Following on from the very successful first FAN Plus Walking session, the second session will be taking place on 28th August, this time in Cardiff Bay.
Congratulations to Gill and Ann our Bridgend FAN Facilitators whose weekly commitment to FAN has been recognised in the Bridgend County Unsung Heroes Awards.
If you are in Cardiff Centre on Saturday 22nd June, do come and say hello to us at the FAN stall at the Cardiff Central Library Refugee Week Celebration!
We will hold a special FAN Group with bring and share lunch as part of the Great Get Together, where we remember Jo Cox and celebrate how much more we have in common, than that which divides us.
Great to be out and about this week in community events in Ely with NHS South West Cluster; Cardiff University's first Communities Fair and for Mental Health Week in Cardiff Central Hub and Barry Library.
Congratulations to Viv, Donald and Ian S, on (belatedly!) recieving their certificates marking their completion of training which was presented by Ian Thomson, FAN's Chair of Trustees at our recent FAN Facilitator Get Together.
We are very grateful to have funding from UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund and Levelling up, so that our FAN friends in Swansea can put together a cookbook of their recipes.
Gill Saunders writes: I was sad today to hear that our lovely friend David Nicholls who supported FAN Groups so well and helped us to develop in the early years - died on 28th December, 2023.
At the begining of every FAN meeting we read out our opening statement which includes the words, " We think different countries make the world a more interesting and exciting place", something that is at the very heart of FAN.
We held our final FAN @ 20 Celebration on line so that friends who join us from further afield, and those for whom online communication works best, could be part of our 20th birthday celebrations.
Thank you so much Philippa, Christine and Bernadette and your wonderful team of volunteers who made the FAN at 20 party in Llanelli go with such a swing.
More than 160 FAN Friends and Supporters took part in the wonderful FAN Celebration at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff on Saturday 29th April at an event that was full of joy.
Dan Edwards has facilitated the wonderful Cathays Heritage Library FAN + group since it started, making each monthly meeting a fascinating mix of FAN and local history ranging from Billy the Seal through the arcades and the history of the Sherman (50 years old unbelievably).
At each FAN meeting, after we have talked a little about ourselves and our week we all take turns to share our experiences and thoughts about that week's topic.
We were delighted to take part in the Friendship Festival on Sunday, where people from Hong Kong, local communities and organisations, come together to have fun and make new friends!
The Spring sunshine has brought FAN staff and volunteers many opportunities to be out and about meeting potential FAN participants and connecting with our colleagues working in the community.
Many younger people have enjoyed our FAN groups over the years - with those living in Cardiff because of study, work or seeking refuge, becoming valued members of our groups.
Wonderful to be part of the Riverside FAN Group's Great Winter Get Together at Wyndham Street Centre, thank you to Mona, Elham, Sharon and the gang for delicious soup and such a warm welcome.
On Saturday 17th December at 11am meet at the United Reform Church, Windsor Place, Cardiff for our friendly FAN meeting then stay and enjoy a bit of lunch.
Due to the sudden unavailability of our usual venue of the United Reform Church in Windsor Place we will meet in the Meeting Room on the 4th Floor of the Cardiff Central Library Hub, The Hayes, Cardiff, CF10 1FL.
Hate Crime Awareness Week is a national week of action to encourage communities affected by hate crime, local authorities, police forces and other key partners to work together to tackle local hate crime issues.
We are looking for a female volunteer to support a women’s FAN group in the Grangetown area that meets weekly on Wednesday mornings for an hour and a half.
The Salvation Army women's FAN group now meet on Wednesdays at 10am, The group is based in Grangetown, Cardiff and start with an English lesson, followed by a FAN meeting where participants can practice their English conversation skills.
Llantwit Major FAN meets in Bethel Baptist Church weekly on Tuesdays at the new time of 1.30pm There will be a very warm welcome but wear warm clothes and bring your own hot drink as the room itself my be cool...
While many FAN friends will be celebrating a busy family Christmas we know that it can be a lonely time of the year too, so Ian is holding a special Christmas morning FAN meeting on 25th December at 11am.
Friends and Neighbours Llantwit Major continues to meet safely, 10 – 11am on Tuesdays, in the large and airy church hall at Bethel Baptist Church, Durell Street, Llantwit Major.
22nd November sees the start of Bring A Friend To FAN Week - where we encourage FAN participants to share their enthusiasm for FAN and to ask another person to attend.
