News/Events

In Memoriam Susan Hofsteede

On 29th September 2025 we unexpectedly lost our greatly valued colleague and friend Susan Hofsteede.

All at Croeso Menai, and especially Dyma Ni Befriending, continue to miss her greatly. She had supported causes of peace, compassion and justice for many years, including refugees and asylum seekers in Kent and elsewhere. Her move, with her husband, Frans, to Bangor in 2012 resulted in huge benefit to the causes she supported here, including environmental and social initiatives, peace and justice and support for those who were fleeing persecution, violence, hunger and danger.

Sue also had a great zest for life and sense of fun. A great participant in the activities she supported, as well as a determined, resourceful and effective organiser.

Having quietly participated in Croeso Menai’s first ventures into Community Sponsorship and social support for refugees from Ukraine, she willingly joined the small team who set up Dyma Ni Befriending when the UK government began dispersing Asylum Seekers around the country, including to Gwynedd and Anglesey. She was a committed coordinator of the initiative and responsible for the initial grants we received, which have helped our friends get to know the area, access essential language and other learning, negotiate our healthcare system, carry out voluntary work, acquire necessary clothes, bicycles and other essential items and benefit from sport, outdoor activities and much more.

Sue was unfailingly kind, compassionate and always ready to go the extra mile for a distressed service user with a difficulty.  She brought in local people with skills, resources and talents to run creative sessions in music, movement, crafts etc. She recognised needs and worked to meet them. The efforts she made were hugely appreciated by those she helped, our whole team and all who work with us.  Here are just a few of the many comments from our friends:

“She was such a kind, wise, and generous lady who always supported our community and welcomed us with care and warmth. Her kindness touched us all, and she will be deeply missed.”

“She was such a kind person and a true example, and I’ll always remember her.”

“I’ll never forget Sue and her kindness that makes all this process easier to cope with, her support and understanding that gives us hope.”

“She was my best, she was a kind person, honesty and role model for all of us.”

Sue exercised patience and tolerance at the frustrations we encounter, while at the same time maintaining her principles and commitment.  Her spirit and example will continue to inspire our work.

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KIRI COMEDY GIG MAKES £2,762!

We are delighted to announce that the Kiri Comedy Gig in July 2025 made a fantastic £2,762.88! This was made up of £2,294.29 on ticket sales and a whopping £468.59 on the raffle (prizes kindly provided by Kiri).


The venue was packed and we were brilliantly entertained by three amazing comedians, with Kiri as hilarious compere.
Thank you so much to each and every one of you who came to support Croeso Menai.


This now means we have reached our total of £9,000 and we can therefore apply for approval from the Home Office to bring an Afghan family to sanctuary in Bangor.

We hope to have news of welcoming the family towards the end of this year.

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COMEDY NIGHT FOR CROESO MENAI
WITH
KIRI PRITCHARD-MCLEAN!
We are excited to let you know that there will be a
Benefit Comedy Night for Croeso Menai
with
Kiri Pritchard-McLean
on
Friday, July 18th
at
Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
Tickets are selling fast – £16.50/£13.50
https://neuaddogwen.com/en/events/comedy-for-croeso-menai/
Kiri is bringing fellow comedians Anna Thomas, Mel Owen and Stephen Bailey, who are all very kindly supporting Croeso Menai to raise money to welcome an Afghan family, through community sponsorship.
If you are not yet familiar with Kiri, listen to her series on ‘Radio 4 Best Medicine’ or ‘Radio 4 Comedy of the Week’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0l993mg
ABOUT COMMUNITY REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP
One of the UK Home Office’s only legal routes for refugees to enter the UK, Community Sponsorship is a way for local communities, civil society organisations, charities, and faith groups to be directly involved in helping refugees find sanctuary in the UK.
Community sponsors provide emotional and practical support to empower families to rebuild their lives in safety, and to become self-sufficient members of their new community.
Since 2018 Croeso Menai has sponsored two vulnerable families, one from Syria and one from Iraq, who have started new lives in Wales.
CROESO MENAI TEAM 3 (CM3)
Croeso Menai is working with the Home Office and a Lead Sponsor charity who specialise in Community Sponsorship, to welcome a family. CM3 is made up of local volunteers including two Afghan women. They both live in Bangor, having been granted permission to come to the UK after fleeing Afghanistan. Khatera, who was a University Lecturer in Afghanistan, is studying for a PhD and Zakia hopes to train as a midwife. With Khatera and Zakia as Team Members, Croeso Menai plans to provide a home for an Afghan family that includes women and girls – changing their future prospects through access to education.
Our first task is to raise £9,000 as a fund to be used for the costs associated with providing a home for the refugee family. A house, rented from a supportive private landlord, is being prepared through generous donations of furniture and household goods. We have already raised half the money we need and hope to bring a family to North Wales by the end of this year.
By supporting Kiri’s comedy gig, you will be helping an Afghan family find sanctuary in North Wales.
DONATE TO CROESO MENAI
If you would like to donate to Croeso Menai, you can do so using the QR code or by bank transfer
Please reference your donation with CM3 & your name
Please email us for a gift aid form
Thank you!
Croeso Menai
NatWest
51-61-28
77977629
Helping one family won’t change the world
but it will change the world for one family