Tuesday 26 March 2024

Rekindle Ail-ddeffro 2024

Reg Cawthorne – High Sheriff of Powys with Michele Humberstone (Administrator), Jodie Hughes (Service Delivery Manager & Counsellor), Lindsay Cameron-Brown (Administrator) and Cristina Roberts (Recovery Practitioner and Activities Officer).

Rekindle - supporting young people aged 16 - 25 
to improve their mental health and wellbeing

by Jodie Hughes
Service Delivery Manager

We were thrilled to kick off 2024 in our new location in Newtown, just a stone's throw from our previous building. The new facility provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere for young people including outside space, a communal area for activities and three therapy rooms allowing us to expand our capacity offering more appointments to young people. 

We have recruited a larger team to help us to meet demand for our counselling services, one-to-one support and to develop our activities programme.




Our counselling service remains person-centred, meaning the sessions are guided by our clients, giving them the power to talk about the things they want to. After receiving counselling sessions with our team, a young person shared:

"I'm super-duper grateful for all the help and support. It's really improved my life."


Dafydd Llewellyn – Police and Crime Commissioner, speaking at Rekindle's opening event

Our one-to-one recovery team continue to support clients with housing, finances, employment, education, health, self-confidence, friendships, relationships, self-care, life skills, resilience, and more! One of the young people who uses the service shared:

“A friend is in need of help, and I told them to come straight here, as you actually help”.


Rachel Wright (Lead Recovery Practitioner), Jodie Hughes (Service Delivery Manager / Counsellor) and Robin Brierly (Chair of Rekindle) with local Police Community Support Officers.

In further development of our services, we have recently teamed up with Beam, a social enterprise charity, to assist our 18 - 25 year old clients with dedicated career and employment support. The project will offer bespoke career coaching and wellbeing support to help people climb the career ladder with support to access skills and qualifications alongside financial assistance to make finding a job that little bit easier.

Anyone can make a referral to our services by completing our referral form available on our website or by speaking to a member of the team.

Want to know more about Rekindle?

Follow us on social media:







Visit our website www.rekindle.org.uk

Speak to our team – 01686 722 222

Check out our new space: 2-3 Ladywell Centre, Newtown, Powys SY16 1AF


Thursday 21 March 2024

Spring into gardening with a new Tir Coed course


by Alice Read
Powys Co-ordinator, Tir Coed

There is no doubt Spring is in the air with blossom bursting and birdsong floating on the breeze. Time to stretch our limbs and make some friends.

Last April the learning and wellbeing outdoors charity Tir Coed launched its Sustainable Horticulture course at Cultivate in Newtown, North Powys. This 20 week course covers 4 AGORED units growing a range of crops for people and nature, over a growing season. The course covers everything you need to know from assessing a site through to harvesting practices. 
Purposeful practical learning can build confidence and lead to employment or volunteering.

Tir Coed’s mantra is to connect people to the land and woods with a focus on improved wellbeing through practical outdoor training. Everyone engaging with Tir Coed gets outdoors, meets new people and develops their appreciation for nature, all of which have wellbeing outcomes.

Tir Coed is experienced in working with some of the hardest to reach in our society and over the last twenty years has developed a comprehensive engagement model that supports people as they develop, from first step engagement through to employment. 




As the plants start producing in the developing garden participants take home the food they have grown to cook, store or share with friends and the project mentor also opens up avenues to explore on other projects, work or courses. 

You may have seen some of the participants recently on the popular BBC television programme Countryfile as they take their next steps volunteering at Ponthafren’s community garden at Powis Castle. You can read about this garden in a post from June last year - Wellbeing Wednesdays at Powis Castle.

The incredible tutors on this latest horticultural course will be Rhiwena Slack from Cultivate and Emma Maxwell from Ash & Elm Horticulture with mentoring from Tir Coed's Powys Mentor, Matt Sheldon.




In 2024 we will be doing some trips out later in the season to visit market gardens and enterprises to think about scaling up food production, how to save your own seed and different ways to share produce. 

Every week the participants have the option of getting together with the site volunteers for a shared hot lunch thanks to Cultivate, which brings a real sense of community at the gardens.




It can be nerve racking to join a new group but what we find on our courses is that people really support each other and forge friendships. There is a gentleness to gardening alongside people. Through this activity people can be quiet or open up, it’s up to the individual.

Not sure if you want to complete the whole course? Join up for the first 5 week unit and see how it goes. In this first unit you will learn:
  • Organic soil management.
  • Assessing a site for growing.
  • Understanding and making compost.

