Recovery & Wellbeing Café “A Community Created Curriculum of Curious Conversations” Weekly Face-to-Face Discussions & Recovery Educational Sessions Each Wednesday (Term Time) at Café 16 in Coleford from 6-8pm. “A safe space to create who you are, not be told what to think.” Join conversations with a diverse range of people with professional & lived experience of different subjects, local people who have gained understandings about the impact current concerns have upon mental health, recovery and wellbeing. We are building a supportive space where, as critical friends, we can learn together and support each other with our individual understandings. All curious & compassionate folk welcome.

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

KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE Young people who are moving towards adulthood have the right to make informed choices about how they connect to their local community. This can involve risk, for guidance read: Building Connections: One minute guide to Risk Assessment

Maidir le FVAF Ár scéal Is sinne an Chomhairle um Sheirbhís Deonach agus an Lárionad Deonach um Fhoraois an Déin. Cuirimid cúnamh ar fáil do go leor de na céadta eagraíochtaí deonacha agus pobail sa Cheantar atá in ann a gcuid oibre a sheachadadh níos fearr sa phobal áitiúil agus ar a son. Ó bunaíodh muid i 1994 tá cáil bainte amach againn as gníomh pobail a spreagadh, a chuimsiú agus a fheabhsú ar fud Foraoise an Déin. Creidimid, trí chur chuige atá faoi stiúir an phobail, go gcuirimid ar chumas na saoránach scileanna, athléimneacht agus caipiteal sóisialta a fhorbairt chun saolta níos sona agus nasctha níos fearr a chaitheamh. Seirbhísí Oifige Foireann agus Iontaobhaithe Polasaithe Inrochtaineacht agus Inbhuanaitheacht

