Warm Spaces for Wellbeing

The Hanging Gardens, Llanidloes

Is getting cold getting you down this Winter?

Powys County Council has created a directory of Warm Spaces. It is made up of libraries, community centres, churches and other places, including mental health charities, that are opening their doors to anyone who needs them. This network of Warm Spaces offers support to anyone struggling with the cost of living this winter. Each Warm Space has its own opening hours and facilities. The one thing each has in common - a warm big welcome to all!

We asked some of the people generously sharing their Warm Space with their community to tell us more about how it’s working in their area, and a few PAVO colleagues gave feedback from their visits also.

CARAD - Community Arts Rhayader & District

At CARAD in Rhayader, we decided to run a weekly warm spaces activity day to support those who needed to cut down on their energy costs and risked being in a cold house over winter. We employ a facilitator, funded by Comic Relief, and have a volunteer present so that we can welcome people, have a chat, make a them a cuppa and biscuits or toast and guide activities. We have general activities in the morning and a more organised free workshop in the afternoon. This latter preferably needs booking as we need to make sure we
have enough materials to cover those who come. We chose a day when the library was closed and have also produced a flyer about other warm spaces in Rhayader.

Simply coming down to somewhere with nothing to do isn’t an option as, if you can’t put the heating on, you may not be feeling too good about life. Sitting in a warm room but feeling in the way, lonely or depressed won’t improve that.

Being welcomed to an organised activity makes all the difference. Because any visitor is welcome, you are not signalled out as different for attending. For that reason, we stress the activities rather than the warmth!

We really didn’t know what to expect but find that many of those who come through the doors are facing challenges. These might be around caring, health or other circumstances. There have been many positive benefits. Simply having some company has made a big difference to some, enjoying new activities has very obviously impacted others with a lot of laughter coming from the space and repeat visits. The benefits of those activities - lowering stress, having time out, and feeling accepted and safe (and warm) are also really positive for staff to see.

Catherine Allan, Chair of Trustees, CARAD

Ceri Williams, PAVO Health Promotion Facilitator 

& (inset) Melanie Taylor of Llanidloes Library

Llanidloes Library

Ceri Williams, our new Health Promotion Facilitator (North Powys) at PAVO visited the Warm Space at Llanidloes Library on 11 January. She spoke to Melanie Taylor who has worked there for about 7 years. The library staff welcome anyone who wants to use the Warm Space.

The library is located in the former town museum at the side of the Town Hall. There is a children's area and computers are available to use free of charge. Melanie said "this space is nothing new, we have been offering a warm environment for many years. We welcome new users to the library."

Hanging Gardens, Llanidloes

The following week Ceri visited the Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes (photo at top of post):

I walked in to laughter and went to talk to three adults playing board games. They told me: "It’s a fantastic environment - such a welcoming space. All the crafts and plants growing. It's what we had before everyone owned everything. Kevin and Fran (of The Wilderness Trust) had a vision and worked 12 hours a day to make it happen."

Local childminder Sammy shares an allotment plot with other childminders which enables them to feed their charges fresh veg (funded by the Co-op). She attends the Thursday singing sessions with her young charges.

Louise Evans, who works there, mentioned the Art therapy group and the Celf Able group which is a mobile art group that comes once a month.

All the activities are on the Hanging Gardens website.

Knighton & District Community Centre

At The KDCC Hub we have two sessions per week which are dedicated to offering ‘Warm Spaces & more’. The sessions are available on Tuesday 10 - 1pm & Thursday 10 - 2pm, both have access to the Cafe, our Advice from the Hub service, volunteer support, television, radio and reading material.

On a Tuesday the Cafe offers a hot drink and a piece of homemade cake at £1; on Thursday we offer hot drinks from 10 - 12pm free of charge, and from 12pm we have soup, sandwiches and homemade cake which are all free.

At the Tuesday Warm Space Cafe we also have with us staff from other organisations, such as POBL, Powys Housing and an Energy Efficient Advisor funded through Citizens Advice. The third Tuesday of the month RNID Hear to Help hold their hearing aid repair clinic at the centre 10 - 12pm (no appointment needed) and on the 4th Tuesday Credu's Leanne has a carers' support coffee morning in the Cafe.

Thursdays we welcome Hayley Lloyd, our PAVO Community Connector, to the building. Hayley has a drop-in from 10 - 12.30pm, we also have District Nurses in the Reynolds Room offering a Leg Clinic 9.30 – 12pm.

