OVER 50 Syrians including families living in Aberystwyth have enjoyed forest school activity days at the Ceinws Camp wild play area.

The project was set up to enable recently resettled people from Syria with refugee status who are living locally to get together with each other and with residents from the area to connect with nature and enjoy being outside.

Tegwen Brickley, chair of the Dyfi Network Group and a Mid Wales Refugee Action member, said: “The three sessions have been fantastic opportunities to bring people together and offer recently resettled families from Syria living in Newtown and Aberystwyth an opportunity to spend time together in nature with local families, playing in the woods, cooking on fires and getting to know each other.”

The events were facilitated by forest school leaders who organised activities such as den building, nature studies, creating arts and crafts with natural materials and games.

People also cooked food together on the fire, played music and pressed local apples for juice. The forest school session builds on previous sanctuary day breaks hosted by Mid Wales Refugee Action.

The Syrian families living locally have fled the war in Syria, mostly coming to Wales through the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme which is aimed at some of the most vulnerable people currently living in Syria and in refugee camps in the surrounding region.

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition on Wednesday