There are two things that often surprise people when they first visit The Gathering Place in Neath. Firstly, the owner of the shop greets customers in his smooth American accent, something that is not often heard in the South Wales market town. Secondly, everything in the shop is free.
When American pastors Ken Arrington, 47, and Jen Arrington, 37, first came to Swansea in 2019, the city had the worst opioid death rate across England and Wales.
"We were walking around seeing people sleeping on the sidewalks in the city centre," said Ken. "We didn't know much about Swansea at the time but then we learnt more about the opioid epidemic." You can read more stories about Swansea here.
