Greetings from the middle of the USA!! I have great friends that live in Swansea...we have visited each other several times over the years and I can't wait to return to your beautiful country! You will love to learn from all the great quilters who post on this forum, so never be afraid to ask questions.
5 inch charms combined with 5 inch patches of a solid color will make a great checkerboard pattern. Add a solid strip of fabric for the border and you should have a nice first time quilt. The back can be either a solid piece of fabric or it can also be a patch work piece....it is your quilt and you do what you like!! A lot of my friends use up all the scraps from the quilt front project on the back side so they don't have any leftovers but me, I like to do scrappy quilts and all those leftover pieces go into the scrap box to be used later :lol:
Enjoy the day!!