A Brief History of SWAG
Sway Welfare Aid Group was established in response to press reports of old people living alone suffering severe distress or even dying of cold, during the snowy winter of 1969/7. After a St Luke's Parochial Church Council meeting in March 1970, SWAG was formed with the objective: “That everyone living alone in Sway has someone to whom they can turn in an emergency.”
An annual Christmas appeal was instigated to raise funds, and in 1975 the annual village boules competition was started as a fund raising event. A substantial legacy from Mr G Kelly greatly eased pressure on funds but SWAG still relies on generous donations from the village community. Nowadays SWAG is a registered charity run by trustees, who are elected by the village community at an annual general meeting.
In its earliest days, SWAG supplied bags of coal to elderly people living alone. The coal has now been replaced by financial heating grants and the work of SWAG has greatly expanded to include help for families and people of all ages living in the village and suffering any kind of financial hardship. A meals-on-wheels service was added, then a few years later, Sway Luncheon Club, which is still running today, and the medical transport service.