start of the pandemic, Faith in Families has delivered:
- 21 well-being art and craft sessions for older generation
- 38 volunteer sessions in local foodbank
- 156 lunch parcels to local primary school children
- 126 online courses completed by adult learners
- Support to 56 families in crisis and 75 children from 61 different families
- 496 food parcels
- 1,043 check-in phone calls
- 23 toys, iPads or other equipment
- 104 online activities
- 104 online stories
- 47 online songs
- 52 online cookery sessions
- 716 activity packs
Teilos Tots reopened on – 29th June 2020 and until 1st September provided:
- 465.5 hours of childcare, with 419 attendees to 35 children
Teilos Cwtch reopened on 20th July and until 1st September achieved:
- 55 summers sessions with over 209 attendees, which included 33 families and 44 individual children.
Bonymaen Cwtch reopened to the public on 27th July and achieved the following
- 55 Summer Session with over 170 attendees, which included 29 families and 44 individual children.
Clase Cwtch reopened to the public on 27th July an achieved the following:
- 55 Summer Sessions with over 182 attendees, which included 32 families and 47 individual children.
Brighter Futures
- At the start of the pandemic the project was supporting 47 children this increased to 79 families providing over 450 hours of direct intensive work.
With support from Children in Need it delivered 140 care and wellbeing activity packs to the community for the start of summer.