Green Minds Ecotherapy Project - South Powys

by guest author Jess Tanner

Green Minds is Brecon & District Mind's new Ecotherapy project which launched this winter. As a fledgling project we are in the process of developing a range of nature-based initiatives that are rich in social and therapeutic value, and aim to reduce social isolation and increase the quality of life for our group members and the local community.

Our project's aim is to help our members to build a stronger connection and sense of belonging to the local environment by exploring the local landscape through mindfulness and nature-connection walks. The project will also help people to create new links within the local area through volunteering roles, and provide opportunities for our members to build self-confidence, self-reliance and new skills.

Our activities are currently taking place at Brecon Cathedral where our project is working towards the design and development of more wildlife friendly planting within the garden areas of the cathedral grounds. We have also started work within a walled garden in Brecon this month, preparing the polytunnel for the seed sowing ahead.

We also have lots of woodland mindfulness walks and craft activities coming up over the next few months. These include willow weaving workshops led by a professional basket maker as well as a bird box making session as part of February's national bird box making month.

We are now open to receive new referrals from within the community for those that feel being part of the Green Minds project will be of benefit to them. Please get in touch for more details.

When asked what mattered most to our members after the Green Minds' sessions their responses were:

“Working with other people and being able to see the end result. I feel less worried, being outside helps clear your mind.” - Sarah

“I felt uplifted when we took a step back and looked at the results of our graft. It's good to interact with others and be outside doing something good.” - Rich

Jess Tanner - Project lead biography

As well as working for Brecon & District Mind as a Community Wellbeing Support Worker, Jess leads the new Green Minds Ecotherapy Project, delivering horticultural therapy and community gardening activities for adults. 

Her background includes working within the creative arts therapies, outdoor education and life long learning. Jess undertook her horticultural training over a one year WRAGS placement (Women retraining as a gardener scheme) in the Black Mountains and also holds an Award in Social & Therapeutic Horticulture with Thrive. 

Jess is passionate about facilitating opportunities that help people to access gardens and green spaces and build stronger relationships with the local area and surrounding landscapes.

Emma Charles - Co-project lead biography

Emma is a Nature Based Facilitator offering ecotherapy and social and therapeutic horticulture in and around the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains. 

Her background is in social care provision, having worked in the third sector for over 10 years. Emma has recently joined the Green Minds Ecotherapy Project and her hope is to raise awareness of the importance of the natural world on our mental and physical wellbeing, and to bring people into a closer relationship with their natural selves whilst cultivating a deeper sense of appreciation for the beautiful environment they live in here in the Brecon Beacons.

You can find out more about the Green Minds Ecotherapy Project by contacting Jess Tanner at Brecon & District Mind, email: Jess.T@breconmind.org.uk or ring 01874 611529. Jess works Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Introducing our new Head of Health & Wellbeing - Clair Swales

Clair Swales recently took on a new role at Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations as Head of Health & Wellbeing after previously working as Senior Officer Community Connectors & Info Engine Wales. She originally started work at PAVO in 2016 as a Third Sector Broker & Info Engine Officer and has since overseen the development of the hugely successful Community Connectors’ team within the organisation as well as further developing the online services directory infoengine. We met up with Clair recently to find out more about her new role.

Tell us more about your new role as Head of Health & Wellbeing at PAVO

My role is to facilitate positive relationships between Powys’ Third Sector and the Public Sector in the field of health and wellbeing, enabling third sector involvement in the development of policy and partnerships, championing a joined-up approach to commissioning of services and developing and maintaining effective service user and citizen engagement.

The role incorporates supporting the Health and Wellbeing team, overseeing the work of the Community Connectors and Powys Befriending Service and contributing to the management of PAVO. I also share responsibility with the CEO for the development and delivery of infoengine.

How is the new job going so far?

I began my new post in December 2019 and the first couple of months have been very busy indeed. In January I was delighted to welcome Sharon Healey as the new Senior Officer for the Community Connectors and Powys Befriending Services. It's been fantastic to get to work more closely with a larger team of PAVO colleagues and to continue working with the sector, health and social care colleagues albeit in a new remit.