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

Fóram na Nascóirí Pobail - Bíodh do Líonra Paiste ar eolas agat Supporting Strong and Thriving Communities with Know Your Patch Ag Tacú le Pobail Láidre Rathúla agus Bíodh Fios agat ar do Phaiste Nascann cuid Know Your Patch den Fhóram um Chónascairí Pobail (CCF) an Earnáil Deonach agus Pobail, Seirbhísí Reachtúla agus cónaitheoirí áitiúla ar bhealach a chruthaíonn bealaí oibre níos fearr. Tá Líonra Know Your Patch i bhForaois na Déan deartha chun an Earnáil Deonach agus Pobail, Seirbhísí Reachtúla agus cónaitheoirí áitiúla a nascadh ar bhealach a chruthaíonn bealaí oibre níos fearr a neartaíonn ár bpobail sa deireadh. Tá an ‘tairiscint phobail’ seo thar a bheith tábhachtach chun géarú riachtanas sláinte a chosc nó a mhoilliú. Déanaimid óstáil ar imeachtaí ráithiúla ar fud Foraoise an Déin áit a dtugaimid cuireadh do pháirtithe leasmhara a bheith páirteach sa phlé ar cad atá tábhachtach ina bpobal agus conas is féidir le seirbhísí agus grúpaí earnála deonacha cabhrú leis seo. Tá gach imeacht Know Your Patch SAOR IN AISCE agus oscailte d’aon duine atá ag iarraidh a bheith mar chuid den chomhrá. Más mian leat a bheith i láthair cuir glaoch ar 01594 822073 nó seol ríomhphost chuig help4groups@fvaf.org.uk . Seolaimid ríomhphoist agus nuashonruithe rialta chuig ár Líonra Know Your Patch maidir lena bhfuil ar siúl i bhForaois an Déan. Más mian leat a bheith páirteach sa líonra seo, liostáil le do thoil anseo . Buíochas le maoiniú ó Comhairle Contae Gloucestershire , Tá Know Your Patch ar fáil freisin i ngach ceantar eile i Gloucestershire. Más mian leat tuilleadh a fháil amach fúthu seo tabhair cuairt le do thoil anseo . Seo cuid den taighde a chuireann béim ar ár smaointeoireacht: "Tá ról againn go léir maidir le cabhrú le daoine aonair agus le pobail caipiteal sóisialta a fhorbairt. Tá aitheantas ag dul i méid, cé go bhfuil raon de riachtanais chasta agus idirghaolmhara ag grúpaí sóisialta agus pobail faoi mhíbhuntáiste, go bhfuil sócmhainní acu freisin ar an leibhéal sóisialta agus pobail. ar féidir leo cabhrú le sláinte a fheabhsú, agus athléimneacht i leith fadhbanna sláinte a neartú" (The Kings Fund, 2018) "Bhí ráta marthanais 50 faoin gcéad níos airde acu siúd a raibh caidreamh sóisialta leordhóthanach acu i gcomparáid le daoine aonair a raibh droch-chaidreamh sóisialta acu" (Holt-Lunstad et al 2010) "Tá sé léirithe go bhfuil líonraí sóisialta chomh cumhachtach mar thuaróirí mortlaíochta agus atá gnáthrioscaí stíl mhaireachtála agus cliniciúla cosúil le caitheamh tobac measartha, ólachán iomarcach alcóil, murtall agus colaistéaról ard agus brú fola" (Pantell et al 2013; Holt-Lunstad et al, 2010) . "Tá tacaíocht shóisialta thar a bheith tábhachtach chun athléimneacht a mhéadú agus chun téarnamh ó bhreoiteacht a chur chun cinn" (Pevalin agus Rose, 2003) “Cuidíonn easpa líonraí sóisialta agus tacaíochta é níos deacra iompar féin-rialú agus tiomnacht agus athléimneacht a thógáil thar am, as a dtiocfaidh rannpháirtíocht in iompraíochtaí míshláintiúla” (Cacioppo agus Patrick 2009). "Laghdaíonn Rannpháirtíocht an Phobail aonrú, eisiamh agus uaigneas" (Farrell agus Bryant 2009; Sevigny et al 2010; Ryan-Collins et al 2008) "Feabhsaíonn caipiteal sóisialta láidir an seans go seachnófar rioscaí stíl mhaireachtála amhail caitheamh tobac" (Folland 2008; Brown et al, 2006) Autumn Programme 2025 September 2nd (Short) Thriving Communities The TC grant was launched in August. Come along and find out more about it and hear about the work that has been funded through the scheme. 16th (Short) Digital Inclusion Strategy – Stakeholder Engagement with GCC This session will be led by those involved in the Digital Inclusion Project in Gloucestershire. 30th (Short) Health in the Forest A focus on health-related matters and support that is available in our locality. October 14th (In-person) Spotlight on Cinderford This meeting will take the form of a walk around the town visiting some of the projects that are being led by FKYP members and partners. We will meet at Ow Bist Forest Community Space and follow a route round Cinderford. 28th (Short) FODCAP Update Come along and hear about developments and updates on project in the Forest. November 11th (Short) Community Support Showcasing the work of several community groups who work for the benefit of the Forest Community. 25th (Long) Health in the Forest Another session where we will focus on health-related matters and support that is available in our locality. Please note The meeting on October 14th will be in-person and an opportunity for all those attending to network. All other meetings are online on MS Teams. The invitation will be sent out at the beginning of the season and then the link will be added to the regular reminder email – together with meeting notes from the previous session and the Agenda for the meeting If you would like to deliver a presentation at a forthcoming meeting or there is a topic that you would like to be addressed, please contact Teresa Rose, FKYP Facilitator at fodkyp@fvaf.org.uk to discuss this further. We look forward to seeing you in the forthcoming weeks.

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN! CLOSING DATE: MIDNIGHT SUNDAY 20 JULY 2025 Nomination Form 2025 Please select in which category you would like to nominate the individual or group. Your Volunteer of the Year Young Volunteer of the Year 21yrs & under Community Organisation of the Year Grassroots Award - Voluntary Group of the Year ESV Business in the Community Award FoD Dementia Action Alliance Accessibility & Inclusion Award FoDCAP Community Climate Action Award Name of the volunteer/group being nominated: Name of the organisation or group linked to the nominee (for individual nominees only) Volunteer role or role of group Contact details for nominee (email and telephone) If you are providing personal contact details, do you have permission to share this person's information? If not, no problem—we will use the general contact details of the group or organisation associated with the nominee instead. Yes No Reason for nomination - please provide a brief description which outlines why you think this individual or group stands out. What makes them special and worthy of being celebrated? Your name Your email address Are you happy for us to keep your contact details for the purpose of this nomination only? Yes No Submit

