Faith in Families Swansea is celebrating a major milestone after securing £248,975 from the Welsh Government’s Health and Social Care Integration and Rebalancing Capital Fund to develop the next phase of its Bonymaen Community Cwtch project.
The funding will support the development of a Business Justification Case for a new Integrated Health and Wellbeing Hub at the disused St Margaret’s Church on Mansel Road, Bonymaen. The proposed hub will bring together community, health, and wellbeing services under one roof, creating a space where families, professionals, and residents can access support, build connections, and thrive.
In a significant act of partnership, the Church in Wales has gifted the building to Faith in Families, ensuring this much-needed development can take place at the heart of the community.
Chief Executive, Cherrie Bija, said:
“When we first started this project back in 2021, with the support of an incredible fundraising dinner at Morgans Hotel sponsored by Swansea.com, guests were appalled to learn that 18% of children in our city, our children, were living in poverty. That figure has now shamefully risen to 31%.
Our projects are teaching children to be resilient, to find personal tools to live in adversity, and that’s appalling in itself. We want children to be children, not to worry about hunger, cold, or missing out. This project gives hope back to the Eastside of Swansea, showing that our city cares, that Swansea City stands together, and that we will create a place where all children can live, grow, work, and play.”
The Bonymaen Community Cwtch will form part of Faith in Families’ wider ambition to create a “one-stop hub” for health, care, and community services co-locating partners from all sectors and empowering residents to shape the future of their neighbourhood through co-designing services.
Cherrie added:
“This is an incredible moment for us all thanks to a collaboration of partners, a huge step forward for Bonymaen, Faith in Families, and the communities we serve. This milestone is not just about a successful application; it’s about partnership, determination, and a shared belief in what we can achieve together.
This funding represents an incredible opportunity to create lasting change in Bonymaen and strengthen the foundations of community life across Swansea.
Child poverty is everyone’s business, government, charity, and community alike. No single sector or group can solve it alone. But together, we can and we will, make a difference for our children, all of them.”
Faith in Families is now working to an ambitious timescale with professionals including Luke Hurley of Hurley and Davies, who will formalise the designs to develop the full business case. A series of community consultation events will be held, inviting residents to take part in shaping this exciting next chapter for St Margaret’s Church.
