Join us for the FVAF Community Celebration & AGM 2026 - a day of festivities, important discussions, and community connection! We’ll start with our Annual General Meeting (AGM), then you’ll hear how FVAF has made a difference over the past year through our 4 Ps: People, Place, Planet and Prosperity, along with our plans for the year ahead. After the AGM, come and explore the Newent Showcase, a market of local community groups and organisations that make Newent special. It’s a great chance to meet the people behind them, find out what’s happening locally, and connect with other community members. Refreshments and a delicious buffet lunch, sourced from local delis and caterers, will be provided. EVERYONE WELCOME! DOORS OPEN AT 10AM FOR COFFEE & CATCH UP! Places are limited, so please book your ticket as soon as possible to secure your spot. BOOK HERE!

BOOK HERE! Frequently visited pages: COMMUNITY HUBS VOLUNTEER ADVICE YOUTH SUPPORT Šta je FVAF? FVAF je skraćenica od Forest Voluntary Action Forum. Nudimo podršku lokalnim građanima, grupama u zajednici i aktivnostima da rade stvari koje su im najvažnije. Ovo uključuje sljedeće: podrška i razvojni savjeti obuku informacije umrežavanje sastanaka olakšavanje predstavljanja regrutovanje volontera volonterski angažman i podrška Također vodimo mnoge projekte sa i za lokalnu zajednicu, kao što su Udruženje mladih Šuma dekana, Kampanje prazničnih aktivnosti, The Forest Youth Music Network, The GEM Project, The Forest Compass Directory, Hod with Wheels i mnogi drugi. Pogledajte našu stranicu Projekti za sve detalje. „Izgradnja jačih zajednica u Dekanova šuma" Saznati više JOIN OUR MAILING LIST Get the latest community news and check out exciting volunteering opportunity in or around the Forest of Dean... Idite na Facebook Useful publications: FREE directory of the many volunteering opportunities available locally... DOWNLOAD Naši partneri We work with so many amazing and supportive partners. Find out more here... How to contact us Forest Voluntary Action Forum Ow Bist Forest Community Space Dockham Road Cinderford , Glos. GL14 2AQ Email us: contact@fvaf.org.uk Tel: 01594 822073 Copyright © 2021 Forest Voluntary Action Forum. All Rights Reserved. Forest Voluntary Action Forum is a charity (1141126) and company limited by guarantee (07557852) registered in England and Wales. The registered address is The Belle Vue Centre, Cinderford, Glos, GL14 2AB. Travelling in the Forest of Dean Forest Of Dean Climate Action Partnership has created a handy interactive guide to travelling in the Forest of Dean. DOWNLOAD HERE

Current job vacancies at FVAF Work for us. We are passionate about nurturing talented, compassionate, community minded team players. Join our friendly and supportive team! We don't have any vacancies right now but check back soon! Trouble downloading the documents? Contact communications@fvaf.org.uk or 01594 822073