Clair (2nd from R) & PAVO colleagues saying #HelloYellow on World Mental Health Day 2019

Can you - briefly - sum up the work of the three different PAVO teams you head up - Health & Wellbeing, Community Connectors & Powys Befrienders

Health & Wellbeing - the team supports Third Sector organisations working in the health and social care fields to work closely with the Health Board, County Council and others to develop better services for Powys’ people. It provides an important mental health information service, supports the delivery of health and well-being information via various mediums, and recruits and supports citizen reps for a variety of boards, as well as facilitating networks such as the Powys Advocacy Network.

Community Connectors - The service helps people in Powys (aged 18+) and their families or carers, to access community-level services and activities that will help them maintain independent lives and which help prevent their circumstances deteriorating to a point where they might need higher level health or social care services.

Powys Befrienders Service - Powys Befriending Service helps improve the independence of people over 50 by helping maintain social networks and remain in their own homes for as long as they are able.

Clair with some of the Community Connectors

Why do you think the Community Connectors have, in such a short time, become such key players in supporting some of our most vulnerable Powys residents?

For anyone who may be vulnerable or facing a challenging time, access to the right information at the right time is essential. Often it can be a challenge to keep on top of the latest information about the support that is available. The Community Connectors have become a key link between statutory services, the client and the sector. This has been driven by the Social Services and Wellbeing Act and A Healthier Wales; and the work with the Regional Partnership Board in delivering the Health and Care Strategy for Powys.

What are the main challenges of your new role?

Juggling time and commitments! With a large team and an even larger number of meetings to attend where I represent the sector, it is always a matter of judging the best way I can support the team and the sector in the best way possible. I like the challenge though and always try to ensure that I make time for my own health and wellbeing and ensuring a good work/home life balance.

Why do you think it is crucial that there is a healthy and robust Health & Wellbeing Third Sector in Powys?

There is a huge focus on health and wellbeing at the moment and in particular early help and intervention. Statutory services have changed immensely over the years and the model for delivery, and financial capability of delivering front line services has also changed. The third sector has a crucial part to play in our communities in supporting health and wellbeing but the sector itself needs to be healthy and robust, able to adapt to change and given the freedom to deliver what truly matters to people. Funding is always a challenge but I like to challenge funding bodies such as the local authority and Welsh Government to focus on early help and prevention and how this can be funded in the third sector. Volunteers play a huge role in supporting health and wellbeing in Powys so we must do what we can to look after Powys’ volunteers.

Clair with Andrew Davies, PAVO Health & Wellbeing Participation Officer

If you could change one thing in the Third Sector Health and Wellbeing world here, what would it be?

Ooh wave my magic wand……Other than overcoming funding difficulties within the sector, I would like to see more third sector involvement in the engagement and support of children and young people. Powys’ third sector has lost a lot of capacity in the remit of delivering support for children and young people and I think it is vital we play an active part in this area of health and wellbeing, to help support children and families and play a key role in reducing and preventing issues in the future.

Charities and voluntary groups (including PAVO) increasingly work more closely with statutory providers of health services - how do you think this will affect the sector from the tiniest local groups to the national big charity players?

I think the biggest challenge here is meeting demand. The SSWB Act has a focus on support close to home but we need to ensure that support for these organisations and groups filters right down to the smallest provider. The close work with statutory partners is certainly a positive step forward but I think there needs to be greater understanding of the role of the sector, in particular the smaller groups, that the sector cannot survive on thin air and it shouldn’t be the place to cut funding.

The Social Value Forum is really starting to see small groups and charities benefit from a small amount of funding that can make a big difference in the community. Sustainability of third sector services is always an issue. Powys is heavily reliant on the outstanding work of volunteers but there is only so much volunteers can do and only so much time to give for volunteering as we all work longer. 

Sharon Healey (L)  new Senior Officer for the Community Connectors &
Powys Befriending Services with Clair

How do you see co-production* working successfully in Powys to provide quality health services for all and what is PAVO’s role in this?

We have had some really positive discussions with third sector agencies such as Credu about co-production in Powys. I feel it's really important to include the service user or community’s views to shape services and this needs to be in a constructive and positive manner. To truly enable co-production we have to break down bureaucratic barriers and this can be a big challenge when working with statutory partners as they have their statutory duties to fulfill. Remove the barriers and let the sector work together with communities to shape future services.