COMING SOON! Universal Youth Services We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership to bring Open Access Universal Youth Services to Gloucester and the Forest of Dean! Together with Gloucestershire Gateway Trust and The Venture Community Hub (TVCH), we’ve joined forces to make a real difference in the lives of young people. Guided by GGT, in the Forest of Dean FVAF will be leading on supporting a wide range of services for young people aged 11 to 19 (or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities). Our youth services will be available to everyone, focusing on the needs of the local community to create a more connected, supported, and engaging youth sector. Stay tuned for more updates and get ready to be part of something amazing! FIND OUT MORE ABOUT... Gloucestershire Gateway Trust The Venture Community Hub

Our publications Forest Compass Edition 3 Volunteering in the Forest of Dean FVAF Annual Report 2022/23 FVAF Annual Report 2021/22 Insights into the Experience of commissioning for small VCSE organisations in the Forest of Dean By Chris Brown My Networks publications My Networks Scoping Project Report, Oct 2022 by Simon Price Supporting documents: Mental Health Scoping Project – Survey Results Co-production – How we facilitated My Networks Scoping Report Useful community publications The Digital Divides Report and Recommendations By Digital Divides Steering Group Learnings from the Forest By Forest of Dean Climate Action Partnership (FODCAP), Holding The Space, Thirty Percy, and CCRI.

Help us create a mural celebrating the Forest of Dean's tradition of community action ! We're creating a mural to celebrate our incredible heritage of community action, mutual support, and resilience! From our mining traditions to welcoming Ukrainian families, from river fishing to friendly societies – we want to hear all the stories that matter. The finished mural will be painted on the side of Ow Bist - Forest Community Space, Dockham Road, Cinderford, creating a lasting tribute to our community's story. We've held two drop-in workshops, led by local artist Tom Cousins, where we invited the community to come along and share their amazing stories and ideas about what makes our area special. Couldn't Make It to the Workshops? We Still Want to Hear From You! We've created the below online survey – so you can still contribute your memories, stories, and ideas for the mural. Whether you've lived here all your life or recently made this place home, your perspective is valuable. What We're Looking For Personal stories that capture the spirit of our community Memories of local traditions, places, or events Examples of how neighbours have supported each other What makes you proud to be part of this community Ideas for images or symbols that represent our shared heritage Share your thoughts and ideas below: Your Forest of Dean Stories Your name (optional) How long have you lived in/been connected to the Forest of Dean area? 1. What does community spirit mean to you in the Forest of Dean? 2. Which of these themes resonate most with your experience of our area? (Tick all that apply) Food & Resources (traditional land use, fishing, growing food, sharing resources) Landscape & Environment (rivers, mining heritage, how place shapes community) Arts & Culture (music, festivals, creative traditions) Community Action (mutual aid, rights movements, defending our heritage) Settlers & Diversity (different communities who've made this area home) 3. What's a story, memory, or tradition from the Forest of Dean that you think should be celebrated in the mural? 4. Are there particular people, groups, or movements (historical or recent) that represent the community spirit of our area to you? 5. What would you like visitors and future generations to understand about the Forest of Dean community? Would you be interested in helping with the mural painting in August? Yes - I'd love to help paint! No, but I support the project Email details (if you'd like updates) Submit

