Ymlaen Llanelli, Llanelli Town Council and Carmarthenshire Markets donated a total £855 to three local charities this week following the success of Llanelli Food and Drink Festival 2021.
Ty Gwyn Life Café, Llanelli Food Bank, and Carmarthenshire’s Christmas Toybox Appeal all received £255 worth of donations each, which was raised from the stallholder pitch fees in October's festival. Organised by Ymlaen Llanelli, the food festival saw Llanelli town centre jam-packed with hot street food and artisan producers, and gives back to the community by annually donating its pitch fees to local causes.
Lesley Richards, chair of Ymlaen Llanelli, is glad to put the money to good use: “The food festival is always a great buzz in town, and it’s even greater to be able to take that good feeling and pass it onto people who need it. The community in Llanelli is amazing, and so it’s only right to give something back – the festival is one day in a year, but now the good impact of it can be felt for longer.”
Wilko also donated selection boxes to Ymlaen Llanelli, a handful of which were given out as prizes during Llanelli Reindeer Parade, while the rest were then donated to Llanelli Food Bank.
Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr Emlyn Dole, said: "We're so glad once again this year that we have been able to support three extremely worthy causes in a gesture of goodwill as Christmas approaches."
Ty Gwyn Life Cafe takes place in Ty Gwyn Community Church every Saturday between 7pm and 9pm. Under Covid restrictions, the Life cafe has been offering take-out meals, hot drinks and food bags to those in need.
Llanelli Food Bank operates from Myrtle House and gives free food parcels to those in need in the local area. They accept monetary donations, as well as donations of non-perishable in-date food year-round.
Carmarthenshire’s Christmas Toybox Appeal provides Christmas presents to children from families in need. They take donations of unwrapped gifts for children aged 18 months to teenagers.
Llanelli Food and Drink Festival will return in 2022, along with a whole events programme from the Ymlaen Llanelli team.