PAVO can play an active role in bringing people together, ensuring the citizen and sector’s voices are heard at statutory level, and influence decision making on behalf of the community and third sector. PAVO’s mission is to be a CATALYST of voluntary Action, a legitimate VOICE for the voluntary sector and a HUB of essential information. We are looking at new ways of using the Community Connectors’ community workers’ meetings to co-produce services at community based level as we know in Powys one size does not fit all. It has to come from the community.

Lots of big issues are crowding out the H & W agenda, the Big 4 of Powys’s Health & Care strategy (Cancer, Mental Health, Heart and Respiratory disease), the Loneliness and isolation strategy of the Together for Mental Health new delivery plan. What skills can your PAVO teams bring to the table?

The team has excellent communication skills and the ability to decipher vast amounts of important health and wellbeing information. Using their creative communication skills they make information regarding health policies and wellbeing initiatives easily accessible to the public, and indeed statutory and third sector colleagues. The teams do this through a variety of platforms such as the ebulletins, social media, health lift films, infoengine.wales and by working with people directly; thus meaning there is something for everyone. The team uses a variety of skills to ensure the voice of the citizen and the sector is heard at all levels of the decision making processes. We also benefit from working closely with our colleagues in the development team to support the sector to meet the challenges of an ever demanding, ever changing wellbeing environment.

Clair (2nd from L) at a patient discharge home meeting with colleagues from Third Sector,
Powys Teaching Health Board and Powys County Council

If people identify gaps in mainstream and Third Sector health and wellbeing services - where should they take that information so that the gaps can be addressed?

The Community Connectors’ case management system allows the team to record gaps and unmet need when working with clients. This has proved very useful with our work with the Social Value Forum to identify needs in communities. However this is just one way of recording information, there is a huge amount of information out there and if you speak to residents or people working in Powys communities they know where there are gaps. The challenge is recording it. The team has used the Community workers’ meetings to also record data around gaps and unmet need and if you don’t already attend one of these meetings I would encourage you to do so.

There are a couple of social prescribing pilot projects in Powys. There seems to be a greater appetite for exploring new and innovative ways to tackling some health & wellbeing issues. What are your thoughts?

Firstly I am not sure I like the terminology ‘social prescribing’. We shouldn’t have to be ‘prescribed’ community based third sector services. However people do need to know what’s available to them to support good health and wellbeing. We should encourage and support people to access community based activities where medical intervention is not required. This type of service is designed to support physical activity and promote good mental health.

Have you taken inspiration from others in the fields of health and wellbeing and / or the Third Sector, and if so, who?

I have actually taken my inspiration from my late father. He was very community minded and spent years as a Town and County Councillor always striving to make people’s lives better. Seeing him work so passionately in the community helped shape me and gave me the firm foundations to strive to deliver the very best for people in the work I do today and every day.

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work you have done at PAVO

Supporting the growth if the connector service has been very rewarding and being shortlisted for an NHS Wales award in autumn 2018 was definitely a highlight. But listening to the difference we can make to people’s lives and to the communities of Powys is always heart warming. I am very clear that without the third sector in Powys the county would be less vibrant.

When you’re not working how do you enjoy spending your time?

My spare time is undoubtedly dedicated to my family. I live with my husband (pictured above on my wedding day) and I have three children and two step children. I am normally running around with various items of sporting kit from rugby to football to horse riding gear. I am very proud of the children and enjoy being on the sidelines cheering them on. I also love cooking with my husband. That's my daily de-stress hour when I get home. I enjoy going to concerts (Bruce Springsteen has to be one of my all time favourites along with The Rolling Stones but I would love to see Sir Tom Jones in concert too). I love walking the dog and getting out into the mountains. Getting fresh air into my lungs helps me to feel grounded and reinvigorated.

BIG thanks to Clair for telling us more about her new role. If you'd like to contact Clair then you can ring 01597 822191 or email clair.swales@pavo.org.uk

*Co-production means delivering public services in an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families and their neighbours. Where activities are co‐produced in this way, both services and neighbourhoods become far more effective agents of change.