Feedback from previous course participants

One of last year’s participants said: “If I wasn’t here each week I would be sitting on the sofa playing computer games and watching TV. Now I am outside with people, I have structure in the week and it helps me forget about some of my pain.”

“Some days I wouldn’t feel like going out but gradually through the course I have arrived earlier and earlier and now (by the end of the course) I wish I had been on time every week and made the most of it.”

Three of the participants continue to volunteer at other projects together, supporting each other and helping with transport and new ventures.




If you would like to join this free course starting on April 9th please contact the co-ordinator Alice Read by emailing powysdevelopment@tircoed.org.uk, or tel: 07415 752 583, or visit the website to see all of the Tir Coed courses. Courses include woodland and growing courses. 

All Tir Coed courses are free.

Wednesday 20 March 2024

Llandrindod Lakers: An Invitation to Play.


by guest author Jimi

I would like to invite you to play basketball with us. You’re probably thinking “don’t you need to be 7ft tall?” and the truth is no, you really don’t.

My name is Jimi and I run a social basketball group in Llandrindod Wells. As an adult on the autism spectrum, access to sports, especially competitive sports, has always been challenging. After what was a dark, difficult and strayed 24 years of my life, I was eventually diagnosed with autism less than a year ago and I remember how unhelpful and overwhelming the post-diagnosis support thrown at me was. I was also in a pit of depression and constant anxiety at the time and my bipolar was running free and naked in the boggy marsh of my mind.

Through many other coarse experiences with mental health services, I have found that they can be congested with inflexible bureaucratic principles, galactic waiting times, a lack of resources as well as education and empathy, mountainous referrals and far too clinical to make a real and natural connection with an individual. There is also an addict-like reliance on prescribing pharmaceuticals: the irony.

The signposting on signposting on signposting played out like Dr Seuss’ Green Eggs & Ham, except my ending left Sam-I-Am to his rare refreshment and I decided to go it alone to start writing a new book to break the cycle (neither literary nor literally, just to make that clear).

I’d been in this state too many times for too long, repeating the same patterns that I knew could lead to a fifth suicide attempt. I’d had enough and it was up to me to do something about it or rot. I set off with my figurative notepad and pen to discover what positivity and wellbeing meant to me. Now I must mention here that I didn’t start playing basketball again and my mental health problems disappeared overnight, I don’t want to say it would be impossible but (reluctantly) this would be impossible.

“Know thyself.”

After a men’s process work retreat facilitated by a very dear friend of mine, Scott McGregor, and his counterpart, Laurence Johns, I decided to completely unmask. Simply put ‘masking’ is a strategy many neurodivergent, especially autistic, people do to appear neurotypical in front of others and, in terms of energy and wellbeing, it is decimating.




For me, unmasking has been arduous yet rewarding and I’m still working through it. The retreat itself was at the height of last year’s summer set in the gorgeous hills of Llanafan Fawr, disconnected from the noise of modern life and totally wholesome. This part of my life was a major turning point and with the support of other vulnerable and beautiful men, it showed me that the answers and contentment I’ve been desperately trying to latch on to were actually within myself, not out to the exterior world or with material objects or romantic relationships. I’d been unwittingly running away from that truth my entire adult life.

Enter basketball.

I’ve always enjoyed playing since my friend introduced it to me in primary school. It was different to the other mainstream sports on the playground; the play was faster, more intense, more tactile and we didn’t need to face rejection, we could just pick up our ball and play. It was at the height of the Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls fever that was gripping the globe and a popular interest in basketball was gaining traction here in the UK. Other kids soon took notice and, of course, we let them all join us.

Fast forward to 2023. I mentioned in passing to a then work colleague, now teammate, how I wished to play again: serendipity rides shotgun. He invited me to come along to play with a group down the road, the Builth Bulls, and after that first session back my fire was reignited.

Once a week could not sate my appetite for hitting those sweet buckets so a few of us ‘Llandodites’ decided to set something up closer to home and more regular throughout the week. Within a month I was finding a direct correlation between the progress I was making during practice and the progress in the rest of my life.




As more players were stepping onto our court, I kept thinking about all the other people in similar situations to me who perhaps felt that the system was letting them down, especially in a rural area such as ours. I feel obligated to do more to let them know that all their eccentricities, fears and insecurities are so welcome on our court. Basketball can take you through a lot of emotions and feelings; frustration and elation, fatigue and determination, inflation and deflation, anger and humour. It’s good to recognise them and work through them in a safe way. You work a lot with action and reaction which are very valuable tools you can then use out in the world beyond the court.

