"The community at large can also benefit from “coming to the table", experiencing the quiet satisfaction of bringing their resources to bear for the benefit of others.”
SHARING CHRISTMAS with our neighbours
The inspiration for this project was a moving newspaper article that described a young boy going to a food-bank with his mum in December 2019 and asking “could we have a Turkey please?”.
We believe every family on Gower should be able to enjoy a traditional Christmas meal. Some families were identified by our friends from the local food-banks and local schools as needing a helping hand. The project has been running since 2019 and with generous help from local businesses and with a team of volunteers from across the community, we have been able to deliver high quality hampers of traditional Christmas food for over 680 families on Gower. Every year, a team of 30-40 volunteers made this happen and we are grateful for their kindness and commitment to the project.
For Christmas 2026, the eighth year of our project, we shall again be delivering Christmas hampers to families across Swansea and Gower.
One of our volunteers told us:
“We really brighten people's Christmas - its such a great project to be involved with."
Other volunteers shared their reflections on the day:
Councillor Christine Richards
“Each home that I delivered to was delighted to see the hampers arrive and they all said that the hampers would make a real difference to their Christmas. It made me feel a part of something wonderful.”
Rebecca Evans MS/AS for Gower
“The three families I delivered to were blown away by the generosity.”
Mark Child, Lord Mayor of Swansea
“The little boy who came to the door in his elf pyjamas was delighted with the gift, the fact that it was the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Swansea on his doorstep seemed completely inconsequential. We left feeling nearly as pleased as he and his Mum were.”
Tonia Antoniazzi, MP FOR GOWER
“The charity first approached me in 2019 for support, and since then I have been proud to support The Sharing Table each year because of the fantastic work they do for people in Gower.It's been a very difficult few years for people. When people think of Gower, their first assumption might be to think the constituency is affluent but more than ever the cost of living crisis is really hammering people from Clydach to Gorseinon, Pontarddulais to West Cross, and also the rural communities on the peninsular itself."
At the Sharing Table, we would like to thank HUGH PHILLIPS GOWER BUTCHER, THE GOWER GIN COMPANY and SHepherd's of gorseinon WHO supported our "Sharing Christmas" project.
fundraisers & donors
We are very grateful to...
...BNI Dylan Chapter and Swansea Building Society for generously supporting our sponsored walk.
...the Co-op for making us a Local Community Fund.
After School Cooking Club
Food is at the heart of our charity. With the support of grants from Swansea Council Food Poverty Fund, The Vale Foundation and Peter Lynn & Partners, plus some generous local donations, we have constructed kitchens in two primary schools where we are now providing a cooking club. The aims of the club are to teach children cooking skills and food knowledge in a fun environment, learning along-side their families. Other schools are keen to join the programme - our ambition is just limited by our funds.
Outcomes
A few comments from the children:
“K” aged 8: “I am allowed to use a knife and I learned how to cut peppers. It gets me out of the house”
“C” aged 10: “I reckon a lot has changed, because I don’t like many foods and I tried some and I liked it. I recommend the club because it brings the family together.”
“O” aged 7: “It’s fun and cool”
Cooking Club 2023
From French toast to Sausage Casserole, we had great fun cooking with families.
Thank you to the partner organisations supporting our Cooking Club project, including swansea council and vale foundation as well ty croeso, a Clydach-based community venture which provides a range of services to its community.
