Why Swansea City are helping us to hit the target with our Cwtsh Clos fundraising appeal

“It made a world of difference” and “We were so lucky to have it” are just two of many heartfelt comments from parents who have stayed in one of the five houses Swansea Bay provides for families while their babies are being cared for in Singleton Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The houses, situated within a stone’s throw of the NICU, are a godsend for parents who live a distance away from Swansea and need somewhere to stay and rest while their little ones are receiving vital, often life-saving care.

Most parents-to-be never imagine their baby will need intensive care after arriving in the world but it’s sadly a fact that, for a number of reasons, some do.

Of the 28,000 babies born in Wales’ 26 maternity units each year, about nine per cent will need treatment on a neonatal ward like Swansea Bay’s NICU.

And because the NICU provides care for sick and tiny babies from across a huge area of Wales, families from further afield can be left with concerns over travel time and accommodation expense at a time when they’re at their most vulnerable and in desperate need of being as close to their newborn as possible.

Singleton’s NICU provides care for babies and their families living as far away as Aberystwyth, Pembrokeshire and as far north as the Betsi Cadwaladr health board area.

This is why the five two-bedroom properties at Singleton, which have provided such welcome shelter and comfort for many families, are so important to those that have stayed in them.

And this is why with the houses, which have been available since 2016, now in real need of refurbishment, the Swansea Bay Health Charity is in the throes of an appeal to raise £160,000  improve them and  make them feel like a real ‘home from home’ to those who use it.

Called the Cwtsh Clos Appeal, fundraising has been supported by well-known entertainer Mal Pope, who has a very special reason to thank Singleton’s NICU staff after they cared for his grandson, Gulliver.

Other families who have found themselves in similar places to Mal have told their own stories of gratitude and now the world of sport is hoping to score big for the appeal, with Swansea City dedicating their upcoming Championship fixture against Blackburn Rovers to supporting Cwtsh Clos.

The match kicks off at 3pm on 22^nd February, with the club only too happy to help by raising awareness of the appeal with pre-match events and fundraising around the Swansea.com Stadium.

You can show your support by going along to the game and getting right behind both the Swans and the Cwtsh Clos Appeal, hopefully helping both on the road to success.

You’ll also earn the gratitude of parents like Bethan and Carwyn Wyn Evans, who stayed in one of the NICU properties while their daughter, Mari Glyn, was being looked after in 2021.

“When we found out that we were able to have onsite accommodation it made a world of difference,” said Bethan, from Llangunnor in Carmarthenshire.

“Although we only live around 40 minutes away, travelling that amount of time, and spending 15 to 20 hours a day by your baby’s bedside, on top of the travelling, is just too much.

Pictured: Bethan and Carwyn with Mari Glyn.

“Caring for parents who have babies in NICU is all important because they are there for each other. For the parents to be able to be on top form for their babies, the accommodation we had in Singleton was so important. We were so grateful for it.”

The family did their bit last summer to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in Mari Glyn’s care with a 110 mile sponsored run, which included an emotional stop at Cwtsh Clos.

“I’d like to say how grateful we were to have a roof over our heads because that’s the most important thing,” added Bethan.  

“The team in Swansea Bay and Singleton agree that the homes are in need of renovation. It was a quite clinical environment with no home comforts and the furniture needed replacing.

“That’s why we chose the Cwtsh Clos Appeal as one of the charities we want to fundraise for. It’s important for parents to have somewhere where they can just have that tiny respite before they go back to put in another 15 to 20 hour shift by the baby’s bedside. 

“For them to be able to be at their best, they need to be cared for.”

Another mum who remains hugely grateful for being able to stay in a Cwtsh Clos house is Jo Silverwood, from Hay-on-Wye, whose little girl Cerys was delivered 11 weeks early by C-section in 2018 – weighing only 2lbs 4oz.

Pictured: Jo Silverwood with Cerys

“When I was well enough to be discharged after my C-section, we went straight into the house. It was an absolute lifeline. I don’t know what we would have done without it,” said Jo.

“I’d just had an emergency C-section and my husband, Bob, was trying to do some work because he wanted to take his paternity leave when our daughter was out of hospital.

“It meant that he could do a bit of work in the house and I could easily get to see Cerys as often as I could.

“She was in the unit for six weeks. It’s a long time.”

Although the facilities inside the property were quite basic, the couple were extremely grateful.

Jo added: “When we were there it had a living room with a television, couch and a dining table.

“The cooking facilities were quite basic. There was a decent fridge freezer but it would be helpful if they had a hob and an oven.

“Bob would cook at home when he went back for work and bring stuff back which we would heat up in a microwave he bought.

“There was also a laundrette on site which I used to do the washing. We were just thrilled to have the opportunity to have somewhere close to Cerys. I wasn’t able to drive at that point.”

You can support the Cwtsh Clos Appeal and get behind the Swans at the same time by getting down to the Swansea.com Stadium for the game. But if you’re not a footy fan and would still like to donate to our Cwtsh Clos Appeal, please visit our JustGiving page for Cwtsh Clos here. You can also find out more about the appeal.