On 21st September 2021 The FAN (Friends and Neighbours) Charity was presented with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, by the Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan, Mrs Morfydd Meredith.
Our FAN group for Women with an English Language Class starts back on Friday 17th September at the Salvation Army Grangetown and looks forward to welcoming old and new friends.
So good to see several groups starting back up face to face for September including The Salvation Army group for women (which includes an English class), Friday FAN for all in Grangetown and Saturday FAN at the United Reform Church in the City Centre.
We are very pleased to announce that we are starting a new face to face FAN group in Maindee Library , Newport on Wednesday afternoons at 2pm, commencing Wednesday 23rd June and every following Wednesday.
We are thrilled to announce that Face to Face FAN is restarting in Usk Hub on Wednesday 16th June at 10am and hopes to welcome both old friends and new.
The FAN Charity, a group of volunteers based in South Wales, have been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
Hello, our names are Caitlin and Megan, and we are second year students at Cardiff University currently performing social research into youth attendance at FAN!
Thanks so much to former FAN Development and Support Officer Ann O'Hare and her family and friends for raising a wonderful £612.50 for FAN as part of her 60th birthday celebrations.
Thank you to The Garfield Weston Foundation for their support for FAN's work in Cardiff - bringing the community together in our friendly listening groups.
Grangetown Salvation Army FAN group for women is not meeting at the moment, but for many years has enjoyed the support and friendship of Sister Anne, who looked after the little children in the group.
Many thanks to the Virgin Money Foundation for their generous grant of £1,166 towards FAN's running costs - recognising the good work that we do and the difficult times ahead.
The FAN Charity is able to continue supporting the community during the Coronavirus crisis thanks to National Lottery funding and National Lottery players.
We hope to keep in touch using technology over the next while, so you may be 'doing FAN' on your own home and may not have a copy of the Open and Close to hand.
The Coronavirus situation is changing rapidly and we are following the most recent advice of the Government and ceasing all non-essential gatherings so there will be no more FAN activity for the foreseeable future.
Good to bring 29 FAN facilitators, staff and guests together for a half day workshop, sharing good practice and some of the challenges and joys of FAN.
The FAN Charity is grateful to its funders the Tudor Trust and the National Lottery Community Fund - these organisations allow us to employ part time staff in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport to support Facilitators and to develop FAN groups - and here we are Ann, Sarah, Janina and Philippa - nearly all present and correct, alongside our new bilingual pull up sign.
This week – for one week only at the present time – St Neots FAN will meet upstairs in the gallery area of the Art and Soul Cafe, (opposite St Neots Museum) 7 New St, Saint Neots PE19 1AE from 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm (i.e.
We are delighted to announce a new, men only FAN group which will be taking place at  TMR, (The Mentor Ring),  Butetown Community Centre,  Unit 4,  Second Floor,  Butetown  CF10 5JA .
A few fan groups will continue to meet during the summer,  so if you want to continue to catch up with old friends and neighbours and meet new ones, check the "Find a FAN Meeting" page on this website, where the summer plans for most groups are listed.
FAN has received funding from the Tudor Trust to employ an additional part time member of staff who will focus on the support and development of FAN groups primarily in Cardiff.
Following our lovely celebration at the Temple of Peace FAN friends have been invited to take part in Emily Williams Temple Vibes radio show on Radio Cardiff.
Once Strangers, Now Friends, Temple of Peace and Health, Cardiff January 28th 2017 Two hundred people attended our Once Strangers, Now Friends event, for a joyous celebration of all things FAN.
The Sudanese community get together is now taking place in Trinity Centre, junction of Piercefield Place and Newport Road CF24 1LE on Saturdays at 6pm.
Many FAN groups have taken a break over half term - but half term is over, the clocks have gone back, and the nights are definitely drawing in but FAN groups are ready to welcome you.
Gill will be running free Advanced English Conversation Classes on Wednesday mornings at 10.30am at MADE Cafe Roath (corner of Lochaber Street and Angus Street, CF24 4PW) and then students are encouraged to join with conversation in the MADE FAN group on Thursday mornings at 11am.
Gill will be running Advanced English Conversation Classes - twice a week at MADE Cafe (corner of Lochaber Street and Angus Street, CF24 4PW) in the upstairs room starting on Wednesday 20th July - many thanks to Zoe for that upper room facility!
FAN Friends and Facilitators from groups across South Wales got together with Jane Tooby FAN Trustee and Sarah FAN Development Officer to share experiences of FAN across the region.
