You gotta have Faith
IT is so true that time changes, with some years more transformative than others. Time changes people, relationships, life itself even. Dinah Washington recorded her version of the song What A Difference A Year Makes in 1959 and in the US it was a year of great change as the country found itself leaving the conservatism of the ’50s for the upheavals of the ’60s.
I’ve experienced 12 months of change (all for the good), but as I stood on the stage of the Brangwyn Hall last night, it hit home how different I felt in myself and how big the change I’ve seen was.
It was a joy to co-host the Faith in Families 25th Anniversary Dinner at the Brangwyn on Thursday night.
Faith in Families is an amazing charity and last night it celebrated this great milestone of serving the wonderful communities of Swansea with a dazzling Viva Las Vegas charity gala.
The last fundraising event I hosted for Faith in Families was at Morgans Hotel as Faith in Families had been the adopted charity for Swansea.com.
Fitness-wise, I was at my lowest point and I found myself sitting next to Tara Hammet, who I know well and have great affection for, but at my then-weight, having dinner next to Tara, who is one of the leading health and fitness professionals in the UK with years of experience of transforming people’s health and fitness, was a bit of a contrast. That night I weighed 21 and a half stones ... Ouch!
However, last night I felt a lot more comfortable as I weighed 15 stone 1 pound – that’s six and a half stone lighter and I’m proud to say I’ve not followed any diet or scheme or been to any gym as yet.
This was just through a lifestyle change and plenty of walking.
So, that’s my big year of change, which has meant buying lots of new suits and clothes plus a few visits to those talented people who are able to alter clothes!
So, there was change for me, but sadly not many changes in the lives of those who are struggling in poverty, and particularly food poverty.
Faith in Families is making a real difference to children and families facing many issues at the charity’s centres in Swansea and Brecon.
Just a few moments spent looking at the charity’s website will give an idea of the enormity of the work that Faith in Families do in the community. Currently there are 13,500 children currently living in poverty in Swansea.
To put that into perspective, that would fill more than half of the Swansea.com Stadium. Thursday night was a fundraiser and I always say that the more fun you have, the more money you raise. We had a great auction and a lot of fun with Kev’s Wheel of Fortune, but amid the fun of the evening, no one forgot the reason we were all there – to raise money to help Faith in Families continue to support vulnerable people who are finding it hard in the world today.
There’ll be no change in my commitment to losing weight, as I’m not quite where I want to be, but what I hope will change is the poverty trap that affects so many people, because it’s gone mon for far too long.
We were running an early form of foodbank at our church in Colwyn Bay in 1986.
It started when a lady walked over an hour to our home.
She walked all the way from Old Colwyn to Colwyn Heights, knocked on our door and just said that she had run out of food.
We took her shopping and bought her enough for the family for the next few days. Surely things should have changed since then!
Thank goodness for the amazing work of Faith in Families who provide help and support to families in our community.
There was change for me, but sadly not much in the lives of those struggling in poverty, and particularly food poverty