Chance to help hospice at outdoor market stall

CHILDREN’S hospice charity Ty Hafan is set to make a return to Pontypridd this week as it hosts a pop-up stall in the town’s outdoor market.

On Saturday, the stall will be selling Christmas cards, gifts, the charity’s own Christmas raffle tickets and homemade crafts created by volunteers who will also be encouraging supporters to get involved in the “Christmas Star” initiative.

This comes after Ty Hafan made the difficult decision to close its longest running shop on Pontypridd’s high street after the first lockdown period, along with six other shops across Wales.

This was due to the trading challenges posed by the pandemic which continue to be very difficult.

This year the charity expects to have a shortfall of almost £2m in income due to the challenges of the pandemic but continues to keep the doors open for the children and families who need support.

The charity’s head of retail, Laura James, said: “We are thrilled to announce our presence at the Pontypridd outdoor market this month.

“The town holds a special place in Ty Hafan’s heart and, despite our shop closing in July, we want everyone to remember that we are very much still here and want to continue to be part of the community.

“Pontypridd was our first shop to open back in 1994, and helped raise vital funds to open the doors to the hospice 21 years ago, so we have a real bond with our volunteers and supporters in the area.”

Ty Hafan will be at the stall from 9am selling handcrafted gifts plus Christmas crafts and cards.

The charity will also be offering locals the chance to purchase a personalised Christmas star that will be hung on the tree at the hospice, and then posted back to them in time to hang on their own tree for Christmas Day.

You can send an email to: events@tyhafan.org to find out more information.