A new community project aims to tackle gaps in support for people living on the streets

A NEW community initiative is aiming to provide a “safe haven” for homeless people in west Wales, offering accommodation, training and round-the-clock support.

Safe Haven Homeless CIC has been set up by founder Dave Thomas, who said the idea came after witnessing the struggles faced by people sleeping rough in Carmarthen and Aberystwyth.

He described seeing individuals forced out of temporary camps, including one case where fencing was erected to prevent a homeless person returning to a former site.

Mr Thomas said: “We spoke to people who simply couldn’t access help because they had no fixed address or internet access. That was a real eye-opener.”

Research carried out by the group found that while a number of organisations provide advice and outreach support, there is a lack of safe, stable accommodation offering a full package of services.

The Herald understands that demand for housing remains high, with waiting lists for social housing stretching to around two years in some cases, particularly for those not in priority groups.

The project aims to address this by purchasing a property with land to create a multi-use support centre.

Plans include a main building with communal living areas, a kitchen, counselling rooms, IT facilities and training spaces, alongside outdoor accommodation such as bell tents and log cabins.

The site would also include recreational and work-based facilities, including a workshop, greenhouse, gym and fishing lake, designed to support wellbeing and provide opportunities for skills development.

Mr Thomas said the centre would be staffed 24 hours a day to ensure continuous support, addressing a gap where many services only operate during office hours.

The initiative also aims to become partly self-sustaining, with income generated through a small campsite, training activities and partnerships with external organisations.

Support networks are already being developed, including links with counsellors, charities and local businesses willing to offer employment opportunities to those using the service.

The organisation is being run by a team of directors alongside Mr Thomas, and is also building connections with other community projects in the region.

Mr Thomas added: “We believe this is a new and dynamic way to support homeless people. It’s about giving them not just a place to stay, but real support to rebuild their lives.” 

A NEW café has opened in Newport, Pembrokeshire, bringing Caribbean flavours to the seaside town — with affordable bed and breakfast accommodation also planned for the near future.

Ty Bert Caribbean Kitchen has opened in the former youth hostel at the old school on Lower St Mary Street.

The venture is being run by Newport local Roberta James, who hopes to reopen the building’s five bedrooms as budget accommodation as soon as possible.

The café, which opened earlier this month, serves Caribbean dishes including jerk chicken, barbecue pork belly and goat curry, alongside more traditional options such as baked potatoes, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cold drinks and cake.

Roberta said the idea began after she responded to a Facebook post by Newport Town Council asking what the hostel, which had been closed since Covid, could be used for.

Soon afterwards, she was putting together a business plan and submitting it to Pembrokeshire County Council, drawing on her family’s background in catering and hospitality.

“I wanted to bring it back as a hostel but also have a place for the community and somewhere to use for events and groups,” she said.

The Caribbean theme was inspired by a holiday to Antigua.

Roberta said: “I am a foodie and I loved the food there. It was simple and flavoursome.”

She is recreating those flavours with the help of her friend Jason, who is from the Caribbean.

Box meals are available to eat in or take away, with protein mains served with rice, potato, coleslaw and salad for £12.95.

“The menu is perfect for families or for people that like a bit of spice and something a bit different,” Roberta said.

Customers have already been taking meals down to the beach or Parrog, while those eating in can use the downstairs café seating or a large family-friendly room upstairs, complete with big tables and board games.

Roberta said: “The response has been really good. We have had a lot of the locals coming in. They have been really supportive.

“During the Easter holidays we had tourists coming in. They really enjoyed having something different and reasonably priced.”

Ty Bert Caribbean Kitchen is currently open from Friday to Monday, from 12:00pm to 8:00pm, with plans to open on Thursdays later in the season. Diners are also welcome to bring a bottle with their meal.

Roberta said she hopes to open the hostel as soon as possible. Painting parties have already been held to freshen up the two dormitory rooms, two double rooms and one family room.

She is now waiting for Pembrokeshire County Council, which is leasing the property to her, to repair the boiler.

Roberta said transforming the former hostel into boutique budget accommodation, while creating the café, had been a real community effort, with friends and local businesses pitching in.

“There have been lots of lovely people in the community offering to help,” she said. “They want us to succeed, which is really nice.”

More information is available on the Ty Bert Facebook page.

MORE than 100 candidates standing in next week’s Senedd election have signed a pledge in support of Palestinian rights, including backing calls for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru said 115 candidates had signed its “Senedd Palestine Pledge” so far.

The signatories include 46 Green candidates, 37 Plaid Cymru candidates, eight Liberal Democrats, six Labour candidates and five independents.

The pledge commits candidates, if elected, to “take all appropriate steps” to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, oppose what PSC describes as Israel’s crimes of genocide and apartheid, and ensure the Welsh Government is not complicit, including through support for the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment and sanctions.

Prominent candidates listed by the campaign include Wales Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter, former Senedd Members Mike Hedges, Sioned Williams, Llyr Gruffydd, Sian Gwenllian and Heledd Fychan, former MP Beth Winter, and Rob Griffiths of the Communist Party of Britain.

PSC Cymru said the pledge was particularly relevant under the new closed proportional list system, where voters choose parties or independent candidates rather than individual party candidates.

According to the campaign, the pledge has been signed by two Labour, three Liberal Democrat, ten Plaid Cymru and 12 Green first-placed candidates.

The organisation said the issue had direct relevance to the Senedd because of concerns previously raised over Welsh Government funding linked to companies involved in the F-35 fighter jet supply chain.

Bethan Sayed, co-chair of Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru, said: “Reaching 100 pledges is a milestone. It is a clear message that Palestine is on the ballot in this Senedd election.

“Wales has always aspired to be a nation that stands on the right side of history, a globally responsible nation that holds human rights and international law at its heart. These 100-plus candidates are giving real meaning to that aspiration.

“Support for Palestinian rights stretches across every community and every constituency in Wales. Polls show public backing for this issue. Voters will be watching closely to see who has the conviction to stand with them.

“To those candidates who have not yet signed: the time to act is now. This is a test of moral leadership. We urge every remaining candidate to sign the pledge before polling day.”