So this is what I’m offering my fellow neurodivergent peers; the opportunity to play in a space where it doesn’t matter who you are or what’s going on off the court, for an hour only basketball matters. A supportive environment to compliment whatever care or health journey you find yourself on. If you don’t relate to any of the issues I’ve spoken about, that truly is wonderful and of course you are welcome to play with us.

Psychologists and teachers say that children learn through play, but I find that to only be a half-truth: people best learn through play. I’ve learnt more about myself through sharing experiences where my sense of humour and curiosity can move freely and being inspired through connecting with others, Llandrindod Lakers has been a huge part of that and I hope anyone reading this will find their power within to do something new. Play.




Helping Mental Health With A Ball - a member's testimony


Becoming a resident to Powys in 2021 I had reached out to several sports and social clubs. Dishearteningly, most of which never got back to me. I re-attempted late 2023, predominantly from a physical health viewpoint and came across a post on a local group solution page regarding basketball. I’ve always been an admirer of the sport from afar but was typically pushed towards either football or individual workouts, for which I had no affinity.

Since joining, I’ve been taken aback of how much the group has helped mentally, from the initial welcome and the encouragement thereafter. I’ve found myself eager and excited for not only the session but week ahead. Which has translated to each aspect of my life. I’m proud to have found great friends here and an outlet for stress, anxiety and healthy competition.

Combining a welcoming group of local people with a sport that has a rich, diverse and inclusive history has surely been a winning experience for me.




Llandrindod Lakers have open basketball sessions on Mondays 6 – 7pm and 
Fridays 6.30 – 7.30pm at Llandrindod Wells Sports Centre.


Tuesday 12 March 2024

Powys Substance Use Harm Reduction Plan launch

Linda Hutchings, Brecon peer support worker

“Developing a partnership response to Harm Reduction across Powys 
to meet the needs of people with drug and alcohol concerns.”

The first thing I picked up at this Harm Reduction Plan launch recently was a flyer about nitazenes (synthetic opioids known for their potent nature) and the changing face of heroin. I hadn’t even pinned on my attendee badge. The bizarre names of drugs like naloxone (a potentially life-saving medication) and nitazene (an extremely harmful drug) were scattered throughout the day and I realised I had a lot to learn.

Fortunately this highly informative day at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod brought together a multitude of statutory and voluntary sector agencies with a wealth of knowledge and experience around substance misuse. But perhaps even more importantly it called upon those with the lived experience of the harm that can be caused by substance misuse - be that alcohol or drugs - and the often catastrophic effects resulting in damaged mental and physical health, relationships, living arrangements (homelessness and debt being extreme but not unusual outcomes) and an increased likelihood of coming into contact with the criminal justice system.

Jan Roberts (Suicide Prevention, Harm Reduction & Postvention Quality Improvement Lead), Joy Garfitt (Interim Executive Director of Operations, Mental Health Services) & Carol Daly (Harm Prevention & Reduction Lead - Substance Misuse)
Powys Teaching Health Board

Joy Garfitt, Interim Executive Director of Operations - Mental Health Services in Powys, and chair of the Area Planning Board, welcomed everyone. She explained that the APB brought together agencies across the county with the shared ambition of reducing harm from substance use. (There is a longer definition in the Welsh Government document Working together to reduce harm). The APB plans, commissions and delivers services and also brings networks together. As Joy explained, Powys is actually as long as the distance between the Severn Bridge and the Marble Arch, so this is quite challenging!




What is harm reduction and how can it benefit Powys - Rick Lines, Public Health Wales, Head of Programmes, Substance Use

Rick described how he was first introduced to harm reduction 30 years ago in his hometown of Toronto in Canada. He worked supporting prisoners who, he explained, were inevitably using drugs. His experience supporting people who had been traumatised by early life events, and went on to use drugs, led him to ask in court: “Have you heard this woman’s story? Why is the state looking at it through the context of drugs?” Rick highlighted that putting this particular woman in prison repeated the trauma she had experienced from authority figures when she was a child.

Rick saw the same scenario play out when he later worked in Eastern Europe. He said 90% of drug use is not problematic (how many people do we know who use alcohol on a regular basis socially…?) and asked what we can do to reduce deaths, to show that we care whether people live or die, and to help reduce the risk of using drugs in a risky fashion. We should be respecting the dignity of people who use drugs by providing services, and reducing feelings of vulnerability and stigma.

Recent concerns are around changes in the drug market whereby synthetic and highly dangerous drugs (like nitazenes) are increasingly coming onto the market. Rick championed the ongoing work in the 3rd sector and community pharmacies to provide harm reduction services - “it is the people on the ground who are making the difference”.

