2023 Update!

Majical Youth were recently able to channel £500 to “the refugee bike project”.  After initially crowdfunding £465 for a projector and educational zoom workshops, circus workshops, sports challenges ect, for a local government run asylum seekers camp in Penally Pembrokeshire back at Christmas 2021 We found ourselves blocked from proceeding with delivery of the project by “the Authorities”, so we eventually “recycled” the initial crowdfunded equipment into push bikes for the refugees!…..(excuse the deliberate pun!)

 To tell the whole story…….. Local people suggested that the men at the barracks refugee camp at Penally were suffering with a lack of stimulation, connection and recreation, they were left separated from their families, feeling isolated, abandoned and trapped in a fairly rural location. After an initial local outcry about poor conditions, we decided to organise a fundraiser to buy recreational equipment for them at christmas, intending to help alleviate their suffering and improve mental and physical wellbeing. After consultation directly with the men we hatched a plan!, we fundraised and bought a projector and some circus and sports equipment , we found a bunch of teachers and performers willing to deliver both educational and fun challenges via zoom and then delivered the equipment to the camp via local volunteers, mission accomplished, let the fun begin!. 
 However….. The security company running the camp suddenly clamped down on the men's activities and would not let the equipment actually be used in the camp (after initially agreeing to its provision) It turned out the men in the camp had taken direct action against the poor conditions and the security company closed the recreation block and denied them access to the internet and our sports equipment seemingly as “punitive measures”.

  After dragging the matter out for months and following numerous emails with various organisations in support of the men and constantly requesting that the men be actually allowed access to the unused, brand new recreational equipment, the camp eventually closed for good which was a blessing for the men!
  We were then thankfully able to retrieve the equipment via another local volunteer ….this then left us with a brand new projector, a load of circus equipment, footballs, some purchased phone data and a very disappointed feeling….. hmmmmmm what to do next….. We felt sad that the money raised in good faith within the local community to help these men did not achieve anything useful in the end BUT at least we had the kit back….
  Soooo we started to hunt around for another project directly benefiting asylum seekers that might like the equipment, we never found one……however……sometime later we were very pleased to finally connect with a local refugee bike project that, after consultation with the now resettled refugee men, formerly of Penally Camp! set about the mission to provide them all with bikes! They acquired broken pushbikes with the intention of fundraising to fix them up for the men Brilliant ! ….Mission on! we sold the projector and circus equipment and raised a bit more money, we then made a donation to them of £500 (to date) specifically for bits that can’t be recycled like new brake and gear cables, Saddles, lights and bike locks,  The bikes are repaired by local volunteers Shane and Lila and are then distributed through 2 refugee projects in swansea, this enables asylum seekers to get about and fully engage with their new Welsh communities.
  This project gives real independence to the refugee families and demonstrates the generosity of the people of Wales to new arrivals, so from our perspective it ticks the boxes of the original crowd funder and honours the spirit of the original donations, Win Win we think! We hope the original crowdfunding contributors approve of our solution, we say…..when life serves you lemons…. always… make… lemonade!