THE TRUSTEES and committee members of Fishguard's Rainbow Support charity, along with patron, Jerome Flynn, have handed over £12,820 to Shalom House following the closure of the Rainbow charity.

last month Rainbow Support announced that it was closing after struggling to make things work.

The charity was set up in 2016 by the late Yvonne Pye. When the Fishguard mother and grandmother was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer she ploughed her unstoppable energy into creating a centre so that that others in a similar situation didn't have to face it alone.

The centre in West Street was opened by Jerome Flynn in Spring 2017. It offered people in Pembrokeshire with cancer or life-limiting illness, their families and carers complementary therapies, integrative medicine, yoga, workshops, counselling, information and advice, as well as a quiet place to pop into relax and have a cup of tea or coffee.

In September last year the charity moved to Fishguard's Gateway Hub and provided its services from there. However, in March it announced that it would no longer be working from a fixed base but would continue to fulfil its aims.

In June the charity announced that it was close saying it had "continuously changed in every possible way to deliver the aims of the charity", but it was "still not working".

Rainbow Support chairman, Janet Wyer, said that all its monetary assets would be transferred to Shalom House, a local charity that compliments and reflects the ethos of Rainbow Support;.

Shalom operates as a specialist palliative day care centre offering planned respite to patients and therefore to families and carers as well.

All its services are free of charge and it has recently introduced a series of focus or special interest days for patients. who may not want to attend weekly, on topics such as fatigue management, anxiety and carer support.

"It was a sad but very positive event," said chairman Janet Wyer. on behalf of Rainbow Support. "By donating our funds to Shalom House Yvonne's vision will continue.

"We are so pleased that Jerome has also kindly agreed to become an ambassador of Shalom House and would like to thank him again for all the support he has given us."

Shalom House business manager, Judith Thomas added:

"We are so grateful for the donation from Rainbow Support, recognising the significant effort made by Yvonne and her volunteers.

"We can assure Rainbow that Yvonne's legacy will continue as we seek to support the people of Fishguard diagnosed with life-limiting conditions."