Welsh Government policy is committed to harm reduction, and is unique in the United Kingdom, and rare in the world. This policy influences how the police, prisons and partners regard substance use and filters down to the statutory and community organisations.




Current position in Powys and the focus of Harm Reduction - Carol Daly, Harm Prevention and Reduction Lead (Substance Misuse)

Carol’s aim is to set up a multi-agency Powys Harm Reduction sub-group (one of seven across Wales) to drive action across the county. This would draw on the knowledge of local organisations to deliver the key priorities, including:

Supporting the work of the Health Board in working to the World Health Organisation's global aim of eliminating Blood Borne Viruses by 2030. Powys is rolling out treatment and testing for people at risk of Blood Borne Viruses such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C.
  • Training up peer supporters and carers.
  • Developing pharmacy services to increase the uptake of Needle and Syringe Provision and Blood Borne Virus Testing.
  • Raising awareness of the real risks of synthetic drugs coming onto the market.
  • Increasing availability of Naloxone across partner agencies.
  • Addressing the stigma (it was again pointed out that most people use some sort of substance, for example, alcohol).
  • Prevention - the APB has commissioned services to educate children and young people about drugs, and Carol is working with Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to increase knowledge of new synthetic opiates.

This important agenda would save lives - and has saved thousands of lives already with the information and tools to help people who take drugs do so in a safer manner.

During discussion Barry Eveleigh from Kaleidoscope (the local substance misuse service provider) highlighted the financial element - if you can keep someone out of A&E you can save £2000. A liver transplant is £150,000. It costs £1000 a week to keep someone in prison. In comparison to these figures the costs of providing safe drug alternatives are minor.

There were also questions about decriminalising drugs as has happened in other countries such as Portugal, where the person using drugs is regarded as a patient rather than a criminal. Michael Curties from the Welsh Government explained that the criminal justice system is not devolved to Wales so this is not an option open to the Welsh Government.




What’s already being done and what are our priorities? - Neville Brookes, Area Planning Board Manager

Neville asked: “how can co-production work with this agenda?” We need to learn from people with lived experience, and spend time with individuals in the treatment system. “Who better to talk to when waiting for a service than another peer?”

Peers design relapse prevention programmes - they know what works. If people become part of a peer mentor programme they often give back to services and there is an onward pathway to work within the field if they choose.

He also said:
  • Harm reduction should be on all our agendas - not just thought of as a clinical intervention.
  • Out of hours community support is needed (this was identified by focus groups).
  • We need to simplify the service so that individuals have a single pathway.
The overall outcome would be to enhance and improve systems and processes for everyone involved.




How we use peers, with lived experience, to enhance service provision - Elwyn Thomas, Co-production Lead, Kaleidoscope

Elwyn has been in post for 18 months now. He started as a peer on a script in a prison cell. He worked on a Welsh Government peer to peer support project providing the heroin substitute naloxone - over an 8 week period 237 kits were delivered! Amazingly eighty people did not even know that it existed.

There are now seven teams across Wales delivering this important service. Everyone was trained in just a year, and other initiatives have also been put into place including creating pathways to treatment and needle exchange schemes. Elwyn spoke of how people’s esteem and self-worth was raised after having access to the training, with peer uniforms (branded “ask me about Naloxone”) and lanyards breaking barriers.

In 2 years the delivery of harm reduction has changed massively in Wales, from prescribed scripts from nurses to working alongside peers.

Linda Hutchings, a Brecon peer, has lived experience for many years using drugs but is now drug free. She agreed that people can be the best they can be with training and involvement. She is now accepted in her community, not as a drug addict, but as someone with lived experience. “I built up belief in myself as I didn’t have any.” Linda started work with peer mentoring service Cyfle Cymru on 8 February.




Round table discussions & feedback

In round table discussions we looked closely at Powys challenges and priorities. The top three challenges on our table were: rurality, silos and stigma. We were very keen to promote the idea of a support bus which could travel the whole length of the county, the distance from the Severn Bridge to Marble Arch - and back again!

Our priorities were - prevention, communication and collaboration. We agreed that it was important to reach out into the community (it’s that bus again!) rather than expect people to come to us.




Overall it felt that there was a great enthusiasm in the room for genuine collaboration and partnership working to make real change so that people using drugs and alcohol, for whatever reason, could live well in the county.




Closing remarks - Michael Curties, Substance Misuse Policy Team, Welsh Government

Michael raised many relevant and important topics in his summing up in relation to the APB, data sharing, working more closely with GPs and prevention, etc. To finish off I’ll highlight just a couple of his comments that particularly resonated with me:

The Harm Reduction challenge is the same as it is for all other services - we solve it by working together. “How do we get to the point where there is no wrong door? Where people walk in and get a service wherever they are?”

