Members of Swansea council were amazed to see the dedication of volunteers from local churches who gave up their Bank Holiday weekend, and came despite the rain, to get involved in work on some long neglected estates.

HOPE Swansea hosted eight different projects around the city to meet local needs but also demonstrate that the Church cares about people and the local community. Each project was overseen by a member of the local authority and Project Hope has really strengthened relationships between the churches and the council.

Mandy Harvey, Project Hope Co-ordinator, said: “We were so excited about the powerful impact we had. The leader of the council was astounded to see the sacrificial heart of the volunteers, from young children to old age pensioners. It was awesome to meet with really positive local residents who responded as they saw what was going on to improve their area – many of them joined in to help. We did our bit to demonstrate care and share hope to people in areas which are sometimes quite tough to live in. We seek to make community engagement a bigger part of the life of the local Church – and be even more outward-looking.”

Saturday and Sunday 28th and 29th May saw over 200 volunteers get stuck in and take part in a Ravine clean up in Blaen y Maes and spring cleans and litter picks in Port Tennant, Mayhill, Penlan and Sketty Park. Teams hosted a fun day in Dunvant Park, a sports day and some garden parties in care homes and residential day centres. There was a drop-in prayer cafe offering local residents an opportunity to request prayer for their personal needs.

The finale of the weekend was an amazing celebration event on Monday night with DJ Andy Hunter, the Rend Collective Experiment and acoustic singer Beth Bullock. It was a chance for the churches to celebrate the weekend together a perfect opportunity for young people to invite their friends.