Alongside all the Community Centre Hub has to offer customers also have access to the Library and our new Digital Hub project. The Library is open on Tuesdays from 10.30 - 1pm and 2 - 5pm; Thursdays 10.30 – 1pm; 2 - 6pm. Booking is essential for the Digital Hub which is open on Tuesdays 9 - 5pm & Thursdays 1 - 6pm.

A recent customer survey highlighted that our customers very much enjoy coming to both of our Warm Space activities, and for many different reasons. Some of our older single attendees, who have limited contact with others, come so as to have the opportunity to socialise either with each other or our happy and friendly volunteers and find the human contact they engage with both uplifting and refreshing. Our younger customers come so as to have a change of scenery, and meet up with people of their age and circumstances (i.e. being mums), most come as they are finding it challenging “to make ends meet” so not having to worry about warming their home a couple of times a week takes immense pressure off them, and the welcome addition of either reduced Cafe prices or free lunch is more than an incentive in these hard times.

All customers are very positive about all of the other services/activities we offer, and really appreciate the fact that help, support and advice is available from services like The Advice from the Hub or PAVO Community Connectors. One very frequent comment is that people really value the Warm Space sessions, and are very keen for them to continue as all users find the services invaluable and of vital importance to their wellbeing.

Annie England, KDCC Hub Coordinator

Mid Wales Arts

Mid Wales Arts centre has a large Artshed that has been completely rebuilt for exhibitions and events. It is well insulated and has underfloor ground source heating, which means it's lovely and warm and not harming the environment.

We have set up an area of the shed as a 'Warm Space' with a table, chairs, books, newspapers, drawing materials and of course tea, coffee and a kettle.

It's an inspiring and uplifting place to be, you can enjoy the art on the walls and the wonderful views, garden, farm, peacocks and you never know who you might meet.

It's a good place for groups who wish to take part in an activity ...knitting, book clubs, philosophy, writing etc.

The shed has wifi and charging points. There is a cafe on site.

The space is open from 10 - 4 Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and you are most welcome. Just come along and check in at the barn cafe. Any queries: office@midwalesarts.org.uk or tel: 01686 688369.

The space is much appreciated. 'It's a space where you can enjoy the art and the warmth, it's lovely and friendly.'

Today we have had quite a few visitors and they have been inspired to start a 'Tai Chi' Weekly club starting on Wednesday 1 February, 12 - 1pm followed by a new discussion group 'Artspeak' 2 - 4pm where members can focus on selected artworks from the current exhibition.

Cathy Knapp, Creative Director

Councillors Carol Robinson and Julie Arnold with Rotarian, Tony Harvey, waiting to 'warmly' welcome members of
Welshpool Community to join them at the Welshpool Winter Warm Hub

Welshpool Town Hall Assembly Rooms

Pauline Chapman-Young, the PAVO Community Connector covering Welshpool and Llanfair Caereinion, called in to this Warm Space in Welshpool recently, and provided the following feedback:

The Warm Space has much more footfall now as its offers of free 'light lunches' have increased the interest from attendees. It is hard to judge the numbers as the hall is huge and people seem to drop in rather than stay all day.

Local Town Councillors are very supportive and are actually cooking some of the food and collecting donated food themselves. The councillors, including Nick Howells, are also working hard to bring in funding to enable them to keep the Warm Space going and have a 'healthy float' for additional supplies.

Printed material (leaflets) is available to offer help and support from many organisations including Community Connectors’ support. Volunteers from the community are visible and engaging with visitors. Overall there is a good vibe.

We hope you are keeping warm this winter. Let us know what you think about the Warm Spaces scheme in Powys in the comments below - we love to hear from you!

Shared Power training - your chance to make a difference!

Sarah Dale, John Lilley & Rhydian Parry - Mental Health Individual Reps

Do you use health wellbeing services in Powys? Do you ever think about using your lived experience to make a positive difference to the way these services are designed and delivered?

If the answer is yes, but you’re not sure about how to get involved, you could well be interested in a full day of free training around this important area. Our Shared Power training will run on Wednesday 8 February at our Llandrindod Wells office.

We spoke to PAVO’s Participation Officer Owen Griffkin about why Shared Power training is important and the opportunities it may bring to people who attend.

Who is the Shared Power training for?

It’s for anyone who uses health and well being services in Powys and feels like they could use their lived experience to help plan and deliver these services.

What will people who attend get out of the training?

We will be looking at how health and wellbeing services are planned in the county, and the importance of the voice of the people who use these services in helping to make sure the services are run in the best possible way.