We crown our community heroes! The community turned out in force on Tuesday 3 October to see local volunteers crowned at our glittering Forest Volunteers Awards 2023 celebration at the AccXel Training Centre in Cinderford. READ THE NOMINEE PROFILES IN THE AWARDS PROGRAMME We created the Forest Volunteer Awards to recognise and celebrate the amazing efforts of local volunteers in the Forest of Dean and earlier this Summer, we asked you to nominate those volunteer heroes who have demonstrated exceptional and outstanding support to the local community over the past 12 months. We had an amazing response and received hundreds of nominations. Our expert community panel had the tough task of shortlisting the nominations and picking the winners. However,one category - Volunteer of the Year – Peoples’ Champion – was decided by a public vote withalmost 1,400 votes cast. The winners were crowned at a special evening, held at the stunning conference space at the impressive AccXel Training Centre, which was provided for free to FVAF by local construction company the KW Bell Group, who were the main sponsors of the event. Jando Greco, volunteer at St Stephens Church in Cinderford was crowned Volunteer of the Year – the People’s Champion following a public vote. A volunteer of over 12 years his nominator said: “We so appreciate him, he is such a thoughtful, caring person and will do anything for anyone – Jando is so worthy of receiving this award.” Young volunteers were celebrated with Ebony Powell, volunteer and fundraiser at Forest of Dean Dog Rescue crowned under 16 years old Young Volunteer of the Year for her caring and dedicated commitment caring for the rescue dogs, whilst in the 17 – 25 years old category, Daisy Hoole rewarded for her tireless hard work volunteering at C.A.N.D.I Youth Space. In the groups section, The George in Newnham was recognised as the New Voluntary Group of the Year for reopening the former café as a vibrant community space. Next up, was Sedbury Space who picked up the Grassroots Voluntary Group award in recognition of the fantastic efforts of the community to create a thriving, inclusive, welcoming hub. Fire safety education organisation SkillZONE was awarded the Community Organisation award for their responsive work with young people in the Forest, and a team of volunteers from EDF Energy picked up the Business in the Community Award for helping out at Camphill Village Trust in Lydney. Forest of Dean Dementia Action Alliance (FDDAA) sponsored the launch of a new Inclusion Award, with Cinderford Bowls Club scooping the top spot for making changes to the game and their grounds to make bowls accessible for everyone to enjoy. Our Volunteering Manager Deb Cook said “So much of what happens within our community is because of people who give their time and energy for free. We think that recognising the amazing efforts of volunteers and organisations is incredibly important which is why we have been so pleased by the reaction of the local people who have supported these awards by nominating and voting.” Deb added, “It has been an incredible evening and we are so lucky and proud of the strength of the amazing voluntary sector we have in the Forest.” Master of Ceremony for the Forest Volunteer Awards was Steve Knibbs, BBC Points West reporter who kept the guests entertained with his expert hosting skills. Award winners were announced by guest presenters; Mark Topping( Leader of Forest of Dean District Council), Emma Snell (Go Volunteer Glos), Penny Hulbert (FVAF Chair of Trustees), Jonathan Lane (Cabinet Member for Economy at FODDC), Kirsty Downie (John Lewis Partnership & Waitrose - Monmouth), and Andrea Harman (Ecophon). The celebration evening was made possible thanks to generous sponsorship for the following local organisations: KW Bell Group and AccXel Training Centre – main sponsors Ecophon Simplicity in Business Steve Gooch Estate Agents Waitrose & Partners (Monmouth Store) FOREST VOLUNTEER AWARD WINNERS 2023: Volunteer of the Year – Peoples’ Champion WINNER: Jando Greco – St Stephens Church, Cinderford Highly Commended: Chris Brain (Broadwell Football Club), Melanie Getgood (Friends of Worcester Walk), Edna Husbands (Lydcare Community Transport), Barbara Jenkins (Over 60’s Group at Berryhill Memorial Hut), Albert Weager (community representative & advocate for better healthcare) and Dave Young (Forest Sensory Services and Samaritans). New Voluntary Group of the Year WINNER: The George, Newnham Highly Commended: Lydney Army Cadets Young Volunteer of the Year 16yrs & under WINNER: Ebony Powell – Forest of Dean Dog Rescue Highly Commended: Evie Harris - community volunteer and Teens in Crisis fundraiser Young Volunteer of the Year 17 – 25yrs WINNER: Daisy Hoole – C.A.N.D.I Youth Space Highly Commended: Leanne Hendrix – Coleford Youth Club Grassroots Voluntary Group of the Year WINNER: Sedbury Space Highly Commended: Forest Community Shed Community Organisation of the Year WINNER: SkillZone Highly Commended: Forest of Dean District Scouts Business in the Community Award WINNER: EDF Energy Highly Commended: The Rising Sun Community Pub FoD Dementia Action Alliance Inclusion Award WINNER: Cinderford Bowls Club Highly Commended: Artspace Cinderford END For media enquires contact communications@fvaf.org.uk or 01594 822073.