Two Community Development Officer have been engaged by Conwy Community Wellbeing Team since 1st December 2014 to contribute to the development of the Wellbeing hub at Ty Llywelyn Community Centre in Llandudno. Linked to the ICF programme, the focus has been to:
- Avoid unnecessary hospital admission or delayed discharge for older people.
- Facilitate a programme of wellbeing activities to run from March – July 2015
- Support Tre Cwm Community Association / Ty Llywelyn Community Centre in capacity building its resources and management structure.
To ensure that the community was fully engaged in the process of developing the wellbeing hub and that all activities were relevant to the needs of the community, the Officers:
- Organised community consultation events for all ages in Ty Llywelyn Community Centre, Tan Y Fron extra care housing facility and across the wards of Tudno 1 and 2 to assess community needs and wishes in respect of services, activities and opportunity development
- Engaged with partner organisations and groups to establish capacity to deliver said activities, avoid duplication and maximise use of resources
- Identified opportunity for innovation and creativity in delivery of activities to make them more attractive for community members
The outcome of this initial work has been to establish a 3 month programme of wellbeing activities to be delivered from Ty Llywelyn; between March and the end of June 2015, taster sessions for over 20 activites including: walking, fishing, massage, boccia, Zumba, chairobics and Men’s shed project will be held to assess long term viability of the activities.
These activities have provided opportunities for many local people who are keen to improve their wellbeing through increased learning, exercise and social activity.
John, Men’s shed member – “I am attending this project because I was lonely and enjoy the opportunity to socialise with other men of similar age and circumstance. As a result of attending Men’s shed I have met people with similar interests and will now be going walking and swimming with some new friends. It has made a big difference to me in a short space of time”.
To enhance the long term for sustainability of both the wellbeing activities and the hub facilities, the Ty Llywelyn Community Centre has been supported by the Community Development Officers in capacity building its resources and management structure. This has included developing a new 3 year Business Plan, developing a funding / investment strategy to move towards financial sustainability, strengthening the governing committee in terms of both members and skills capacity and, finally, developing a strong volunteer involvement and support programme.
It is hoped that funding will shortly be secured for a full time Centre Manager to be employed at Ty Llywelyn; the Manager’s role will be continue the development of the wellbeing hub and activities and develop a sustainable social enterprise model realising the potential of the centre, its facilities and the community café. The enterprise model is designed to maximise opportunities for volunteering, training and employment in an area of high deprivation.