People might not know that their experience can be massively important in helping to make health provision better and there have been some big changes over the last few years that have been made because of what issues people have raised.

It can be quite daunting for people to share their stories, which can sometimes be traumatic, so we will look at how to share their experiences. There will be lots of practical exercises, and also we will talk to some of the current service user and carer representatives who sit on the partnership boards responsible for making decisions around health and wellbeing.

What can people do with the knowledge they learn?

A lot of the subjects covered will help with people’s everyday lives. We will have some assertiveness training, and look at how to prepare for meetings and confidence building. We will also look at discussing difficult subjects that can be quite personal to someone.

There will also be a chance to see what current opportunities there are in Powys for people to get involved and make a difference straight away. We try to have as much fun as we can whilst learning, and we will make sure there are lots of practical activities to try out what we are teaching.

Why is this training important?

The Well-being of Future Generations Act in 2015 made it a requirement for Welsh public bodies to involve the people who use, or who care for those who use, health and well-being services. The more people who feel confident in getting involved in this decision making, the better the services will be for anyone who has to use them.

People who have attended previous training sessions have gone on to help make really positive changes in Powys and Nationally as members of health and well-being partnership boards , volunteers for Powys Patients’ Council and leading awareness sessions for social care staff on issues important to them.

There are many more opportunities now to get involved than there were before COVID, and health services are always looking for people with lived experience in lots of different roles.

The people we work with in participation at the moment all say how much it has improved their own well-being because of their increased confidence and self-worth so I can really recommend getting involved and this training will be a great place to start!

If you want to find out more about the Shared Power training you can email owen.griffkin@pavo.org.uk

Or, you can book your place online HERE.

You can read more, and watch a video, about the concept of Shared Power, 

on our recent blog post Shared Power - an Introduction.

The DPJ Foundation - celebrating 5 years of helping Welsh farmers to “Share the Load”

On Sunday 15 January 2023 the DPJ Foundation celebrated another milestone as their confidential support helpline ‘Share the Load’ has been operating for 5 years. Listening, supporting, and helping the people of the farming community and their families across Wales, the DPJ Foundation has provided counselling to more than 750 people.

The Share the Load support helpline is a 24/7 confidential call and text line with a free counselling referral service, specifically for those in Welsh agriculture. The DPJ Foundation prides itself on its non-judgmental, Samaritans-trained volunteers who are always there when needed. Share the Load is different to many helplines as it gives the option of fully funded professional counselling in English or Welsh to those who want it.

Kate Miles, the charity’s manager, said “It’s been a challenging year for many of us, especially for farmers. As we head into 2023, things are still looking difficult for UK farm businesses with many having to make some hard decisions about their future. This can also put pressure on relationships and lead to stress, worry and poor mental health. Here at the DPJ Foundation we want to make sure that everyone in Welsh agriculture knows that they are not alone. When you are facing some hard times and difficult challenges, we can help. Our volunteers understand the farming industry and can offer support. We work closely with other charities such as Tir Dewi, The Farming Community Network - FCN, and RABI (The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) who can also help in difficult times.”

Emma, the founder of the DPJ Foundation who established the charity 6½ years ago following the death of her husband Daniel Picton Jones by suicide, said – “The last 5 years of Share the Load have been some of the most proud but heart breaking years of my life. Just over 5 years ago, following experiencing my own difficulty with accessing counselling following Dan’s death, I sat in the back room of a small coffee shop one winter's night and told a group of friends that I was going to create a service that meant people didn’t have to wait for support; that they could get help 24 hours a day should they need it and speak to a professional within 24 hours. They would have counselling in a way that suited them, be that at home or in the local community. 

"I don’t think any of us there that night thought that we would have made it this far but here we are. It breaks my heart that we have so many calls, but I am unbelievably proud of this service, the fact we cover Wales and provide support 24/7 to the people that needs it the most is a wonderful feeling. Thank you to all of the volunteers, counsellors and staff who make this possible. Mainly, thank you to those who call and allow us to help you Share the Load.”

The DPJ Foundation urges people to take notice of the people around them, loved ones, neighbours, and those in their community. Being there by showing them they are not alone can make a huge difference in someone’s life. The charity offers mental health awareness training for free; the 3½ hr session allows you to learn how you can support others in the farming community here in Wales as well as yourself. It will enable you to know how to recognise the signs of someone with poor mental health, how to support them, how to access help and also how to care for your own mental health. 

The charity also runs Bereavement and Grief Awareness sessions which are free thanks to funding from the Welsh Government. To find out more or to book head over to the DPJ Foundation website.

