Updated 5th May 2026

The Friends of Bethel Sketty Cemetery was established in 2022 when the cemetery, chapel and adjacent house were placed on the market. We are proud to be a registered member of the National Federation of Cemetery Friends.

Bethel Sketty Cemetery contains around 4,000 plots and is the resting place of approximately 11,000 souls. Among them are the graves of significant historical importance, including Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorials, a survivor of Rorke’s Drift, Swansea Blitz casualties, and other notable individuals who helped shape the city’s history. Many more are the graves of ordinary citizens whose lives contributed to the character and development of Swansea.

Further information can be found on our website: www.bethelsketty.co.uk

Our Aims

Our core aims are to:

• Preserve safe access for family plot visits, burials and interments, including the maintenance of essential documentation.

• Ensure the cemetery remains a place for quiet reflection, gentle walking and appreciation of nature.

• Protect the long established rights of way that connect neighbouring communities.

Current Situation

• The property was sold in April 2024, by which time the cemetery was already in a neglected condition. In July 2025, a grass cut was carried out thanks to a 50% contribution from the Sketty Liberal Democrat Ward Councillors. Our Friends group was required to fund 25% of the cost, which we were able to meet thanks to the generosity of many supporters via our GoFundMe page. We remain deeply grateful for this help. Apart from that one cut in July 2025, the new owners have undertaken no further maintenance.

• As a result, the cemetery has deteriorated severely. In April 2026, members of our Friends group arranged and funded three days of professional grass cutting, which successfully achieved a rough cut of almost all open grassland. Much work still needs to be done. The contractors have agreed to return for another three day cut this summer, with the hope of repeating this again in the autumn.

• Several areas of the cemetery are covered in dense bramble thickets and heavy vegetation. Clearing these sections will require more intensive work, best carried out in winter to avoid disturbing nesting birds and to align with contractor availability. We are actively fundraising to support this essential work.

Donations and Volunteering

• We are a non profit organisation, but not a registered charity, so donations are not eligible for Gift Aid.

• If you would like to volunteer or support our fundraising efforts, please contact us via our website www.bethelsketty.co.uk or via our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1287088055384929

• GoFundMe processes all donations in GBP. International donations are accepted from most countries, and we currently have Friends in nine countries outside the UK.

• We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who supports our work and helps safeguard the future of Bethel Sketty Cemetery.