We are ‘The Dreamers’ - an ambitious group of young refugees and asylum seekers who are co-producing a new project together with staff from Oasis, TGP Cymru and Cardiff and Vale Health Inclusion Service (CAVHIS). Our 7-year project aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of 16-25 year-old sanctuary seekers in Cardiff and the Vale.

We believe that sport is vital for wellbeing, but many asylum seekers and refugees cannot access opportunities currently due to the costs involved. We would love to see this change.

We have recently secured funding from Cardiff Met Sport for a 10-week programme of swimming lessons from May-July this summer. There will be spaces for a minimum of 30 young people to attend. However, the cost of swimwear is a barrier - for example, a typical full-coverage swimsuit costs at least £20, which is almost half of the weekly asylum support allowance.

Our most urgent aim is to raise sufficient funds to provide swimwear for participants in the upcoming swimming lessons. Once this need is met, any additional money will be used to purchase other sports equipment, such as football boots and cricket kits, to enable more young refugees and asylum seekers to engage in sports sessions in Cardiff over the course of the project.

If you would prefer to donate items directly (we can only accept unused swimwear due to hygiene reasons), please contact us for more information about the required sizes and types.