“Coproduction is about learning - what do we say that gets in your way? We need to hear if there are those barriers. Ask - can we do it differently?”

I look forward to finding out more about developing drug and alcohol services in Powys as Carol continues her vital work on the Harm Reduction plan.




You find out more about Alcohol and Substance Misuse resources


Tuesday 30 January 2024

Area 43 – Powys schools & community-based counselling services


Lisa Head is the Communications & Engagement Manager, she has been at the charity Area 43 since 2017. She joined the organisation as a Senior Youth Support Worker, then moved to Centre Manager, Services Manager and Operations Manager, before commencing her current role. Area 43 provides safe spaces, information, support, counselling and training to young people aged 11 Р25 at their flagship Youth Caf̩, Depot in Cardigan in West Wales. Their counselling services span the whole of the mid and west Wales area supporting children and young people aged 3 Р30.

In October 2023 Area 43 became the new provider of Independent School and Community Based Counselling Services for Powys.

I recently met up with Lisa to find out more about the work of Area 43.


What drew you to your role at Area 43?

It’s a long story. I am a single parent of 2 girls, one of which was particularly challenging when she was younger. They are both in their 20s now, but when they were little, I was so disillusioned by the lack of support available to children, young people and their families that I embarked on an Open University degree to learn how to support my children better. It began as something I was doing for my own personal interest, but the more I learned, the more I realised I could do to help others in my community.

In 2011, I set up a youth club in the village where I lived, the young people wanted to launch the club with a mini music festival, so they worked with me to plan, coordinate and manage the event. I had a background in Arts Marketing, so I had the marketing and events management knowledge and plenty of contacts who were happy to perform. We attracted over 1000 visitors and the youth club went from strength to strength. I ran the club for about 8 years and over that time we expanded on the music festival idea to re-establish a village carnival, with young people in the lead. We ran that event 3 times.

I had known about the work of Area 43 for a long time, but at that time they only worked with 16 – 25 year olds and my children were much younger. However, when I saw the Senior Youth Support Worker role advertised early in 2017, I jumped at the opportunity to join the team and put all my learning and experience into practice.

During the lockdowns of the Covid pandemic, Area 43 took the opportunity to conduct a large-scale consultation with young people in the Ceredigion area to ask them what they felt they needed in Cardigan. They overwhelmingly told us that they needed safe spaces and an affordable café, where they could hang out and socialise without the pressure of having to spend money or feeling that they are not welcome… And so, Depot was the result.




Tell us briefly how Area 43 came about

Area 43 was born out of a community needs-led project in 1996. Back then there were 30 odd pubs in Cardigan and all the young people were hanging around playing pool and there were issues with them not going to school or college. It was identified that they really needed a place to go to that was not alcohol-fuelled or potentially putting them at risk. A group came together to put in a lottery bid to establish Cardigan Youth Project. They were successful in receiving lottery money and it snowballed from there.

From the early days, we had volunteers and eventually staff – including counsellors and support workers. We were quite early in offering counselling to young disadvantaged people in this area. When it became statutory law in Wales to offer counselling in schools in 2008 we were successful in tendering for a couple of those contracts because of this experience, and have held on to most of those ever since.

We now deliver services throughout Powys, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion and will see in the region of 5000+ individuals this year.

There are a total of 30 counsellors and therapists in Powys and another 28 covering West Wales. When Area 43 recently took over the contract from Kooth, most of the staff transferred over, so they all have plenty of experience with young people in the Powys area.

How can counselling help children and young people who may be struggling with their mental health?

Area 43’s counselling service is delivered by highly trained professionals and managed by people who fully understand the values, aims and limitations of counselling.

Counselling can allow a space for children and young people where they feel they are not judged and offers the opportunity to increase self-awareness, develop personal resources and understand their problems. It is a skilled way of helping those with personal, emotional and developmental issues or difficulties that takes place in a safe and confidential environment. This allows them to explore, discover and embed strategies to cope with change and live in a more satisfying, resourceful way.

By helping children and young people to share their worries and concerns with a counsellor or therapist, the young person can gain a better understanding of themselves, making sense of what they are experiencing, which helps them gain clarity and build resilience within themselves.

How is the school counselling going in Powys and what do you offer?

Thanks to the great team that Area 43 inherited from the previous provider, our service is running seamlessly. Area 43 will continue to provide counselling services for all eligible young people to the age of 25. The Powys model works slightly differently from the west Wales model, but essentially there are counsellors and therapists in all the secondary school settings and selected primaries.

