BACK ON OUR FEET AFTER BLAZE
IT WAS a night that completely devastated their lives and will be one they’ll never forget. Kelly Elsey was at her Swansea home with her two-year-old daughter Bethan on the night of March 26, when disaster struck.
She had been burning items inside an incinerator bin in the back garden of their property at Geiriol Road, Townhill, when it fell over and ignited other flammable material which spread to the back door and into the house.
The blaze caused extensive damage to the kitchen and the house was heavily smoke logged.
Miss Elsey saved her daughter and the family’s pet budgies, but lost everything else in the blaze.
The pair were taken in by a friend and slept on the sofa, and during that time, Miss Elsey was worried their immediate future looked bleak.
Amid the current coronavirus pandemic, she worried it could be some time before she managed to bring some order back to their lives.
But thanks to the immediate efforts of Swansea council and the wider community, they were helped back onto their feet.
The authority’s district housing office in Townhill sprang into action to find Miss Elsey and her daughter a new temporary home, while a fundraising page saw £1,150 in donations flood in.
They now have a new temporary home in Gors Avenue, Townhill, and Miss Elsey explained how she used the cash raised to get all the essentials.
“The council acted really quickly,” Miss Elsey said. “They phoned me up the next day after the story was written and told us they would sort us housing.
“I’m really grateful to them, they did a really good job to help us in difficult circumstances.
“I don’t think there has been an awful lot done at the house in Geiriol Road at the moment but that’s fine, it does not matter how long it takes as long as we are housed. The way everything is going at the moment, it’s not the important thing.
“We have got everything we need now. The GoFundMe page raised just over £1,000 and helped us get everything we needed, all the essentials.
“It was difficult to get things as shops have been closed, but I tried to be as sensible as I could and looked for bargains.
“I ordered things like plates, cutlery, bedding. Every single penny went on the essentials. We got pallet carpet tiles, and things like a kettle, microwave and furniture.
“Bethan’s fine, I got her clothes and toys and she’s just as bubbly as ever being a two-year-old.”
Expressing her gratitude to the people who raised the cash to help, Miss Elsey said: “It was a great response, I have made a point to reply to everybody that contributed to say thank you. Some people were so amazing, I really was shocked by the response. I could not believe it.
“When we are back on our feet and doing well I will make a special point if I see anyone in a similar position to do the same for someone else. It has made me more aware of wanting to do the same lovely thing and help others.”