Blog Archives
Swansea Beach Soccer Tournament 2016
UID FC took part in the beach soccer on Sunday and put in a very good performance. Out of the seven games played we won 5, drew 1 and lost 1.
The results were;
An excellent run of results which saw UID scoring 15 goals whilst conceding only 4. The only defeat was by a single goal against quick young opposition in a very even game, which was not decided until the very late goal.
A very different day for the team as the loose sand surfaces were very demanding. This was best reflected by the comments regarding pitch size ending after the first match. The conditions taking their toll as players had to pull out injured. Those players who did make it to the end showed great character to keep going as the squad reduced in size to leave only one substitute available for the last game. It was most pleasant to be reminded that the team had said they would win the last three games after the one defeat after the final match. A final game with a very fitting and satisfying come from behind win against opponents who fought for every single ball.
Typically there was some concern whether we would have a team or not as the morning saw the continuation of the grey low clouds and drizzle which have replaced summer this year. It was important to get a team out there and to play with purpose. There were one or two absentees from the early player lists so we were lucky to have enough players in the end.
Thanks and congratulations go to the whole team! I hope that our players now rest and recover so we can put in some training sessions before our match in Talgarth in two weeks time. We have proved we can play and win against a variety of opponents today, so lets get ourselves prepared, then we can go to Talgarth and win too.
Onward and Upward @ UiD
It has been an unsettling few weeks with the EU referendum and subsequent chaos and uncertainty as 51.9% of British voters chose to exit the European Union, whose motto interestingly is ‘United in Diversity’. Since then there has been a significant rise in racist outbursts and attacks on non-UK nationals.
It is for this reason we had a whole-group session last week to discuss the referendum and how to stay safe and find support. We were able to inform people of the commitment of local bodies that offer to help report/deal with race hate crimes in our area. Those that offer support include; EYST, Swansea University, University of Wales Trinity St David, Gower College Swansea and Swansea Bay Racial Equality Council. We concluded with information on the upcoming Airshow to make people aware of what’s happening and when. We were also able to inform people of some nice free public events being held in Swansea over the summer.
Thanks to the hard work of David, our very kind volunteer English teacher and treasurer we are now a fully registered charity. This empowers us to apply for funding and support for the work we love to do. We are so happy to be formalised as a charity after our difficult upheaval last March due to Cyrenians Cymru going into administration. It has been a steep learning curve for many of us and there has been much development as a result.
Shortly after receiving news of our charity status we were informed that our joint bid with Swansea Bay Asylum Seeker Support group (SBASSG) for a ‘New Beginnings Fund’ was successful. We greatly look forward to cooperating ‘officially’ with SBASSG who we work closely with in supporting asylum seekers and refugees in the Swansea area.
Finally, we are very happy indeed to receive an award for being an ‘Organisation of Sanctuary’ kindly presented by the wonderful team at Swansea City of Sanctuary at their ‘Meaningful Activities for Asylum Seekers and Refugees’ workshop. We are very proud to stand alongside such organisations as EYST, Swansea Council for Voluntary Service and the African community centre, empowered by our shared passion to support people.
Unity in Diversity is run entirely by volunteers and without their very kind help and determination we simply wouldn’t be able to do what we do. It is with a glad heart that we thank you all for your hard work and dedication, the feedback we get for the service we provide is always of the highest order and it’s all thanks to our amazing team.
Much appreciation to supporting organisations that continually help us in our work. Many thanks to;
- Rosie, Neil and everyone at the United Reformed Church for their kind guidance, help and our wonderful drop-in venue.
- Food for Life Wales for keeping everyone fed and happy with their wonderful food.
- SCVS (Swansea Council for Voluntary Service) for their vital support every step of the way on our journey to where we are now.
- Swansea City of Sanctuary for their support, recognition of our work, promotion of our group and all the information put our way regarding funding opportunities and available activities.
- Nina and the team at CATCH (Cwmtawe Action To Combat Hardship) for all the donations and for regularly popping in to see what people need.