Peer Development Developing the space between us to enable better Community Health and Wellbeing. Mycelium seeks to promote connectedness between people and encourage collaboration in service development in the Forest of Dean. Mycelium seeks to promote connectedness between people and encourage collaboration in service development in the Forest of Dean. We wish to do so to develop a counternarrative to ‘siloed working’ and the overbearing competitiveness between people, organisations and within emerging systems. We value both lived and professional experience equally and work from a horizontal, narrative informed, peer advocacy model with co-production and action research principles at its core. What do we do? We offer Peer Advocacy, Peer Mentoring & Peer Development for individuals, groups and organisations living or working in the Forest of Dean. For People from our Communities We work with individuals providing 1 to 1 support. Using peer advocacy and peer mentoring principles we can help you to develop a ‘recovery practice’ that enables you to get back up after a crisis, or travel safely through a difficult period in your life. We can help you: to understand and respond to social care needs or a health condition and can help you to cope with a situation that is causing you emotional distress. to find information, to build confidence as you begin to identify, navigate and try out the wellbeing and self-help resources that are available to you in your local community. if issues arise when trying to build yourself up again - we can be there and help you to learn about yourself, your world and your rights. to travel through the complexities of recovery from a health condition, from mental illness, trauma or addiction - to raise your voice about what is important to you as you do so. to access advice from the best expertise available and can then support you to understand, choose between and explore the options opened up for you by that advice. to access community groups and projects and help them in turn to become more confident, compassionate and efficient when supporting individuals experiencing mental health difficulties. Peer advocacy will work on up to three specific community advocacy issues at a time, but the Peer mentoring will be open access, an ‘in the background’ wrap around support that will attempt to respond to your unique circumstances and complex needs whilst still trying to link you in with the best expertise available to you. For Volunteers and Professionals “Project Support” - We work with individuals developing groups and organisations With consultancy, reflective practice and ongoing support we can help lived experience practitioners, peer support workers and staff with lived experience who are working in the VCS and local health and social care settings, to use their experiences of illness or mental distress in a way that is safe, effective and compassionate for both them and the people they are supporting. We can help: you to develop an idea, a workshop, a group or a project that has arisen from your own unique situation, lived experience or from the skills and awareness gained on your recovery journey. provide or link you in with training, information, supervision and a support structure around you to enable you to turn this awareness into a skill that can benefit others in your local community. projects, groups and organisations develop their co-production strategies and be a point of contact with transformed mental health services and the wider supports available. We can enable you to implement these strategies in a non ’tokenistic’ & authentic way. you to stay well and practice self-care whilst working and using your lived experience to help others who are going through health conditions or mental distres s. What does ‘Peer’ mean? “PEER … One that is of equal standing with another” The ‘Peer’ in Peer Advocacy, Peer Mentoring and Peer Development points to shared concerns and experiences. Peer support is when we come together with others who have been through or are recovering from something similar. It is about ‘mutuality’ - helping each other through conversations, activities and spending time together. It can help us not to feel so alone or unusual, to realise that there is a possibility of life beyond and outside of the condition, distress or situation encountered. Peer services connect people and create opportunities for ‘giving back’; they can help us to take notice of the skills and knowledge we have gained on our journeys while also creating opportunities to use these skills to build better services and communities for the future. Who are we? We are all local people with both professional and personal experience of disability, illness, mental distress and/or have been carers for people navigating social and health care systems. We are all individuals who have had extensive experience of managing our own recoveries from illness and mental distress and have learnt much from doing so. We all feel that talking to someone who has ‘been through’ and managed to successfully survive and navigate something similar in the past can be incredibly helpful to those who are feeling isolated with that condition, situation or circumstance in the present. Though we understand the importance of being supported by someone who understands from ‘lived experience’, we also recognise the importance of skill and learning. We know how important ongoing development is to help convert that learning into a constructive, safe and effective practice that enables others. We have all received extensive previous training and are committed to continued professional development alongside the “lived experience” knowledge that we draw upon. We have all benefitted from Peer Advocacy, Peer Support or Peer Mentoring ourselves and are passionate about its enormous benefits for good community mental health and wellbeing. We have all had extensive previous experience of co-production work, collaborative working, community development and promoting diverse voices. What have we done so far? Developing Action Research & our Narrative Model for locality-based peer development Over the past two years Mycelium has been drawing together people with experience, professionals and those passionate about community development, to overcome barriers to discussion and rally around shared concerns or stories. The aim of this has been to increase understanding about mental health illness and, most importantly, move towards improvement of the current situation for individuals, families and the Forest communities. We have developed a Resource Hub, Community-based Recovery Education Sessions and a Community of Practice group for those working with individuals with mental health challenges. We have facilitated extensive community-based action research to ascertain need and identify a network of allies. This has been published alongside papers on co-production and has all been fed into the Community Mental Health Transformation undertaken in Gloucestershire. Who are we for? We have supported the growth of community initiatives that allow everybody’s voices to be heard and we want change to continue to be driven by well-being and mutual aid. We are listening, learning and offering opportunities for all community members within the Forest and invite you to join us on this exciting journey. Anyone 16 + who is living or working in the Forest of Dean. Anyone who feels that they could benefit from support from individuals with experience of managing their own recovery from mental health difficulties, addiction, mental distress or a health condition. Anyone facing challenges in accessing the support that they want and need help to find information, understand their rights, build a support network or develop an advocacy plan of action to raise their voice or complain about the care they have received. Anyone with either diagnosed or undiagnosed conditions and people waiting on waiting lists for assessment. Our aim is to respect all perspectives and encourage action and improvement in the lives of all across our Forest communities. How do I find out more, get involved or access Mycelium support? For more information drop Simon Price (Project Manager and Mental Health Researcher) a message at Simon@fvaf.org.uk or call 07394 945046 to arrange a meet up and find out more about Mycelium Peer Development.

O FVAF-u O FVAF-u Naša priča Mi smo Vijeće volonterskog servisa i Volonterski centar Dekanske šume. Pružamo pomoć mnogim od stotina dobrovoljnih i društvenih organizacija u Distriktu koje su zauzvrat sposobnije da obavljaju svoj posao ui za lokalnu zajednicu. Od osnivanja 1994. godine razvili smo reputaciju za ohrabrivanje, prihvaćanje i unapređenje djelovanja zajednice u cijeloj Dekanskoj šumi. Vjerujemo da kroz pristupe koje vodi zajednica omogućavamo građanima da razviju vještine, otpornost i društveni kapital kako bi živjeli sretnijim, bolje povezanim životima. Kancelarijske usluge Osoblje i povjerenici Politike Pristupačnost i održivost

The podcast kit is also available for hire to voluntary community groups. For more information on The Community Action Pod and ways to get involved contact the Host Melanie Benn on melanie@fvaf.org.uk or 01594 822073. Produced by Forest Voluntary Action Forum Funded by the Barnwood Trust Digital Inclusion Fund

