We’re always proud to support our local community, and this year we were delighted to give one special charity an early Christmas present. During our annual Christmas meeting and lunch at the Swansea.com Stadium on Thursday 11 December, we presented £1,000 to Hands Up for Downs, a fantastic local charity supporting children with Down’s syndrome and their families.
Hands Up for Downs is a Swansea-based, volunteer-led charity that supports children with Down’s syndrome and their families. They provide a wide range of activities and support that many families would otherwise struggle to access—helping children develop socially, academically, and physically. The funds raised by our members will directly contribute to the invaluable work they deliver across the region.
This year’s event offered a series of updates and insights designed to keep members informed of the latest training opportunities, funding changes, and industry developments.
Our Chairman, Anthony Thomas, opened the event, followed by a keynote from Andrew Collins, Director of PCR Global, who explored how businesses can effectively use and leverage AI while remaining mindful of its challenges.
We then welcomed Mark Whitby, Customer Engagement Manager at CITB, who provided an important update on the recent funding reforms, reductions, and changes to grant availability. He highlighted how these cuts will affect employers over the coming year and outlined what support will remain accessible through the CITB Employer Network.
Before the festive buffet, guests were shown a specially produced video featuring past and present apprentices from the Cyfle Building Skills Shared Apprenticeship Scheme, which many of our members proudly support.
The video celebrated the scheme’s journey, its growth to the 1,000-apprentice milestone, and its lasting impact across the South West Wales region.
As part of the celebrations, Anthony Rees from Cyfle Building Skills was presented with a specially engraved trophy – awarded by Anthony and our Training Manager, Euros Griffiths – to mark this landmark achievement. The afternoon rounded off with a festive raffle.
Anthony Thomas, our Chairman, said:
“Hands Up for Downs provides vital support, therapies and opportunities that directly benefit children and their families across our region. Many of our members have personal connections with the families who benefit, and we see first-hand the positive impact the charity has on children’s development and confidence. Making this donation
is our way of showing appreciation and helping them continue the fantastic work they do, while also giving them a little boost at this special time of year.”
Accepting the cheque, Samantha Fisher thanked our members for their generosity, saying:
“This donation will make a real difference to the families we support, helping fund essential services such as speech therapy, physiotherapy, social activities and communication training. Beyond the practical benefits, it also shows the families and children that their community is behind them. We are incredibly grateful to SBCSG for their ongoing support and for thinking of us at this time of year — it truly helps spread the Christmas spirit and reinforces the sense of connection and care across the Swansea Bay community.”
It was a wonderful way to celebrate the year, connect with our members, and give back to the community. We look forward to continuing our support for both the construction industry and local charities in the year ahead.