Councillors back Matthew’s House with festive donation

Matthew’s House, based on High Street, welcomed councillors David Phillips, Fiona Gordon, Hannah Lawson and Patience Bentu who presented a £600 donation from their community budget.

The charity said the money will go towards turkey, trimmings and treats to ensure nobody is left without a place to go on Christmas Day and the days around it.

More than meals

Matthew’s House, led by Project Leader Thom Lynch, opens three days a week and welcomes on average 119 people — serving around 700 meals weekly.

The charity said that since opening its doors, it has provided more than 230,000 meals to those in need.

It added that visitors have also benefitted from over 1,500 Buddy Support Sessions, more than 1,100 professional advice conversations, thousands of dignity packs and emergency items, and everyday essentials such as showers, laundry and haircuts.

Powered by volunteers

Matthew’s House said its work is powered by 151 active volunteers, who together have contributed more than 107,000 hours of service. Their dedication is especially evident in the run‑up to Christmas, when the café becomes a lifeline for those who might otherwise feel forgotten.

Councillors praised the volunteers’ commitment, saying the organisation of the project was “impressive to say the least.”

A festive welcome

During their visit, councillors enjoyed catching up with Thom and his team and seeing the redesigned outdoor space in use, making the café even more inviting.

Matthew’s House said the donation would help ensure nobody feels they’ve nowhere to go over Christmas, with a proper festive spread of turkey, trimmings and treats.

How you can help

Matthew’s House says every bit of support makes a difference. Donations help provide food, dignity packs and essential services for those who need them most.

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#Charity #CllrDavidPhillips #CllrFionaGordon #CllrHannahLawson #homelessness #MatthewSHouse #PatienceBentu #Swansea

£1,000 donation helps Matt’s Café serve hundreds of meals a week in Swansea

Matthew’s House says donation is a “game-changer” for food storage and planning

Matthew’s House, based in a converted church on Swansea’s High Street, is home to Matt’s Café — a community space offering hot meals, showers, laundry, clothing and support to anyone who walks through the door.

The café operates on a “pay what you can” basis and is open three times a week, with no eligibility criteria. Guests are welcome regardless of their circumstances, and many are facing homelessness, mental health challenges or financial hardship.

Now, thanks to a £1,000 donation from UKSE’s Community Fund, the charity has been able to purchase a large freezer to store donated food more efficiently.

“It’s a game-changer for us,” said Project Leader Tom Lynch. “It allows us to plan and organise our food storage more efficiently. We are very grateful to UKSE for their support.”

Supporting Swansea’s most vulnerable with food, dignity and warmth

Matthew’s House was launched in 2017 by The Hill Church Swansea and has grown into a multi-service hub supported by over 150 volunteers. In addition to meals, the charity provides emergency packs, hygiene items, advocacy, and a welcoming space for those who need a chat or a moment of peace.

Much of the food served at Matt’s Café comes from the Fair Share scheme, which intercepts unsold supermarket goods that would otherwise go to waste.

UKSE Regional Executive Alan Jenkins said the company was proud to support the charity’s work:

“We are delighted to assist the wonderful work done by Matthew’s House and, along with their many other supporters, to enable them to bring hope to people who are struggling — especially at this time of year.”

How to support

Matthew’s House continues to rely on donations, volunteers and community partnerships to operate its services. More information is available at matthewshouse.org.uk.

More on Matthew’s House

Matthew’s House named among Big Issue’s Top 100 Changemakers
Swansea’s “beacon of hope” recognised nationally for its work supporting vulnerable people.

Matthew’s House launches ‘Hope in Swansea’ app
New smartphone app connects people in need with local support providers across the city.

Swans Big Sleep Out fundraiser with Matthew’s House
Swansea City AFC Foundation partners with Matthew’s House to raise awareness of homelessness.

Donation station set up for Matthew’s House
Yorkshire Building Society in Swansea collects food and essentials to support the charity.

Browse all Matthew’s House coverage
Explore our full archive of stories about Matthew’s House and its community impact.

#FairShare #foodWaste #HighStreet #homelessness #MattSCafé #MatthewSHouse #Swansea #TheHillChurch #UKSE #UKSECommunityFund

Swansea’s “beacon of hope” Matthew’s House celebrated in Big Issue’s Top 100 Changemakers 2025

Matthew’s House in Swansea has been named as one of Big Issue’s Top 100 Changemakers for 2025, with the local charity set to receive a free electric van in recognition of their work.

The leading community organisation has been recognised for its work supporting some of Swansea’s most vulnerable people, including those struggling with homelessness, mental health and addiction issues. Their work is largely delivered by a dedicated volunteer army of 120+ generous local people, many of whom have lived experience.