Counselling is predominantly delivered face to face with the flexibility for online provision for those aged 10 – 19 (year 6 to Year 13) in education settings, but there is also an option for up to 25 year-olds to access counselling support either online or in the community.

All young people in Powys up to age 25 are eligible to access the counselling service.

We have 20 counsellors and therapists available for 37 days per week in secondary schools, 11 counsellors and therapists based in 15 of the primary school settings and we provide at least 3 days per week of online or community counselling sessions.




How are children and young people in Powys referred for counselling support?

Whilst parents and professionals can use our referral forms, any young person can register in exactly the same way and we encourage self-referral. It helps young people to feel ownership of the counselling support and let’s be honest, counselling or therapy isn’t something that can be done to somebody, it’s a meaningful, emotional process that takes a lot of commitment and vulnerability.

Referral forms, support resources and counselling information to help children, young people, parents and education staff to have discussions about counselling and decide whether it is suitable for them can be accessed through the Area 43 website page Powys Counselling.

Tell us more about the Youth Café you run in Cardigan

It’s about driving young people’s dreams forward, allowing their voice, hearing them and acting upon their needs. We utilised the lockdown scenario to do some online consultation and canvassed young people in the whole of our area as well as external services, to see what they would like from Area 43. Young people told us overwhelmingly that they needed safe spaces to hang out and socialise with friends where caring professionals could offer alternative views and provide additional support.

They also explained that they didn’t feel welcome in the town centre cafés - they felt stigmatised walking in as a group. The result of the consultation is Depot, which is led by young people for young people - it is their space, we just facilitate it and keep it safe.

In the youth café, young people don’t need to buy anything, they can just come in to keep warm and see other people. We heavily subsidise the cost of food and drink. We have managed to access some food poverty grants to keep costs as low as we can, and we work with Neighbourly and Fareshare for surplus foods, so we are often able to offer free meals.

Our Cardigan building is open 6 days a week up to 7pm for 14 – 25 year olds, we also hold transition sessions on Saturday mornings for 11 – 13 year olds. There are young people out there essentially living independently at the age of 14 – 16 including homeless young people, sofa surfing or sleeping rough. They come to Area 43 to stay warm, have human contact, receive support from our team, and link up with existing specialist services - drugs and alcohol, or housing options, and we facilitate this.

We also offer supported paid work placements for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) to help them develop the skills to progress into the workplace from a safe, supportive environment where they can make mistakes and learn from them without dire consequences.

Do you have plans to develop and expand your offer in Powys?


We are working closely with Powys County Council, watch this space…




What are the main challenges working in this field?

I guess the main issue is securing consistent funding to provide these essential services. There is no doubt that the need for mental health support is very real. Whilst talking about mental health difficulties more openly has decreased the stigma, it has also opened the floodgates, and the need for support and counselling services means the demand is great and waiting lists across the sector are growing.

Contracts for counselling services go through a competitive tendering process and although we support the campaign by Young Minds and Dr Alex George (UK Youth Mental Health Ambassador) to obtain statutory funding for early intervention mental health hubs, we are still heavily reliant upon grant funders like the National Lottery.

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work you have done at Area 43

Seeing the Youth Café come to fruition is a proud achievement, we see over 200 young people every week, and last year had over 1600 visitors, it’s amazing and proves how much the safe space is needed by young people.

The most rewarding work is the direct work with young people, slowly building trust, and learning about them, their needs, background and challenges. Then having the honour of being permitted to walk with them on their journey and see them grow as they navigate the obstacles, dramas and emotions that fall in their way. I have seen some young people come from the most distressing situations where they have a lack of supportive adults at home, a tough time in education (if they attend), and substance misuse, bullying or other abuse in their lives, manage to find themselves and their strength because they learned that they had someone they could trust, who believed them and wanted the best for them. It’s amazing what young people can achieve with the right support if they want to.

How do you like spending your time when you’re not working?

I like peace and quiet and the opportunity to rejuvenate when I’m not working. I love a spa day! I also like to curl up in a cosy armchair with a book or to get out in nature, walk with my dogs on the beach or through the woods.

Feedback from children & young people who have been supported by Area 43 

About counselling and therapy

"Helped me release all me feeling and emotions."

"It has been helpful to be able to talk to someone. It has helped all the negative energy and thoughts to disappear."

"It helped me by boosting my self-esteem and giving me more confidence in making the right choices for myself, it also really helped with my family and friends relationships which i am thankful for."

"It was good to have someone to talk when my anxiety was a problem. I was able to work out how to control my anxiety and now have way to stop it."

