Friday, May 05, 2006
Blue Peter badge
I have just spent an hour at the official opening of the Swansea Cyrenians' drop in and healthy living centre for homeless people.
The centre has been situated in a wonderfully renovated church. St. Matthews was built over 800 years ago by the Knights of St. John as a hospice - a link back to my time in Malta last week. It is a listed building but it has fallen into disuse over the last decade.
The Cyrenians have used a whole range of funding to restore the building and the graveyard to their former glory. They have partioned it in half and rebuilt the interior to modern standards. On one side they have built a cafe and resource centre together with a doctor's consulting room and space for a community nurse. On the other side they have created a new flexible space for the Church in Wales complete with under floor heating and seats for up to 90 people. It is a fantastic achievement.
At the opening the idea was to do something original. So, as the cafe is to be called the owl and the parrot, they got the real things to do the honours.
Unfortunately, as the parrot was being coaxed to pull the ribbon with its beak the owl decided to do its business all over its handler and the floor. And they say it is tough being a Blue Peter presenter.
The centre has been situated in a wonderfully renovated church. St. Matthews was built over 800 years ago by the Knights of St. John as a hospice - a link back to my time in Malta last week. It is a listed building but it has fallen into disuse over the last decade.
The Cyrenians have used a whole range of funding to restore the building and the graveyard to their former glory. They have partioned it in half and rebuilt the interior to modern standards. On one side they have built a cafe and resource centre together with a doctor's consulting room and space for a community nurse. On the other side they have created a new flexible space for the Church in Wales complete with under floor heating and seats for up to 90 people. It is a fantastic achievement.
At the opening the idea was to do something original. So, as the cafe is to be called the owl and the parrot, they got the real things to do the honours.
Unfortunately, as the parrot was being coaxed to pull the ribbon with its beak the owl decided to do its business all over its handler and the floor. And they say it is tough being a Blue Peter presenter.
