History & Achievements
Cymdeithas Tai Hafan, (now known as Hafan Cymru), was founded in 1989, out of a piece of research sponsored by Welsh Women's Aid and jointly funded by the Welsh Office and Housing Corporation in Wales and entitled 'Homes Fit For Heroines'. This recommended the establishment of a Housing Association to provide homes for women and their children experiencing domestic abuse and leaving Women's Aid refuges in Wales with continuing support needs.
In the early 1990s, we widened our remit to include the needs of all women who are vulnerable. This came as a result of an increasing recognition that many of the women we were supporting had multiple needs and that this complexity ought to be recognised.
In 2007 we changed our constitution to enable us to also support men. This move came about following input from tenants, service users, Board and staff members, who were all keen to see Tai Hafan offering our unique service to men – and in particular to enable us to offer support to men experiencing domestic abuse, young men and male headed single parent households.
In 2009 we re-launched the organisation as Hafan Cymru with an updated identity to take us into the next phase of the organisations growth. Hafan Cymru aims to reflect the complete end-to-end support approach offered to those escaping Domestic Abuse, our preventative work with young people and our pan-Wales coverage. With our new strapline ‘Preventing Abuse. Promoting Independence’ giving a sharper focus to the expertise we have built up over twenty years we intend to raise the profile of the organisation and in turn the plight of those who find themselves homeless or in need of support as a result of the devastating effects of Domestic Abuse.
The priority we have given to involving our tenants and service users in the organisation, and their willingness and enthusiasm to participate means that we are well positioned to take forward our commitment to continuous improvement and growth whilst maintaining our focus on quality and customer service.
Key Achievements
1989
Cymdeithas Tai Hafan (Hafan = haven, refuge) registered as an Industrial and Provident Society and housing association
1990
First ‘sod’ cut for initial scheme – Drefach
1991
First scheme into management – Neath, Drefach completed, then Caernarfon.
First Housing Support Workers employed
1992
Bangor house and two flats taken over form Women’s Aid, Rhyl scheme finished and opened, then Llandrindod Wells.
1993
Connah’s Quay, Brecon, Holywell and St Dogmaels came into management.
1994
General needs properties completed in Post Talbot, Swansea and Bridgend schemes came into management.
Tai Hafan out of cumulative deficit and into financial surplus.
1995
Phoenix Project in Carmarthen opened for young women care leavers.
Penrhyndeudraeth scheme into management.
First ‘dispersed’ scheme set up in Port Talbot.
1996
First refuge into management in partnership with Swansea Women’s Aid.
Pontardawe and Pontypridd schemes completed.
1997
Rhondda and Llandudno schemes into Management.
Successful tender to manage project for vulnerable young women in Rhyl.
1998
Newtown Refuge into management.
Rhyl Young Women’s Project opens its door
1999/2000
Tai Hafan celebrates tenth birthday with Tenants Conference. Video launched for partners and applicants.
Property bought as a day nursery and resource centre in Caernarfon.
Ynys Môn scheme into management.
Project Pearl given approval and property located in March 2000.
2001/2002
2 new supported housing projects for young women – Project Bridgit in Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Conwy Young Women’s Project.
A group of 5 tenants worked with an external consultant to revise our Tenants Handbook and turn it into plain English. We were very pleased with the end product
2003
Tai Hafan MORE THAN DOUBLED IN SIZE!
By August 2003 we were supporting over twice as many service users as in the previous August
Staff numbers had increased from 37 in March 2001 to 102 in August 2003
Pearl Project received the first ever Val Feld Award for Homelessness
Tai Hafan won the TPAS Award for Communication in Housing for our Tenants Handbook which had been redrafted by tenants working with an external consultant.
Swansea tenants and staff from the south Wales region took part in the Swansea carnival
One tenant acquired her first stage accountancy qualifications whilst with Tai Hafan and on leaving got her first accounting job.
Following a Study Visit by 2 members of staff, including the Chief Executive, to Lublin in Poland in February, 5 staff members and 7 tenants from Tai Hafan young women’s projects spent 10 days in Warsowa in Poland meeting other young disadvantaged women and making links and friendships.
The New Dawn Lifelong Learning Pilot programme ran for 10 weeks and was very successful.
Tai Hafan hosted the first Domestic Violence Co-ordinator post for Carmarthenshire, following a successful bid by our New Initiatives Manager for funding from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Domestic Violence Initiative.
2004/2005
Tai Hafan celebrates its 15th birthday with a joint celebration & AGM at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea .
2006
Wrexham Young Woman’s Project won the Val Feld Award. An Exchange to Poland took place for young women from our projects. The Learning Community Accounts pilot, commissioned by DCELLS, involving 4 organisations, including Tai Hafan, under the umbrella of Tai Dysgu a Gwaith Cymru, started. Floating Support Service in Cardiff began in April 06.
2007
The Shareholders voted to change the constitution at the AGM to enable Tai Hafan to support men, in particular those experiencing domestic abuse. A bid for Objective One funding for the Learning and Work Project was successful. Children in Need gave funding for a Children’s Health and Wellbeing Worker. Tai Hafan achieved Level 2 of the Green Dragon Environmental Award
2008
TDG Cymru became an enhanced partnership of 6 housing-related support organisations led by Tai Hafan. Comic Relief gave a further 3 year grant for our Spectrum Project work in schools as did the Welsh Assembly Government. Tai Hafan outsourced maintenance to Wales and West Housing Association. A Mediation Services Co-ordinator was employed to provide a mediation service in partnership with Tai Cymdogaeth & Trothwy Cyf. Tai Hafan appoints a Schools Liaison Officer through funding received by Comic Relief. This post helps promote the association's Spectrum Pack for school. Wrexham Young Women's Project opens its doors for the first time.
2009
Cymdeithas Tai Hafan re-launch the organisations as Hafan Cymru at the September AGM to reinforce its position as Wales’s leading charitable organisation dedicated to preventing abuse and promoting independence.