A group that has helped people settle in north Powys after fleeing persecution and war has announced that it has "reluctantly decided to call a halt" to its fundraising activities.

Llanidloes Refugee Support Group said fundraising had become difficult because of coronavirus restrictions and attracting younger active members

"The group has closed down for now but could rise again, maybe in a different form, if another project arose, especially if new members showed interest," a Llanidloes Refugee Support Group spokesperson said.

The group, which was set up in October 2015, has thanked the generous support from the people of Llanidloes and surrounding areas who have helped raise more than £12,950 for refugees in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Jordan and Greece as well as Calais, Dunkirk and Paris.

Support was given to families who came to live in Montgomeryshire after fleeing the civil war in Syria, including help with television licences, broadband and dictionaries. Llanidloes people also befriended the families and helped them to read and write English.

In a statement, the Llanidloes Refugee Support Group said: "The decision to lay down the group down was taken because it has been hard to carry out fundraising during Covid and lockdown, and also because it was proving difficult to attract younger active members.

"The group will always be immensely grateful for the generous support of the people of Llanidloes and our local partner organisations and especially Llanidloes church groups."

Llanidloes Refugee Support Group collected large quantities of blankets, sleeping bags, coats, jumpers and other warm clothing for men, women and children, as well as tarpaulins, hot water bottles, instant coffee and tinned fruit. Clothes were sorted, bagged and transported to partner organisations who transported and delivered them to refugee camps in different parts of Europe.

The money was raised at coffee mornings, music events, pop-up cafes, circle dancing, church donations, Lenten lunch collections, table-top sales, group donations and cash donations.

Funds were also donated to many organisations including Medecins Sans Frontieres, Disasters Emergency Committee, Refugee Action, Human Relief Foundation, Penny Trust, Calais Kitchens, Prism the Gift Fund and People in Motion.

Llanidloes Refugee Support Group was founded more than six years ago when the late Gwen Prince and Veronica Grant were elected as joint chairs. The group also had at least six core members plus a wider range of supporters