The DPJ Foundation also calls for your help to spread the word about the Share the Load helpline by displaying posters, leaflets, car, trailer, and bale stickers anywhere that you can.

Congratulations to the DPJ Foundation on hitting this milestone and 

good luck for the next 5 years. 

 If you need help, you can call them free on 0800 587 4262 or text them 

on 07860 048 799 (this number doesn’t accept calls).

The DPJ Foundation is part of the Powys Agri Wellbeing Support network (PAWS). If you would like to find out more about PAWS, email mentalhealth@pavo.org.uk or check out our website where there is an information sheet listing support available in Powys.

5 of the BEST: mental health festivals 2023

At the start of a New Year it can be exciting to look ahead and plan activity for the coming months. We’ve never featured mental health festivals on the blog before, so decided to take a look and see what is on offer for 2023.

It turns out there is a wide range of festivals across the country - the country being the United Kingdom, including several parts of these isles. The overriding theme of mental health may group them together for the purposes of this post, but otherwise the festivals featured are refreshingly varied in their offer - with arts festivals, music and comedy festivals, festivals specifically aimed at children and young people, and festivals inspired by individuals with lived experience. One of the festivals is online, but the others are face to face.

Let's take a look at some of the festivals in more detail.

Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival

When: 4 - 22 October 2023

The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF), organised by Mental Health Foundation Scotland, is an internationally respected annual programme to support the arts, explore how engagement in the arts can promote good mental health for all and challenge preconceived ideas about mental health.

This year’s theme - ‘Revolution’ - was chosen to reflect a desire – in the midst of turbulent political and economic times – to address the impact of economic barriers and social inequality on mental health.

It also reflects the ambitions of the Mental Health Foundation to identify the changes we need to make as a society to achieve good mental health for all, with a focus on those who are at greatest risk.

Now & Beyond

When: 8 February 2023

Now and Beyond is the UK’s only mental health & wellbeing festival for schools. It’s funded by the youth mental health charity Beyond.

Beyond enable access to high quality mental health support for young people both in and out of school. They increase awareness of services and support available, and give a voice and platform to young people with lived experience of the challenges of mental health.

The annual festival reaches over one million young people, along with parents and educators. Schools and colleges can register online to take part.

Ground-breaking lesson plans are available to download, along with free access to a national database of approved youth mental health and wellbeing experts. During the day celebrity guests will broadcast live alongside young people with lived experience.

Flackstock

When: 24 July 2023

Flackstock is a relatively new festival celebrating the life of Caroline Flack, the former TV and radio presenter who took her own life in 2020.

Funds raised are donated to the mental health charities - Mind, Samaritans, and Charlie Waller, along with the refugee charity Choose Love. The festival, which takes place at Englefield House, Pangbourne, Berkshire, features live music, dance and comedy.

Blink the Mental Health Campaign at the Wilderness Festival

When: 3 - 6 August 2023

Blink’s wellbeing tents provide rapid peer and professional support when people need it most at a number of festivals throughout the summer including the Wilderness Festival in Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire.

Wilderness Festival is regarded as one of the UK’s top weekend wellness festivals. Whilst in many ways it is similar to a traditional music festival (with headline music acts), festival goers also have the option to join in wellness activities including wild swimming, fireside cooking sessions and mindfulness classes.

There is always someone to talk to about mental health, as the trained volunteers from Blink are based near their tent at all times. They will happily chat about mental health, and can signpost people to helpful tools or organisations. There are also a number of mindfulness activities on offer at the Blink tent which festival goers are welcome to join in.

“From feedback received, we know that many of the visitors to the tents went on to seek out help for their mental ill health after returning home from the festival – proof that we removed their fear of stigma.”

R;pplefest 2023

When: 12 August 2023

R;pplefest, the family friendly festival, has been put together by Josh Hendy’s family and friends. It will be a 'wonderful celebration of life' and a 'beautiful tribute’ to Josh, who died by suicide at the age of 21 on 25th November 2020.

Packed with mindfulness tents, significant mental health charity presence, live music and DJ sets, the event, at Gosport near Portsmouth, will shine a light on mental health and suicide prevention.

"Holding R;pplefest is a way of remembering Josh’s love of music and festivals while also raising money for R;pple Suicide Prevention Charity to allow them to continue to help those experiencing mental health crisis."

Happy New Year 2023!

If you know of any other mental health festivals planned for the UK this year, 

let us know in the comments' box below.