About the Youth Café

“The first time I went to the Youth Café I was an upset teenager determined not to speak to anyone. But after a Youth Support Worker coming up to chat with me I opened up more than I had in a while. I felt a lot lighter when I left.”

“Coming here (Depot) for the past 3 years has done more for my confidence than almost a decade of support groups.”

“I feel that Depot youth café is a treasure to the community for young people, as a mental health sufferer this place has helped me get out of a dark place, the support I have received from the youth workers has changed me massively in ways I didn't think was possible. I've made new friends, I've learned to accept myself for my self with my mental illness and I don't feel like I'm figuring it out anymore. I have started to come out the house more as I'm less anxious of the outside world."




Many thanks to Lisa for telling us about the work of Area 43. 
If you want to find out more you can contact Lisa by emailing lisa@area43.co.uk

There is also further information on the Area 43 website including an online referral form.

Wednesday 17 January 2024

The future of the Wales Mental Health & Wellbeing Forum

John Lilley (Individual Representative, Mental Health) and Josh Beynon (Practice Solutions)

Improving mental health and wellbeing by respecting and 
empowering people to influence decision making

The Wales Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum is made up of people with lived experience of mental health issues and their friends and families. The members come from a range of different backgrounds and reflect the diversity of the people of Wales. Here in Powys John Lilley - more from him below - joins Rhydian and Sally to bring the voice of Powys service users and carers to the table.

Forum members work collaboratively with other key stakeholders to influence Welsh Government policy by using the skills, knowledge and experience they have gained within the field of mental health. They play a very important role in helping shape future mental health services within Wales.

We recently heard that Practice Solutions Ltd, the organisation which has provided support to the Forum over recent years, has been awarded the tender to support the Wales Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum for the next 3 years.

Since the Forum started working on the contract with Practice Solutions it has gone from strength to strength and a huge part of this has come from the fact that Practice Solutions staff have instilled in members that it is their Forum and they should lead the direction of the work and how this looks in the future. The members are then able to use the knowledge and experience of Practice Solutions’ staff to inform and guide them in the best way forward when developing projects.

Since the Forum started working with Practice Solutions there have been lots of exciting developments. The Forum changed its name from the National Mental Health Forum to the Wales Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum. It was felt that this better represented the Forum’s work focus - what happens within services in Wales.

John Lilley chairing a Wales Mental Health & Wellbeing forum meeting

The Forum also designed their own logo and branding which is now used on their promotional material and on their social media platforms and this enables the Forum to create a professional image when speaking to organisations.

With guidance from Practice Solutions' staff the Forum also established separate working groups alongside the quarterly meetings and these included Communications & Marketing, Future Planning & Recruitment, and Reward & Engagement. These groups enable some of the members to focus on particular aspects of the Forum such as designing a logo or their website, promoting the Forum and attending events. Proposals and ideas are taken to the main quarterly meeting for agreement and voting by all members.

Another huge part of the Forum’s growth has involved the development of the website which allows members to inform people about their work, share good news stories, promote events and publish some of the papers that the Forum has produced. The Forum has also been privileged to have members share their mental health journey through the production of digital stories. These can be extremely powerful in highlighting the issues that people with mental health face.

The Forum is looking forward to continuing its work with Practice Solutions and seeing where the future journey takes them. Onwards and upwards…!

Josh Beynon, who is an Associate at Practice Solutions, and provides support to the Forum as part of his role, says: “It’s great to be supporting and working with the forum again to improve services and put the voice of service users and carers at the heart of decision making”.

John Lilley, Individual Rep Mental Health,
 at a Shared Power training session last year

John Lilley is the expert on the Forum locally here in Powys as he has been a member for several years now. He says: “I became a Mental Health Service User Representative as I felt my experience as a service user, and as someone with lived experience of mental health issues, could help to give a voice and attempt to improve access and care within the mental health services.

I was diagnosed with bi-polar in 2013 and before that with clinical depression as a result of life changing neurosurgery in 2000. After a three month stay as a patient in Bronllys, and attending Patients’ Council meetings whilst there, I decided that following recovery I would join Powys Patients’ Council as a volunteer. I believe this helped in my recovery and boosted my self-esteem and confidence.

After being a volunteer for over 5 years I became a Mental Health Service User Representative in Powys in 2021. During my time as a rep I have also joined the Wales Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum to represent Powys. This national forum meets regularly and reports to the Welsh Government on issues affecting service users and carers locally. I have also been a member of the Powys Crisis Care forum which oversees the delivery of the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat in Powys. This measures the effectiveness of how Powys deals with people in Mental Health Crisis.”