- Ailsa, Sean and everyone at Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees for being such a wonderful partner organisation and for providing so much support, cash donations, fantastic ICT equipment, food, household items and the amazing respite trips and volunteering opportunities that so many of our friends enjoy.
- Hiraeth Hope for their amazing respite trips and volunteer opportunities.
- The English Language Training Services department of Swansea University for providing qualified volunteer English teachers for the last 6 years.
- Red Café Mumbles for their ongoing support and linked activities.
- Caer Las furniture scheme for providing volunteer opportunities and a sense of purpose for many of our members.
- And to all those who help us in our work who we’ve failed to mention.
Onward and Upward 🙂
Great Players – Great Fun!
Our training sessions are well established now with lots of people enjoying getting together on Sundays AND Wednesdays now. Following our match with Swansea university staff we are focussed on developing our game and having regular healthy fun as a team.
Stay tuned for news of playing other teams soon.
Unity in Diversity Football Training – Flyer-Map-Info
*all photos are shared with express permission of those pictured.
Workers Education Association
The Unity in Diversity group has been helping people for over 5 years now. We are very happy with successes in helping people, that said this would not be possible at all without the kind help of organisations like the WEA.
The WEA has helped many many of our friends learn English (ESOL) as well as other subjects including ICT. Participating and receiving accreditation benefits the people we support in numerous ways, not only in speaking English etc.
Being able to communicate in the place where you live is a clear priority that leads to access to other services and communities. Other important outcomes are; having a sense of purpose, doing something constructive rather than being isolated and worrying about things, being able to populate a CV and having the ability to show the authorities that the individual is making relevant steps in their own development.
The courses provided are especially helpful as ESOL provision at local colleges is often booked up very quickly and enrolments are restricted to the academic year. The WEA offers classes all year round which helps us to get people in to active learning as soon as possible.
If you wish to study, or you know someone who would benefit from learning with the WEA you can visit their website here -> http://www.weacymru.org.uk/
For those who wish to study ESOL amongst other courses, visit the Swansea Bay Racial Equality council on the 3rd Floor in Grove House, Grove Place, Swansea, West Glamorgan SA1 5DF. Telephone: 01792 457035. Website: http://www.sbrec.org.uk/
Ongoing Storytelling Workshops with Carl from World of Connections
For some time now Carl from World of Connection, NIACE and UiD have collaborated to provide fun, engaging and educational storytelling workshops. This has provided our teachers with the opportunity to embed vocabulary and language focus into their ESOL classes in sessions that lead up to Carl’s wonderful storytelling workshops. This is greatly enjoyed by all and we’re very happy to have it up and running again.
Please check the UiD schedule below.
Information on Carl’s work
Connection was set up by Carl Gough to offer a subtle yet potent mix of entertainment and learning. With over 23 years’ experience of working in the arena of public service, entertainment and education, Carl wanted to begin showing how learning can be accelerated through fun and enjoyment.
The storytelling and workshops offered through Connection can therefore be delivered for pure entertainment value or with an educational focus for learning.
Ultimately, Connection is about people. The business is called Connection for the very simple fact that all our services can be used to create:
- A Connection between people
- A Connection between people and their community
- A Connection between people and place
- A Connection between people and history or heritage
- A Connection between people and the environment
- A Connection between people and new skills or knowledge
The services offered through Connection are highly adaptable and we pride ourselves in working with customers to ensure the activities we provide meet your needs as well as that of your audience. We can provide services for any of the following:
- Education – Schools and Colleges
- Public Entertainment and the Arts
- Business and Staff Development
- Festivals and Community Events
- Interpretation
- Community Regeneration
- Youth Work
- Therapeutic situations
Football is Back!!
Very happy to say that the weather is getting better and with it comes the return of the UiD football training sessions that are kindly facilitated by Martin, our FA qualified volunteer football coach.
Running on Sundays 2:00pm to 4:00pm The Unity in Diversity Football Club promotes and celebrates fun, friendship and healthy active participation. Thanks to Martin, our FA qualified football coach we strive to improve our football skills. We welcome anyone with an interest in friendships across diverse cultures and the development of their game.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there. Please remember that it is important to arrive at 2pm so that training can be finished leaving time for a decent game.
