Ty Olwen

Ty Olwen supporters will be aware of last year’s successful World Record Head Shave at the Purple Badger at Llanrhidian on August Bank Holiday. Mitzi and Josh recently visited Ty Olwen to present a cheque and Guinness World Record Certificate to Lead Clinical Nurse Rhian Jones and Palliative Care Consultant Idris Baker. The total amount raised on the event including individual and Just Giving donations have reached an amazing £8168. Thank you to everyone who helped arrange and take part in the event, not forgetting the barber Sam Ryan, for your amazing support.

Kate Murray of the Ty Olwen Trust with staff members Matthew Golding, Maria Roberts and Linda Poole taking delivery of the Easter.

Easter Greetings from the trustees to all the patients, staff and supporters of Ty Olwen.

Residents of Swansea will know that for many years the Unitarian Church in High St, Swansea have always had a wonderful crib on display in their forecourt, and with it’s Christmas carols adds a festive note to those carrying out their Christmas Shopping whist raising money for local charities. This year was no exception when the people of Swansea donated £200.  Ty Olwen were lucky to be one of the beneficiaries and Volunteer Margaret Evans received a cheque for £100 from Hilary Jenkins of the church.

 In January this year Ty Olwen Chairman Helen Murray and Young Ambassador Kate Murray visited Parkmill Women’s Institute to talk about the role of Ty Olwen and the work of the Trustees. Kate spoke about her ideas to make Ty Olwen a more friendly place for young children  when visiting family and friends. An idea was to create small goody/activity bags which a child would be given to use during the visit and take home with them. With the creation of a new ‘children’s ‘ area within the family lounge this has become even more important.  Lillian and Diane from Parkmill W.I. visited the unit to talk about the project and how the W.I. have kindly offered to to make some bags and donate reading books, activity books and small games. The first of the donations are already with the nurses ready to be given out.

Thanks to the landlord of the the Brunswick Arms, Duke St, Allan Rohman and the staff and customers for their continued support to Ty Olwen. Naomi Baker, bar supervisor, is pictured handing over their latest collecting box to Ty Olwen volunteer Ed Murray which contained £49-95 which makes a running total of £483 -34.

An eight-hour makeover by determined volunteers has helped transform the day room at Morriston Hospital’s Ty Olwen.

Besides comfortable new furnishings, the day room now boasts a dedicated area for children – with hand-painted mural, blackboard and new toys – where families can play together with loved ones.

Beth, who joined forces with the volunteers as part of the makeover team, said: “This room is the place where our families and their children come to try to have a bit of peace and quiet and time away from what’s happening on the ward.

“Although when it was first opened in 1990 it looked fantastic, and it is a beautiful room, over the years it has got a little bit more shabby, things have got broken and it has become a bit of a store room.

“But people need to have an area that is a home from home, somewhere that isn’t medical, so that they have a place of safety.

“We are just thrilled that Marks & Spencer picked us and that the staff were happy to donate their time and effort.”

Leading the team of volunteers was Jacqui Vaughan, from Marks & Spencer, said: “The aim of the project was to inspire customers and colleagues to get more involved in the local community.

The team responsible for the transformation including consultant Beth Birth (kneeling, left) with Ty Olwen’s Delyth Gough and lead nurse Rhian Jones.

“That is why we are helping small charities like this and others such as Swansea Community Farm and Llys Nini. We’re really happy to help and I am very proud of our team.”

Teresa Evans, of Hafod, Swansea, knows just how important the family room is. While her husband Gary was a patient at Ty Olwen she and her daughter slept in the room. As a grandmother she welcomed the room being made more family-friendly, especially for younger children.

She said: “The staff here are marvellous and do so much for us all and it is so nice that the volunteers wanted to come in and help improve it.

“This room really is well used and it will be lovely to have a children’s part to it.”

(Below) Volunteers paint the mural in the children’s section of the room and the finished children’s section.

Eddie Tucker, Funeral Directors of Killay, have been selling second hand books for charity for many years and recently handed over their final donation to Ty Olwen of £76-80 making a total of £183-80. Thank you to Julie Davies (pictured), Carol Froom and Richard Rowlands for choosing Ty Olwen and to the people of Killay who have supported their project.

Richard Verge, last years Captain of the Senior Section of Langland Bay Golf Club, chose Ty Olwen for his Charity of the Year and recently visited the Unit to present a cheque for £800 to Trustees Delyth Gough and Helen Murray. Accompanying him was Treasurer Dave Powell who recently lost his sister at Ty Olwen.

Thank you to the Customers and all the Staff at Rowberry’s in Picton Arcade, Swansea for their further generous donation of £99-82 in the collecting box. Tracey Davies, Amanda Nye and Naima Masters are pictured before handing the box over last Tuesday.