A new community kindness scheme has been launched across Aberystwyth hoping to keep people in this wet town dry.

Last month ex-student Amy Wilkins launched ‘Happy to Chat’ benches along Aberystwyth promenade hoping to tackle loneliness one bench at a time.

This month, she’s begun Aber-Rella’s inspired by her dad - free umbrellas placed in the town’s libraries to take and return when caught out.

Amy, 25, said the idea all started after watching her dad run out of his car to give people umbrellas: “I thought it was so sweet, and I found out he has been doing it for years.

“My very kind Dad, who, whenever he sees people whilst driving surprised by a sudden downpour, he’d get out of his car and give them an umbrella to keep them dry and warm.

“This is why we created Aber-Rellas to keep people dry.

“And if they can, to bring it back to keep others dry in the next sudden downpour.

“We wanted to bring people a smile and share this tradition with more people!”

The umbrellas have been placed in stands in the National Library of Wales and Aberystwyth Public Library, with signs explaining the cause.

Amy’s dad, Paul Wilkins from Barmouth, said: “I've always carried a spare umbrella in the car and given them away to people in the rain.

“They are always dumbfounded by the act when I give them the umbrella.”

It comes a month after Amy launched ‘Happy to Chat’ benches across the promenade, encouraging people to sit on benches if they’re happy to chat with passersby or strangers who’d like to.

After seeing people sitting alone during the Covid-19 pandemic, she set up the scheme out of her own pocket, inspired by her Grandad and other ‘Happy to Chat’ bench schemes that exist across the world.