DESPITE the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, hard-working supporters of a south Powys group helping refugees to settle in Wales have been busy adapting to the changing circumstances of 2020.

Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees (HBTSR) volunteers have been donating their time making face masks, running a market stall and setting up sewing groups – all with the aim of providing refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom have fled war or persecution, with the chance to make new friends and find support while spending time in the countryside.

The impact of the virus has been felt across the world, with people seeking asylum among the hardest hit. For many of those who now call Wales home, lockdowns and social distancing rules have left them increasingly isolated and unable to access their usual support networks.

The effects have also been felt by charities helping to provide that support, including HBTSR, who have been hosting welcome days across Mid Wales since 2015.

“We started at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis and early on decided that we could demonstrate welcome and support for people seeking sanctuary by inviting them to visit and share activities with local people in our beautiful area,” said the charity’s Ailsa Dunn.

“Our reasoning was that people who had fled in fear of their lives might find healing in our beautiful, peaceful countryside and that everyone involved would benefit from discovering their common humanity.”

The pandemic forced a stop to HBTSR’s regular community-organised days and made it difficult for the charity to hold any of its usual fundraising activities but, thanks to the efforts of its volunteers, it is still making a difference to many lives.

“Throughout the months of lockdown, HBTSR supporters have kept in close contact with groups and volunteers in South Wales cities and tried to respond to the needs identified,” said Ailsa.

“People seeking asylum have to live on less than £40 a week and are not allowed to work so are often in need of help. HBTSR supporters have been very generous and grants from the Community Foundation Wales the Coronavirus Resilience Fund and the Gibbs family trust have allowed us to continue to offer help and support for people seeking sanctuary.

“We’ve helped to provide laptops, phones, tablets and phone top-ups so people can continue to follow their education courses and learning English in particular is an essential aid to integration. “Phone top ups have also helped to maintain contact with families and friends – an especially important consideration during the days of lockdown.”

The charity has also helped by providing money for children’s shoes, clothes and food.

Collaboration between two charities in Powys has led to the start of successful groups in Newport. Despite the challenges, supporters have also been busy adapting to changing circumstances, making face masks, running a market stall and helping set up sewing groups.

Rachel Giaccone, Janet Bodily, Kumari Dias and Gaynor Hooper started making hand-made washable face masks and these have sold very well online. Christmas-themed face masks were one of the attractions at a stall run recently by Christina Watson and other members of HBTSR in Hay-on-Wye.

“As the Covid-19 restrictions have made it very hard for drop-in support groups to function and for donated goods to be given to people seeking sanctuary, we made the decision to offer some of the goods for sale. The stall was very well supported and raised over £275,” added Ailsa.

In August, Tools for Self Reliance Cymru gave HBTSR four sewing machines and supporters gave another four more to Newport Sanctuary, where one of the organisers, Claire Seymour, was able to work out a way to start a socially-distanced sewing group so asylum seeking people could visit and make items that they wanted.

Ailsa said: “A couple of our supporters made a trip down to help set up the machines and demonstrate their use. Now, just three months later, there are three separate groups taking place in Newport using the machines, making assorted items such as bags, children’s clothes and masks.

“HBTSR are about to deliver a further batch of donated machines serviced and tested by Tools for Self Reliance. We hope this will allow even more people to benefit.”

Chair of HBTSR, Margaret Blake, added: “While the satisfaction from seeing groups of over 100 people meet and spend time together in our villages is not matched by isolation and everything happening at a distance, nevertheless it is good to know that in the absence of monthly welcome days HBTSR are still able to help people seeking sanctuary to feel some hope and welcome.

“This is all made possible by the generosity of the many kind people in our area. We are very grateful to Tools for Self Reliance who have been fundamental to the start of these new sewing groups and who also gave gardening tools last year when the Newport Sanctuary allotment shed was burnt down, destroying all their equipment.”

More information can be found on the website www.hbtsr.org.uk. Any offers of help are always welcome and if you want to buy any facemasks, email hbts4refugees@gmail.com.