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Menampilkan postingan dari Maret, 2017

When I grow up

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by Suzanne Iuppa, Community Connector  —  Llanidloes (2nd from left)* I grow old … I grow old …  I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.  Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?  I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T.S. Eliot      What do you want your older age to feel like, sound like, look like? I’ve spent much time thinking about this on my long drives working around the very beautiful countryside of Powys. I’ve worked for Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO) now for six months as a Community Connector, linking older people in the county with services to improve their health and wellbeing.  I moved here from Flintshire in September 2016, where I lived for 25 years and raised all three of my children as a single mother. My boys now live in the four corners of the planet and we joke (well, it is my favourite fantasy) that when I get olde...

Therapeutic gardening in Machynlleth

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At the start of a new gardening year we talk to Kate Doubleday, Garden Volunteer Co-ordinator at Gerddi Bro Dyfi Gardens   in North Powys. Kate tells us more about this therapeutic open space for people which is also beneficial to local wildlife. What is the aim of the project? Gerddi Bro Ddyfi is an organic wildlife community garden in the heart of Machynlleth. It is a people-led project, where the volunteers can choose their own activity. The aim is to create a nurturing, peaceful environment where everyone can feel supported and gain a sense of belonging. Our volunteer days are on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10.30am - 4pm. We provide refreshments and have a volunteer shelter where people can take refuge in the rain. Throughout the year we also offer a range of one day activity workshops in scything, willow weaving, bird watching, and green woodworking for example. Tell us more about your role at Gerddi Bro Ddyfi Gardens? My role is mainly to facilitate a group of volunteer...

Horsing Around Project

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A Horsing Around Project volunteer with a Lluest pony Previous posts on this blog have featured some of the innovative projects run by West Wales Action for Mental Health , including Tonic – surfing for mental health and Spirituality and Recovery in mental health . This week our guest author is Marie Rocke, a Mental Health Development Worker at WWAMH. Recently Marie has been working very closely with an animal charity in the Brecon Beacons in Carmarthenshire called Lluest (“Haven” in Welsh). Lluest set up the Horsing Around Project with funding from the Big Lottery Fund and support from WWAMH. Marie tells us more about the project. It is a well-known fact that Animal Assisted Therapy can support many people to gain confidence, become more self aware and to generally get more out of life. This kind of therapy, especially Equine Therapy , has proven its success repeatedly in supporting individuals on the road to Recovery. Lluest Horse and Pony Trust, in collaboration with WWAMH, is off...