Opening Swansea

We think Swansea is a place of unique beauty and appeal. In 1956, Gower was designated the UK's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The first and still the best. Each year, just over four and a half million people visit the Swansea area, spending between £600 and £700 million. That’s a lot of money, obviously, but we don’t think it’s enough. Swansea attracts fewer tourists and less tourism revenue than Windsor Park, which offers beautiful trees and grounds but is 80 miles from the nearest beach. It attracts less than Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, which offers a very big shopping mall and very little else. 

We want Swansea to be celebrated as a premium tourist destination, and our first step towards that is to open it up to UiD service users. The UiD Opening Swansea Project, devised and managed by trustee Hazle Boyle, is a year-long project that introduces asylum seekers and refugees to their adopted home. Through guided visits, town trails and exploration of our sometimes overlooked public spaces, we’re fostering a sense of belonging among our new friends and helping them not only become an integral part of this beautiful city, but also become its enthusiastic champions.

Hazle’s goals with Opening Swansea include boosting wellness and environmental awareness, through engagement with the city’s green spaces. The sense of belonging she’s already done so much to develop at UiD will develop further as people of all cultures and backgrounds get to know the city and its history, with each person viewing it through their own unique lens. By helping our friends identify the landmarks and community locations on their doorstep and navigate the basics of travelling between them, Hazle will open the door to independent living and independent enjoyment of everything our city has to offer. 

The list of trips for 2026 visits already includes much-loved theatres, libraries, parks, gardens and places of worship. Hazle is always open to suggestion for new venues, and she’s always eager to work with new colleagues.

Which venues would be on your “must see” list for the Opening Swansea project? We want your ideas, and we’d love to have your partnership. 

If you have a suggestion for an Opening Swansea activity, or if you’d like to support the project as a volunteer, contact us today at unityswansea@gmail.com.