COMMUNITY CONNECTORS’ FORUM/KNOW YOUR PATCH NETWORK In-person event 14 June 2022 at The Wesley, Cinderford Event Feedback \ Thank you for participating in our event! Tell us what you thought about it. Name & organisation Please indicate on a scale of 1 – 10, where 1 is the most negative and 10 the most positive What was your overall impression of the day? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 What was your experience of the speakers? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Please share any comments about your overall impression of the day and the speakers What was your experience of the activities? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Please share any comments about the activities What was your experience of the refreshments? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Was there anything else that you feel could have been provided? What would you like to see in future events? Suggested speakers/format etc Your email Send Feedback Thanks for your feedback!

welcoming & vibrant community hub - for hire Since taking on the 25 year lease of the former Dockham Road GP surgery, we have been working at a pace to create a welcoming and vibrant community hub that offers wrap-around support and improves access to community services. To date we have transformed the building's exterior with wooden cladding, resprayed windows and doors, and a new sign. Inside, we have created of a flexible training and events space , along with permanent office space for support agencies and community organisations. Thanks to funding from Cinderford Town Council, Ow Bist now features a Changing Places toilet to ensure accessibility for the entire community. Travelling in the Forest of Dean Forest Of Dean Climate Action Partnership has created a handy interactive guide to travelling in the Forest of Dean. DOWNLOAD HERE What to find out more? Interested in hiring the space? Contact us at contact@fvaf.org.uk or 01594 822073 The whole team loved the space you have at Ow Bist, but also really valued the partnership approach. Hirer at Ow Bist

Mycelium My Networks Mental Health Project Mycelium - Forest Mental Health Project The Mycelium Project aims to create an infrastructure in the Forest of Dean that: Influences change in statutory services for mental health services and support. Provides training to build a network of Lived Experience Practitioners who will support peer workers in the healthcare and voluntary and community sector. Offers support, supervision, safeguarding, visibility, and accountability. Click on the image to find out more information: Forest of Dean Mental Health Locality Partnership Peer Development Recovery & Wellbeing Café Resource Hub/Library

Udruženje Šumarske omladine Udruženje mladih Forest of Dean je tu da ponudi pomoć i podršku mladima i omladinskim klubovima, grupama ili organizacijama. Upoznati nove prijatelje Uključite se u svoju zajednicu Ostvarite interes Probajte nešto novo Naučite nove vještine Volontiraj Napravite bolji svijet Volontiranje Postoji mnogo prilika za volontiranje i za mlade i za odrasle. Ako ste mlada osoba koja traži volonterski rad u slobodno vrijeme, da stekne više vještina ili kao dio vašeg DofE programa, pozovite nas ili posjetite https://do-it.org/ Slično tome, ako ste odrasla osoba koja ima vještine i znanja ili želite podržati omladinsku organizaciju u okviru Dekanske šume, kontaktirajte nas jer postoje mnoge organizacije koje bi cijenile vašu podršku. Pridruženo članstvo za vaš klub/organizaciju Kada se učlanite u Udruženje mladih Forest of Dean, imat ćete pravo na naš cijeli niz usluga, koji nudi savjete i podršku u svim aspektima vođenja organizacije kao što je vaša. Također vodimo kalendar aktivnosti u kojima vaši volonteri i mladi mogu sudjelovati uz minimalnu naknadu. Za sve detalje o pogodnostima ili registraciju svog kluba kliknite na sljedeće linkove Pogodnosti članstva u omladinskom udruženju za klubove Obrazac za članstvo u udruženju mladih za klubove Kontakt podaci za više informacija Ako želite saznati više o bilo kojem od naših projekata ili događaja ili kako se uključiti, kontaktirajte našu službenicu za razvoj udruženja mladih, Alethea Bumpstead na FodYouthAssociation@fvaf.org.uk For More Information If you would like to know about any of our projects or events or how to get involved, please get in touch with us at hi.ya @fvaf.org.uk Finansijska podrška Udruženje mladih Forest of Dean s ponosom prima finansijsku podršku od gradskih vijeća Cinderforda i Coleforda. Ako vaše župno ili gradsko vijeće želi saznati više o Udruženju mladih Dekanska šuma ili kako nas možete podržati, kontaktirajte putem e-pošte FodYouthAssociation@fvaf.org.uk

FVAF Community Celebration & AGM 2023 FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2024 | 11AM - 2PM Ow Bis - Forest Community Space, Dockham Road GL14 2AN We are inviting the whole community to join us in celebrating the work FVAF has done over the last 12 months for, and with communities across the Forest of Dean PLUS it’s our 30th anniversary this year and we’re ready to celebrate! Refreshments and a delicious buffet lunch will be provided. Places are limited - please book your ticket ASAP READ THE AGM NOTICE BELOW: BOOK YOUR TICKET

Employment Skills Support Ready to take your next steps towards further education, volunteering or work? Go along to your nearest Community Hub for 121 conversations with our friendly Community Builders. They can help: Explore what matters to you Develop your CV Signposting to education, training and employment Consider volunteering opportunities Increase your confidence for online searches, applications, interviews Take up opportunities to get involved in your local community For more information please contact: community@fvaf.org.uk or 01594 822073