Definition developed by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and Nesta, in partnership with the Co-production Practitioners’ Network

Powys Dementia Network – starting off the new decade

Powys Dementia Network continues to meet at least twice each year in different parts of the county. We wrote about the summer 2019 day, where we were treated to a surprise visit from the children taking part in Hafren School’s intergeneration project, here.

The first event of the new decade took place in January 2020 at Crossgates near Llandrindod Wells. Sue Newham, who is an Engagement Officer in the Health and Wellbeing team at PAVO, helped organise this latest day, and reports back for us now on how the network is growing and evolving to try and meet the varied needs of those attending and looking to find out more about dementia initiatives across this vast county of Powys.

The Powys Dementia Network aims to bring together those living with dementia and their carers, and third sector and statutory organisations providing services for these people. It is funded by Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations and Dementia Matters in Powys.

Getting the balance right has always been an issue, as the needs of organisations who attend and have a table on which to display their literature, are different to the needs and desires of those living with dementia. The number of individuals attending has always been smaller: 3 in February 2019, 6 in July 2019 and 6 in January 2020. Overall attendance varies between 28 and 42. Venues cycle between north, mid and south Powys and the events are held every 6 months. 

Deborah Gerrard, Chief Officer of Dementia Matters in Powys

The general structure of the day has evolved, and with strong input from Dementia Matters in Powys, the last event included a period of practical activities, including drumming, art and story-telling. People could refresh themselves at a “water bar” with a selection of waters flavoured with fruit, and there was the opportunity to experience virtual reality trips to the beach and the countryside. These activities enabled people to chat and share their stories, and proved a very popular part of the day.

Feedback from the last event was very positive with more than half of the participants rating it as excellent and the remainder rating it as good. No one rated it lower.

Positive outcomes for Jane (not her real name):

By attending the last two Dementia Network events, Jane has heard about the many services available to support older people, including those with dementia. She has become more able to discuss the possibility of dementia in herself and has expressed more contentment as a result of this.

Jane had displayed growing levels of frustration with lapses of memory, and was prone to talking negatively to herself about being “a silly old woman” and telling herself off for lack of concentration. By hearing from others living with dementia, and getting used to the term dementia in her own life, she is more positive about herself, realising that she can’t simply “pull her socks up” and perform better. She is more at peace with herself.

As a result of hearing about the “My life, my wishes” booklet at the Dementia Network, Jane has started completing this with her family. She has also made provision for powers of attorney covering finances and health and wellbeing.

After attending the Dementia Network in Newtown in July 2019, Jane felt able to speak at the January 2020 network event, which is something she has not been used to doing before. Participants were impressed by her desire to carry on with her life and to live as independently as she could for as long as she could.

Lucy Taylor, PAVO Community Connector

Positive outcomes for Lucy:

Lucy Taylor is the Community Connector for Llandrindod and Rhayader and also attended the day. The network is invaluable for her – “I’m able to catch up with people I’ve not seen for a while due to everyone being so busy! The mix of people attending, from those living with dementia to practitioners, and others on the side, is really very good. I also picked up two referrals on the day and am providing ongoing support to these new clients.

I thought it was particularly powerful to hear two people speak about living with dementia, and others have said how brilliant that was. People hear the word ‘dementia’ and start thinking – that’s the end of everything and I’ll just forget things now. But for most people it is a much longer journey and they live with dementia for a good period of time. So this was a really positive message to come out of the day. By speaking they also raised awareness of how they first became aware of small signs of dementia which occurred in their daily lives.

There were some fantastic activities on the day, such as the drumming and the water bar. And they all had a purpose, they weren’t just random activities. So, for example, the drumming was obviously social but also that kind of rhythmic tapping is very calming, whilst the water bar brought home the message that you need to stay hydrated to keep in good health!

It would be really great to try and bring in people from the smaller communities in the county at future events too if at all possible”.

The next Powys Dementia Network event will take place in Brecon on 15 July 2020. If you are interested in finding out more then please contact Sue Newham by emailing sue.newham@pavo.org.uk or ringing 01597 822191.