Episode 4 Why being a volunteer is GREAT
At the Wellbeing Centres we're all about wellbeing, no surprises there. And the barn project is giving our volunteers the opportunity to do all the things which can improve mental and physical wellbeing.
Want to know what they are? Here's a GREAT way to remember them:
Give - your time, skills and knowledge to a good cause
Relate - to other people by working on a project together
Exercise - by walking round the veg patch, potting up plants, digging a pond
Appreciate - what's around you like birdsong, butterflies and flowers
Try - have a go at something new like making a planter, planting seeds, growing veg
The examples here are particular to our project, but you get the general idea.
And it turns out all of this is very enjoyable. Here are three of our volunteers to tell you what they've been enjoying so far.
And look what they made! This planter will be raised up to make it easier for everyone to plant up through the seasons. And all it took was one volunteer wanting to share what she knows.
Meanwhile, we are being invaded by birds of the sculpted variety. Look at what Stevie can do with just chicken wire and grass!
Is this what people mean when they say life imitates art?
Here's one of Peter's pumpkin plants protected from hungry beasties!
Come October, we're looking forward to lantern making and pumpkin soup!
And we've already had a taste of what's to come below - yum!
Meanwhile back at the pond. We've had a tonne of sand delivered to put between the stony ground and the pond liner and had a trial run at fitting it with a cosy fleece. Well not so much to make it cosy, more to provide even more protection for the rubber liner.
And as well as shifting the sand, everyone pitched in to move the 750 kilogrammes of stones we had delivered to make the beach area. It's not for sun bathing though - unless you're a frog.
But it's not all go. We always make time just to sit and appeciate what nature's been up to.
We hope you're finding our project as inspiring as we do and we'll be back next month with our latest news and more thoughts from our volunteers.
Big thanks to Gail for all the photos. Superb.