We are so excited to announce that we have been awarded 3 year funding support from The National Community Lottery Fund for our ‘Common Ground – Tir Cyffredin’ programme.
This Creativity and Nature for Wellbeing programme prioritises users of Mental Health services and people who are vulnerable or at risk and living in Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan (in the Cwm Taff Morgannwg UHB communities).
We will be working with a collaborative approach, putting participants and their needs at the heart of the project.
“ Our Person Centred approach allows us to share power with our participants to deliver meaningful wellbeing. Our project will also impact the people we work with by promoting equality of opportunity, increasing environmental awareness and stimulating local climate action initiatives, exploring and sharing different cultures, using creative approaches and supporting diversity.”
(Alex Bowen, Breathe Creative Director)
Weekly Creativity and Nature for Wellbeing (Ecotherapy) sessions with our parter organisations will offer safe and supportive environments to stimulate positive change for the participants. Creative arts and nature for wellbeing activities will encourage participants to explore and express themselves free of judgement, to have fun and think creatively and to improve their communication and social skills. In a welcoming and supportive environment, participants and volunteers will be given a range of opportunities (including art, creative writing, crafts, film, animation, photography, music, horticulture, growing, nature connection, mindfulness, relaxation), to facilitate their recovery, growth, self-care and personal development.
Projects will end in high quality outputs and community celebrations if the groups choose to showcase their arts work and wellbeing achievements to invited audiences to facilitate dialogue and promote awareness. We will also facilitate staff and volunteer training, mentoring and peer support programmes which will run alongside all our projects.
We will be working with our partners and their service users and communities including Leckwith Droves Allotment committee, Growing Green Horticultural project in Cardiff, Cardiff and the Vale Ukrainian support team, the Sam Davies Ward in Barry Hospital, The Vale of Glamorgan Mental Health Team, Ysgol Gyfun Plas Mawr, Community Payback Service, Cardiff Food Collective, Grow Cardiff and Edible Cardiff, Cardiff and Vale Action for Mental Health, South Riverside Community Centre, and many more.
We have also established a Mental Health and Nature Interest group with Cardiff and Vale Mental Health Forum which meets monthly and will help to inform the development of the programme with representatives from the Health Board Mental Health Rehabilitation Services, R.S.P.B (Social Prescribing), Cardiff and Vale College (Alternative Curriculum), Sanctuary Non-clinical Crisis Service, Ty Canna Mental Health Outreach Services, Effor Dementia Service, Growing Green CIC, as well as individuals with a range of lived experiences.
We will be using this key funding to grow this supportive community network and to grow the work over the next 3 years.
“ We are developing opportunities to meet the need for early intervention and prevention … Our long-term sustainability coincides with the need for more effective Social Prescribing services. We have collected feedback from many participants who are saying that volunteering and participating keeps them connected to others, so they have fewer visits to their GPs and A&E, they eat healthier, are more active and feel calmer and healthier. In the future, we are looking to develop Social Prescribing opportunities for the GP Clusters.”
(Katja Stiller, Therapeutic Arts Facilitator, Breathe Creative)
Future legacy aims include: participants learning new skills; training volunteers to support the partner projects and offering them pathways to employment; building an effective infrastructure of Nature and Arts for Wellbeing in the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan areas and beyond, developing lasting social connections for beneficiaries and the groups and partners to continue to benefit the community, creating more resilient people and communities into the future.
A huge thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund for their support.
