Before lockdown, a small group of volunteers from Transition Bro Gwaun’s Waste busting Activities project in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, were making bunting for their local AberJazz Festival. They planned to make a mile of bunting, putting old clothes and bedding to good use by recycling them. However, when lockdown prevented them from meeting up they realised that it didn’t prevent them from thisactivity. In fact it helped them to keep their spirits up and to feel connected whilst in isolation, by hanging it up outside their homes as a colourful symbol of resilience and hope. The activity caught on as others joined in and new groups sprang up across the county, in Narberth, Killgetty and beyond. News travelled fast and soon even groups in Swansea joined in when 4theRegion teamed up to support the Community Bunting Challenge, linking up through online Facebook groups. Volunteers gifted homemade bunting or made bunting making kits to give in acts of kindness to neighbours so that all could take part. Twelve weeks of lockdown saw Pembrokeshire alone make a combined mile of bunting! As we come out of lockdown, shops reopen and we welcome visitors back to our wonderful South West Wales region the same volunteers that decorated their communities, homes and gardens are gifting bunting to local shopkeepers so that we can celebrate our local High Streets and new found, re-connected support for all things local.
Here Fishguard is leading the way and they are doing wonders to promote sustainable fashion and our circular economy too. Here’s some bunting they have hung along the path leading to Goodwick railway station.
Pictured are Fishguard volunteers Ruth and Moya (left) and Karen and Wendy from Kilgetty (right) who linked on Facebook and joined forces to create the mile of bunting brightening up Kilgetty too.
LOVE THIS PLACE BUNTING CHALLENGE DETAILS
Now to commemorate and celebrate all the wonderful positive things we have felt grateful and thankful for throughout lockdown and that we missed or longed for, a spin off project has been created. We invite you, wherever you are in the world to create and send us a piece of textile bunting in celebration of your favourite South West Wales places, people and products. All our wonderful unique local things that you are passionate about! And then our volunteers will stitch and join them all up in a series of bunting art works that will be proudly hung in and around our local train stations up and down the South West Wales Connected Region. Bunting pieces must be no bigger than A4 but can be any shape.
There’s no need to buy anything as up-cycling is encouraged, however it must be textile based. The Love This Place Bunting Challenge symbolises what the Community Rail Partnership is all about. It’s about all of us, who we all are and where we live. It’s about individuals, families, groups, community and businesses all interwoven and connected, each playing a part in the whole. It celebrates diversity and the rich tapestry of our culture, heritage, economy, society, environment and well-being. So come on! Stitch, sew, crochet, weave, felt, knit, applique, darn, sashiko, knot or macrame your piece of history!
Send all pieces to: C/O 4theRegion CIC, Swansea Train Station, High Street, Swansea, SA1 1NU
Our volunteers will then work their sewing magic to create one beautiful textile art of love, memories and celebration to be exhibited throughout the region.