Hearing about the work of Noddfa Church and talking with Pastor John about what they do in the North of Torfaen.

On this edition of Word From the Third, we talk with David Davies and Chris Hooper about the Gwent Access to Advocacy helpline and what advocacy means.

What is advocacy? Advocacy is when a person gets support from another person to help them express their views, wishes and feelings. Typically when social services are making decisions that might affect them. A relative or friend may be able to be your advocate but when this is not possible or appropriate you may need the support of an independent professional advocate.

How can advocacy help? Independent advocates do not work for social services, their role is to support you to get your voice heard. Advocates can help you to stand up for your rights. They will listen to you and be on your side. They will help you understand your options and help you make your own decisions They can also support and represent you at meetings if you want them to. The Social Services and Wellbeing Act (Wales) states that councils must provide access to advocacy services and make advocacy support available to its citizens.

Where can people go if they need the support of an advocate in Gwent? The Gwent Access to Advocacy helpline (GATA) is a free, single point of contact for information and advice about advocacy in Gwent. If you are 18+ and live in Gwent (BG, Torfaen, Caerphilly, Mon, Newport) you can call the helpline for free on 0808 801 0566, Mon to Fri 10am to 3pm. The staff at GATA can provide: Information, advice and support with signposting and referrals to adult advocacy services.

GATA is independent of local authority councils, the NHS and advocacy providers and can help ensure that you receive the type of advocacy that is right for you. All this information and more is available on their website: www.gata.cymru.

Learning more about Garnsychan Partnership who are based in the north of Torfaen and the support and projects they provide

Matthew is an experienced Christian minister with a demonstrated history of working in religious institutions ( over 30 years). Skilled in pastoral care, theology, biblical studies, and gospel evangelism.

A published author with over 40 titles, mainly in theology, having graduated from both Cardiff and Chester Universities and currently researching Greek Rhetorical Technique in Luke-Acts at Roehampton University, London.

More than a decade of professional editing experience in the academic and commercial sectors, mainly for theological journals and books.

On this edition we catch up and learn more about his work in Pontypool at Sharon Church, and with the charity Hope for the Community.

You can emall him: [email protected]

The public sector can be guilty of talking about our ‘communities’ as if they were simply places where the Council, the health board, or the Police deliver services to people.

But that’s clearly not the case. A community is somewhere where people live, they work, they chat to their neighbours about what’s going on. They go to classes, send their kids to school, and talk to others about what’s going well in their area, and what’s not going so well. They keep an eye on those in need and know when someone’s starting to struggle.

There are many relationships, resources and activities within communities that keep people well. These include the green spaces, sports clubs and allotment associations that get us outside and active, the coffee mornings, quiz nights and local groups that connect us with others and the more formal hubs that people can reach into if they need some support with meeting basic needs.

When the Covid pandemic hit in 2020 it wasn’t governments that were the first to react, it was communities. People shopped for their neighbours, collected medicines for the vulnerable and, when things were starting to improve, organised street parties and celebrations. For every professional referral there are hundreds of occasions where a friend, neighbour or relative “just pops in for a chat and to check everything’s okay”.

And this is important because communities which look out for one another, which participate in public life, which pull together when times are tough, are significantly healthier than communities which are disjointed, disillusioned and disempowered. So rather than seeing ourselves as service providers, our job (in the third sector, and in the public sector) should be much more about how we help our communities to become more resilient, more engaged and, as a result, healthier.

So, Word from the Third will explore why these matters, what we can each do about it, where we can work together, and the difference it can make to peoples’ lives.

Brownies welcomes all girls from 7 to 10 years old for nonstop fun, learning and adventure.It’s full of firsts: she might grow her first plant, cook her first cake, put up (and take down) her first tent, light her first fire, go on her first fun-packed weekend away with guiding friends. With a helpful hand from our encouraging volunteers, she’ll explore her creative side, get out into the great outdoors, and start learning to look after herself, others and the world we live in. There’s something for every girl at Brownies, and plenty of moments she’ll never forget.

In this edition of Word From The Third we talk with Lynda from Blaenavon Brownies and hear her story of what they do in the community and how they can help.

We hear from Brett who explains more about their work.

The Outdoor Partnership work to support the people of Wales and other UK areas to take up outdoor activities as a life-long pursuit. Its new strategy has defined its VISION for the next ten years.

‘Enhancing people’s lives through outdoor activity’.

The Outdoor Partnership was established in 2004 bringing public, private and third sector organisations together to work effectively in the outdoor sector with a common vision.The rationale for the Outdoor Partnership was underpinned by research in 2003 undertaken by Bangor University which showed;

• Poor levels of engagement in the sector amongst local people
• Leading to low levels of local employment in the outdoor industry
• And reduced levels of engagement in local communities
• Resulting in low levels of outdoor participation and very few local clubs

Hearing from Dan from The Care Collective about their work across Torfaen

Unpaid carers are at the heart of a collective effort in helping family members and friends when they need support with care, essential daily tasks, or to stay safe.Their key goals are that young and adult unpaid carers are able to help and get help for someone with care and/or support needs in a way that maximises that person’s independence and dignity and that reduces the physical and emotional impact on the health of carers.

Learning more about the work of the volunteers at Forgeside Community Garden and how they've made a piece of wasteland the perfect place for the local community.

Catching up with Anthony Hunt, Leader of Torfaen County Borough Council to hear more about the man behind the role.