Please feel free to download, print and share our flyer/poster
Unity in Diversity Football Training – Poster-Map-Info
Thanks to the Caer Las Furniture Scheme
Caer Las Furniture Scheme (Formerly Cyrenians Furniture Scheme and Res-a-rec) provides a service to people in need of low cost second-hand recycled furniture in South Wales. (Please find full information from the Caer Las website below)
As we move on as an independent group it’s important to remember the vital and ongoing support we’ve had over the years and we would like to thank the Caer Las Furniture Scheme for their welcoming approach, and the much needed opportunity for our community members to have an inclusive and ‘purposeful’ existence at a time when their lives can be fraught with debilitating stress and crushing uncertainty. We have witnessed time after time the transformation of isolated and scared individuals into those who are empowered by having a functional role and opportunities to meet and make friends, and of course this all greatly improves the acquisition of the English language. It has always been very encouraging to get the excellent feedback from Brian at the scheme and this helps us to remember what assets people really are. Thanks for your support and for sharing our vision.
The UiD team
Caer Las Furniture Scheme
(Formerly Cyrenians Furniture Scheme and Res-a-rec)
Open Monday – Saturday 9.00 am – 4.30pm
- Recycled furniture
- Second hand furniture
- House clearance
- House removals
- Attic clearance
- Deliveries
- Affordable prices
We collect*, free of charge, good quality, used
- Furniture
- Carpets
- White Goods
* subject to inspection and terms and conditions
Collection appointments are available Monday to Saturday, from 11am – 4pm.
We provide the following affordable services
- House Removals
- House Clearance
- Attic Clearance
We offer Low cost Furniture sales & deliveries from our store
Why not visit our online gallery of past and current stock on Facebook
Terms and Conditions
Items accepted
We accept donations of good quality furniture, household items, clothes/fabrics/shoes, carpets /rugs, electrical items & white goods (see below).
All items must be clean, and in a saleable condition.
Unfortunately we are unable to accept dirty or damaged items.
All furniture with upholstery must have a fire safety label, for us to consider it for donation.
White Goods
We accept donations of white goods and electrical items.
All items must be clean and in full working order.
We have a team of qualified staff, who carry out P.A.T tests upon these items before they are sold.
Collections
All our collections and house clearances are carried out by our experienced team.
Bookings are made in person at the warehouse, or by phone.
We aim to allocate an appointment within 4 days.
Collection appointments are available Monday to Saturday, from 11am – 4pm.
Clearances and Removals
The Caer Las Furniture Scheme offers an affordable house move service for Swansea and the surrounding areas.
Prices start at £75 per hour or part hour.
For this price, we supply at least two experienced staff to load/unload our van, and move your belongings to your new home.
Unfortunately we cannot provide boxes or a packing service. We aim to allocate customers an appointment within 7 days of enquiry.
Please call us on 01792 653553 for more information or contact us online.
Our trained staff and volunteers can also provide a thorough and professional house clearance, attic clearance services. For more information and pricing please phone 01792 653553 or use our contact form and we will phone you back as soon as possible.
HOW TO FIND US?
The Cyrenians Furniture Scheme
Hafod Yard
1333 Neath Road
Swansea
SA1 2LF
01792 653553
Directions
On Neath Road, Hafod, Swansea SA1 2LF (whether from the Morfa Roundabout or coming from city centre, turn at traffic lights onto Bendy Bus Lane, then turn left.
Opening Hours and Sales information
We are open to the public for sales Mon- Sat 9am – 4:30pm.
We accept cash payments only.
It is possible to reserve items for a small cash deposit.
The Caer Las Furniture Scheme can provide a delivery service
(only for larger items of furniture) – our minimum delivery charge is £20.
We deliver to Swansea and the surrounding areas.
We aim to deliver to customers, within 4 days of purchase.
Unity in Diversity 