Matthew’s House offers a pay-as-you-feel cafe, dignity packs, shower and laundry facilities, one-to-one advocacy support for guests, a smartphone app signposting to 150+ support services in the city, and a community choir. The people of Swansea have described their work as a ‘lifesaver’, ‘beacon of hope’ and ‘fourth emergency service.’

As part of its Driving Change for Good partnership with the Big Issue, Citroën will provide Matthew’s House with an ë-Berlingo electric van, helping them deliver more change across Swansea.

Thom Lynch, project leader at Matthew’s House in Swansea, said: 

“It’s an honour to be celebrated as a Big Issue Changemaker, and Citroën’s generous donation of an electric van is going to be massively impactful.

“We do a lot of food collections which means driving around the city, visiting different groups to share the work we do and reach people directly to explain how they can support us or get involved. We also redistribute food items that we don’t need, so we’re not contributing to food waste – we take them to hostels, community groups, churches and support services, asylum seeker groups and plenty more.

“At the moment, volunteers are using their cars. It’s inefficient and restricts what we can receive or donate – you can only fit so much in, and it really eats into people’s available time. So it will be huge for our volunteers to be able to turn two or three journeys into one. It sounds simple but it’s the kind of thing that makes a massive difference to how well we can help people.”

Managing director of Citroën UK, Greg Taylor, commented: 

“Citroën is excited to expand our Driving Change For Good partnership with The Big Issue by supporting one of their 2025 Changemakers. We are proud to support he incredible work of Matthew’s House by providing an ë-Berlingo Van, helping them to continue to make a positive impact in the Swansea community.”

Matthew’s House is one of 100 notable community groups, activists and agitators celebrated as Big Issue Changemakers for 2025, as chosen by readers of the popular street magazine.

Celebrity readers of the Big Issue have also put forward their picks, including Bridgend-born Ruth Jones. The Gavin & Stacey actor championed children’s hospice Tŷ Hafan, which is based in her alter ego Nessa’s home of Barry Island.

Paul McNamee, Editor of the Big Issue, said:

 “Against the backdrop of a madder, more divisive world, 2025’s Big Issue Changemakers stand out for their selfless pursuit of justice and kindness for others.

“This year’s list includes lawyers, inventors, entrepreneurs, footballers, sailors, singers, community leaders – from Changemakers who have changed the law for everyone, to Changemakers who have changed things on their street corner. We even celebrate our youngest ever Changemaker in 11-year-old marvel Travis, who fittingly hails from this year’s UK City of Culture, Bradford.

“And for the first time ever, our partner Citroën have generously donated of an electric van that will enable one of our most impressive Changemakers – the brilliant Matthew’s House in Swansea – to make even more change in their community. A big thank you to Citroen for their generosity.”

Big Issue’s Changemakers 2025 Special is on sale from today (Monday 27 January). Buy from your local vendor or subscribe on bigissue.com.

#BigIssue #Citroën #MatthewSHouse

Kind-hearted local fashion lecturer knits 365 hats for Swansea’s homeless

Her journey began on a freezing January morning as she sat in her car, struggling to defrost the windscreen and warm up before heading to work.

As she sat shivering, a news report on the radio caught her attention – a proposal to fine homeless individuals up to £2,500 for rough sleeping. Susanne was outraged at the idea that homelessness could be treated as a crime.

The freezing cold and the thought of those spending the night on the streets triggered an idea in her mind – Susanne could use her talent in textiles to make a difference.

Having recently received a circular knitting machine as a Christmas gift, she decided to put it to good use by embarking on a ‘Year of Kindness’ challenge: knitting 365 hats for the homeless.

With the goal in mind, she took to social media to share her pledge, and support quickly began to pour in. Family, friends, and colleagues asked how they could help, and Susanne set up an Amazon wish list for wool donations. Soon, her doorstep was flooded with deliveries of wool from generous supporters.

In a heartfelt gesture, Susanne has labelled each of the hats with the name of the person who donated the wool, as well as a special message reminding the recipient that they matter.

This December, Susanne will deliver her collection of 365 hats to Matthew’s House in Swansea, an organization committed to providing unconditional hospitality to some of the city’s most vulnerable individuals, including those facing homelessness, mental health struggles, and addiction.

Matthew’s House is dedicated to delivering hope and compassion to those in need, with their motto ‘Hope can change lives, it can refresh and refocus us, and that’s why we try our very best to deliver it.’

Matthew’s House is a charitable project initiative of The Hill Church Charity.

Susanne has been documenting her journey throughout the pledge on social media, inspiring others to follow her lead and contribute. You can follow her progress and see her work at:

Facebook: facebook.com/365hatsforthehomeless

Instagram: instagram.com/365hatsforthehomeless

She is thrilled to see her project come to life as the festive season approaches. The hats will be distributed as gifts to the guests of Matthew’s House, bringing warmth and care to those who need it most during the cold winter months.

#GowerCollegeSwansea #hatsforthehomeless #MatthewSHouse