City Girl Hidden Gems: Cardiff Community Initiatives
If lockdown has shown us anything, it is the strength of social and community connections. While many of us have remained shut inside our homes, there have been plenty of others working hard to keep us all safe, secure, and comfortable.
A huge number of people have lost their jobs, and many who were already struggling are in even worse situations than before. But that has only spurred on the brilliant and forward-thinking people of Cardiff.
To help support others, while struggling as we all are during this time, here are some fantastic community initiatives happening in the city that you absolutely need to support, shout about, and get involved with.
LLANRHYMNEY COMMUNITY PANTRY
Over the past several years, Llanrhymney Hall has been transformed from a run-down building of historical significance to a social space that is integral to the local community. The Hall is free to enter (pandemic-permitting) and has an incredible heritage relating to notorious pirate and buccaneer, Captain Henry Morgan.
Llanrhymney Hall regularly puts on events and supports its local community in many ways. The best of which is the community pantry. Started during lockdown, Llanrhymney Pantry provides affordable food for the local community.
The pantry has garnered a huge amount of support from Cardiff residents, and more from further across Wales. Even famed Welsh footballer, Jess Fishlock, has become a huge campaigner and supporter of the pantry.
The work of the hall is doing great things to support the people of Llanrhymney and throughout Wales. They provide a basic necessity within the environment of a beautiful and historic space.
WILD THING - PAY WHAT YOU CAN
When many of us think of community support, we imagine food banks or homeless shelters. While support such as shelter, hygiene, and food are essential, sometimes all you need is a smile and a hot drink.
Vegan food is becoming ever more popular and so much more affordable, but even the cheapest plant-based foods can be pricey. Yet individual consumers are being told to take on the huge burden of climate change. While a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to help the environment, this isn’t always a real possibility for people on low incomes.
This is where Wild Thing comes in. Wild Thing is a completely vegan café and restaurant currently based in Cathays Community Centre (but they will soon be returning with another space in Grangetown).
Wild Thing sell a range of beautiful cakes, sandwiches, coffees, and other treats. All of which have a suggested price, but any customer can pay whatever they can afford, or feel is right. No questions asked.
While some things are essential, many take for granted being able to spend £5 or more on a coffee and a cake. But this just does not fit into the budget of many people. At Wild Thing, someone who is keeping to a strict budget can enjoy something delicious and fun that they otherwise might not be in a position to afford.
Another amazing initiative by Wild Thing is their community fridge. Wild Thing recently took over the operation of Cardiff’s First Community Fridge which provides free food 7 days a week. The aim of the community fridge is to help reduce food insecurity and provide better access to fresh food and reduce food waste.
Cardiff's residents can donate food to the fridge and anyone can access it when they need to. This can be to find fresh food that they might otherwise not have access to, or to just swap out a piece of fruit or veg that they don’t need. So, if you have a bag of potatoes that you’re not going to use anytime soon, head down to Cathays Community Centre to donate it. You might even find something to take in return.
BRODIE’S BREW BOARD
If you aren’t already, then you need to be following Brodie’s on Instagram. Aside from their wild memes and silly (but insightful) polls, one of the best things to see on their page is the huge number of free drinks paid for by customers. This is a brilliant and humanity-affirming idea. Plus, Brodie’s is definitely one of the best places to grab a coffee in Cardiff.
Some customers will pay for another drink when they buy their own, or they will pay for a big batch in one go. When the pandemic first hit, lockdown meant Brodie’s couldn’t open for a long time. But that didn’t stop the brilliant Brodie’s regulars.
So many customers were concerned about the people who relied on the free drinks that Brodie’s set up a system to allow drinks to be donated via text. If you need to be reminded of the love and compassion the people of Cardiff have for one another, then you only need to click through the stories on Brodie’s IG page.
This is a brilliant and humanity-affirming idea. Plus, Brodie’s is definitely one of the best places to grab a coffee in Cardiff.
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Written by Georgia Winstone
