Neath Port Talbot Family Fun Day

Earlier this month, we organised a family fun day at Margam football field to create an affordable and enjoyable day out for families. 

Jade Flynn, Community Development and Volunteering Lead, co-organised the event and said:

“We wanted to raise awareness of what we do in Neath Port Talbot as we’re still relatively small and give the opportunity for the people we support to get involved and volunteer in their community.   

“It was so nice to see the community come together.”  

Jade said:

“We’re still in a cost-of-living crisis, and if you have more than one child, a day out can be expensive – so we wanted to help organise a cost-effective day out.”     

To help make the day a success, we received funding from First Choice Housing Association (FCHA) and Borrow Boxes from Raspberry Creative, which are boxes of play equipment.     

There were stalls set up around the field, each run by different organisations, from Gig Buddies to HM Coastguard – who took the time to tell people about their organisations and answer any questions. For example, a stall from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue service meant that some of the people we support could talk to firefighters about their jobs. Likewise, paramedics from St John’s Ambulance Cymru were on hand to teach people about emergency aid.    

A lot of local businesses donated vouchers, with Haus of Tans donating a 25-minute session on the sunbeds.      

Alongside this, many activities were organised, including slime making, active play, dodgeball, and tag rugby. There was even a visit from entertainer Captain Beany, who appeared on the seventeenth series of Britain’s Got Talent.    

Captain Beany shared his enjoyment of the day and said:

“(A) Fabulous Family Fun Day in Margam! Everyone was ever so ‘full of beans’. Thank you to Abbie of Mirus Wales and all the organisations for their full-blown cooperative support.”        

Throughout the day, we fundraised and collected a grand total of £361. The money raised will be evenly distributed between local charities, including Mind Neath Port Talbot and Morgan’s Army. 

The fun day was a huge success, and the turnout was fantastic –some of our Trustees attended and got involved with all the activities. The people we support also enjoyed all the activities, especially Freddy, who volunteered to take fantastic photos throughout the day.    

About the day, Jade Flynn said:

“Wow, what a day! It was a massive effort by everyone involved. It is the first time Mirus has done something like this in Neath Port Talbot, and it went above all expectations. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and there were smiles all around!       

“I want to say a big thank you to everyone who helped throughout the day. None of this would have been possible without all your hard work today – it has not gone unnoticed!”      

Abbie Latter-Williams, a Mental Health Support Worker who co-organised the event, said:

“Our community family fun day was such a success and went better than we could have ever imagined – we are overwhelmed by everyone’s support and generosity.”