Thursday 4 January 2024

New Year Nature challenges for improved wellbeing

Plast Off! litter pick - Radnorshire Wildlife Trust volunteers

It can be easy at this time of year to retreat into a cosy home or bury ourselves in work. Living through some of the shortest days of the year in challenging weather conditions can seem relentless sometimes (though - fingers crossed - we are promised a drier spell is on the cards for the rest of January 2024!) And winter weather conditions can definitely impact on our mental health. So, what can we do to renew, refresh and generally feel better about life at the start of 2024?

For some people, after the excesses of the festive season, it’s time to take on a new challenge

This could be changing or adapting our diet with a dip into Veganuary “for a greener planet, lower food bills, better health and kindness to animals”.

Giving up alcohol for January is also a popular option with Dry January encouraging growing numbers to go sober to start the new year “for a body and mind reset”. Others determined to improve both their physical health and emotional wellbeing opt for new exercise routines - perhaps they join a gym, try a new sport or sign up for online classes or the local weekly Parkrun.

Yet another option, and one we want to explore more here, is getting outdoors to appreciate and do our bit for Nature in this, our wonderful county of Powys!

Here are some activities, (along with details of helpful organisations), that can encourage just that, with the added benefit of social interaction in most cases for those that want to make new friends (or just meet up with family and friends to take part). Litter picking, bird watching and wildlife walking are all suitable too for those needing some space, perhaps time for themselves to recharge their batteries, after a busy or draining festive time - many people have to work through the winter break after all!




Plast Off! litter pick - Radnorshire Wildlife Trust - 13 January


Kick-start your New Year with a litter pick and do something positive for local wildlife! Join Radnorshire Wildlife Trust and the Lakeside Boathouse on Saturday 13th January in Llandrindod Wells anytime between 10am until 1pm. Free hot drinks will be provided for those taking part!

Plast Off! is a Wales wide event, organised by Stand for Nature Wales youth groups around the country. The aim is to remove plastic and other litter from the environment that could cause harm to our wildlife.

There is no need to book this event, just turn up! This event is in association with the Lakeside Boathouse.

More information HERE.




Big Garden Birdwatch from the RSPB - 26 - 28 January

Join the world’s largest garden wildlife survey!

Every year, hundreds of thousands of nature lovers take part, helping to build a picture of how garden birds are faring.

All you have to do is spend an hour watching the birds in your patch, between 26 and 28 January, and record the birds that land (so not those which just fly by). Then you can record your sightings on the RSPB website.

Last year half a million people took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch recording an amazing 9.1 million birds! House sparrow took the top spot. Which birds will you spot on your patch this year…?

More information HERE.




Wildlife walking - Winter Bird Walk in Builth Wells with South & West Wales Wildlife Trust - 10 February

A four hour walk from Builth Wells to spot resident and visiting winter birds with the County Recorder for Brecknock, Andrew King. With a mixture of habitats including the River Wye, woodland, and farmland there is a chance to see a wide variety of birds.

Please bring your own binoculars and wear warm wet weather gear and appropriate footwear. Also bring some snacks or lunch and a drink. Please note that dogs are not allowed on this walk.

More information and booking online (essential) HERE.




Nature reserve maintenance - local wildlife trusts, ongoing

Our local wildlife trusts are always on the lookout for keen volunteers to help look after the many and varied reserves in the county. What better way to keep fit, meet like-minded people and see some of the stunning wildlife we share this beautiful county of Powys with?

If you are interested then contact your nearest wildlife trust:

North Powys - Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

Mid Powys - Radnorshire Wildlife Trust

South Powys - Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales




Spring Clean Cymru with Keep Wales Tidy - 15 - 3 March

Spring Clean Cymru is part of the Great British Spring Clean, the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign.

7,000 “litter heroes” collected more than 4,000 bags of litter and recycling last year!

“Keep Wales Tidy believe that everyone deserves to live in a community they can be proud of but according to UK figures, less than half of UK adults (43%) currently agree that they feel proud of their community.”

Litter picking is a simple action that anyone can do to make an immediate and visible difference to their area.

If you want to be one of the first to pledge your support, you can register your interest HERE. More information coming in February 2024!




These wonderful voluntary organisations have contributed a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm into organising these events - so let’s support them, wildlife and the environment, whilst at the same time boosting our own positive mental health. Whilst all these events are free, donations are welcomed.

Finally Happy New Year 2024 from everyone at PAVO’s mental health team! 
We’d love to hear more if you have ideas about getting outdoors in Nature, 
to help the local environment and boost your wellbeing. 
Let us know in the comments below.