On Saturday 23rd April Saturday FAN will not be meeting in Charles Street, but in a community room at the URC Church in Windsor Place, CF10 3BZ and we do hope you can come!
Several FAN groups have been on holiday over Easter, but the holidays are over and the Summer Term has begun (even if the weather is not very promising today).
Many FAN groups are taking a break over the Easter holidays - but please check our Find a Meeting page or our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/THEFANCHARITY/ to be sure.
A very big  meeting at the Quaker Centre at 11:00 - there must have been about twenty five of us from countries throughout the world - including first time visitors from the United States and Paraguay, and regular friends from Pakistan, Thailand and South Korea, Turkey, Lithuania and Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and Somalia, plus Wales and England.
Many FAN meetings do take a half term break, but not all!  Check out the Find a FAN Meeting page or FAN Facebook https://www.facebook.com/THEFANCHARITY/ to see if your favourite group is meeting this week.
Debbie, Sarah, Zahra, Ian, Katka and Arwa from the FAN Group in Cardiff took part in a special FAN Group meeting that took place on the 8 December 2015 in the building now housing the Cardiff Story at the Old Library in The Hayes..
The dark nights are perhaps keeping our evening numbers down so it was just four of us in the warm and comfortable room at Canton Library, where we hold our Wednesday meetings.
At our large Saturday FAN Group at the Quaker Centre in Charles Street we talked about FAN Groups and how each of us heard about them and what we felt FAN had given us.
Canton Meeting 19 August 2015 - Walking and Cycling in the rain Eleven of us braved the heavy rain (again) to our Canton FAN Group meeting on Wednesday evening.
On Wednesday 20th May our friends at the WEA (Workers Education Association) have a free adults learners' day school being held in the Oakdale Workmen‚ Institute at St Fagan's National History Museum.
ESOL Full Time Courses starting 23rd February 2015 (Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1 & Level 2) Focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking skills as well grammar, vocabulary and cultural issues.
Cardiff Met University is putting on a range of new short courses in 2015, including Introductions to Health and Social Care, Youth and Community Education.
We meet weekly on Wednesdays at 5.30pm, and have recently enjoyed speaking and listening on topics ranging from food, films, celebrations and technology.
Some of us thought we would take our international FAN friends to a very British tea party which was raising money for charity in a private house and garden.
On Tuesday 14th April, 2014 four FAN Trustees went to Windsor Castle to collect the MBE which Gill felt she accepted on behalf of all of you who support FAN Groups.
Cardiff Metropolitan University Summer School runs for 2 weeks in July, follow this link for more information about free courses (some post code restrictions apply).
The WOW women's film club is teaming up with the Wales One World Film Festival to bring you the Best Of Bollywood Live at the Samaj Hindu Temple in Grangetown.
On Tuesday 11th November the Riverside FAN group suspended operations and some of us went along to Chapter to watch Wadjda, as part of the WOW Women's Film Group.
Every October throughout the UK, Black History Month celebrates the achievements and contributions of Black people to the development of British society, technology, economy and arts & culture.
Gill and Zahra have made excellent links with Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) - so much so that in November CAVC will have a FAN group for students as part of their Wednesday afternoon enrichment programme.
You don't have to miss out on FAN meetings during August, the following groups are running: Mondays & Wednesdays: FAN at IKEA, Cardiff 10.30-11.30 (some are meeting at 10 am for 99p breakfast first!) Wednesdays: Llanelli FAN at Lakefield Hall at 10.30-11.30am (see below for contact details).
Before Christmas 2009, Gill, Nick, Zahra and I travelled to North Wales to meet with people who had contacted The FAN Charity, expressing an interest in setting up a FAN Group in their area.
We are delighted to have received a grant from Tudor Trust to enable us to have a part-time FAN Development Officer for the next two years, from 2010-12.
The Oxford Muse Conversation Dinner at Ikea Wales was a wonderful success, with nearly 80 people attending who attend FAN Groups or have supported the FAN Charity.
Following on the success of last year’s grant The FAN Charity is pleased that further funding has been awarded to the charity from the Millennium Stadium Trust Fund.
The FAN Charity have joined in partnership with Oxfam Cymru, after being awarded financial backing from Oxfam, enabling The FAN Charity to continue their work over the coming year.
The good work of The FAN Charity has been recognised by the Welsh Assembly Government, as we were asked to submit information so that we could be placed on their website as a good example of voluntary groups working for community cohesion.
