Faith in Families Funding Must Be Protected

65% say service cuts would have significant impact on their family life

Dr Dai Lloyd, Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, visited the Faith in Families centre in Clase on Monday and saw the fantastic work being undertaken by the centre. With Communities First funding now scheduled to end in March 2018, the service faces major threats.

Following his visit to the centre on Monday, Dr Lloyd wrote to the Welsh Labour Minister, Alun Davies AM, to urge him to ensure funding guarantees for the centre.

He asked “whether their future funding is guaranteed for any length of time following March 2018” and is currently awaiting a response.

Faith in Families offers myriad vital services to the people of Swansea and the surrounding area, such as breakfast and lunch clubs, a foodbank and food donation point, a nursery for 2-3 year olds, a free parent and toddler group, cooking courses, an after school club for primary school children, and a coffee morning for elderly people.

Dai Lloyd said, “Faith in Families offers a truly vital service to so many people. They have an excellent future business plan and it would be a tragedy should their services have to be cut.

“I will keep urging the Welsh Labour government to make sure that organisations like Faith in Families are protected.

“They support people through times of hardship and now it’s vital that we support them.”

Cherrie Barrar, Chief Executive Officer of Faith in Families added, “Faith in Families’ three Swansea Family Centres in Clase, Bonymaen and Portmead are now at a crucial crossroads with the decommissioning of the Communities First tackling poverty programme.

“We have well established, vibrant, successful, preventative services that are based in the heart of the community.

“We have a fantastic team of qualified passionate people, excellent volunteers, and buildings central to three key areas in Swansea and more importantly real community engagement.

“A recent community consultation revealed that 65% of respondents believed that removal of these services would have a significant or life changing impact on their family life.

“We are waiting to hear about the Local Authorities Legacy funding plans and are also working with other funders, however unless funding is secured there will be a reduction to the services that we will be able to provide in these centres and inevitably job losses.

“Preventative work is well known to be cost effective and we hope that Government appreciate the impact that limiting these services could have on the families and children in these areas.

“This summer alone we helped provide thousands of hot meals across the communities, and provided a safe place for hundreds of children to have fun in their holidays, as well as combating the social isolation many families feel during these times.”