So let me introduce you to the Clays walking group; here they are.......
.......enjoying various walks, tea stops and each other's company
It all began with Stephen and his wife Teresa who came along to one of our coffee mornings (a social activity we used to raise awareness of the project in the china clay area around St. Austell). His frustration with his diagnosis was obvious. Having been a farm worker all his life he suddenly found himself with no purpose and no bike license. His social life and mode of transport had gone but his determination to do as much as possible whilst he still could was very present. So we organised a walk, just a short one and local to the area and then we followed that with another one and another and slowly others contacted us and joined in.
There are now 10 regulars in the group, including partners and other community members. They laugh together, accommodate each others walking paces, share home-made 'goodies' and are disappointed if they have to miss a walk. Stephen has even presented at a recent conference - his first time ever! (again, more on that soon).
You know the old saying "from little acorns big oaks grow"? combine that with a saying by JF Kennedy: "We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch" and I believe that's a good foundation for building sustainability into our project. We take our time to plant the 'acorns'; whether that's establishing working relationships, developing new activities or getting to know our beneficiaries. It's about appreciating and taking time to do all those things so that we create a solid foundation for sustainable outcomes. We learn more about our beneficiaries and we develop activities that provide the right support and creativity for them.
The Clays walking group provides us with wonderful images and anecdotes that we can use to encourage other communities and organisations to work with us. Soon we'll be starting activities in Bodmin and Liskeard and later in the year - Wadebridge.
There are exciting times ahead, if our 'acorns' are anything to go by!
p.s. don't go too far, there'll be more coming up shortly about our working partnerships and a 'first' for a conference in Cornwall.
Wendy
Creative Spaces Project Manager
