Big Skill cic – Caring for The Past, The Present, The Future

 

Big Skill is all about finding a way to help people manage changes in a spirit of reciprosity, enabling participants to come together, post-covid, in accessible, coffee & chat sessions, at local communities centres & outdoors, where everyone’s abilities & contributions are valued. Big Skill’s motivation is in Community Building, everyone needs to feel, or learn to realise that, they have something to offer in order to truly engage. Our Workshops revolve around skill sharing, exchanging ideas & support between everyone: teachers, learners & our host organisations or venues alike. This is how a thriving community functions. Everything is made available to everyone. We work with the often vulnerable in our society: those with disabilities, people with mental health, the lonely & isolated - boosting well-being & promoting positive interaction, as well as environmental understanding through recycling skills & traditional crafts. We have a team of skilled, experienced, adaptable practitioners who provide accessible, hands-on craft & rural skills activities.

Nod Big Skill yw dod o hyd i ffordd i helpu pobl i reoli newidiadau mewn ffordd a fydd yn fuddiol i bawb, gan alluogi cyfranogwyr i ddod at ei gilydd, ar ôl covid, mewn sesiynau coffi a sgwrsio hygyrch yn rhad ac am ddim, mewn canolfannau cymunedol lleol a’r awyr agored, lle gwerthfawrogir gallu a chyfraniadau pawb.  Cymhelliant Big Skill yw Adeiladu Cymunedol, mae angen i bawb deimlo, neu ddysgu sylweddoli, bod ganddynt rywbeth i'w gynnig er mwyn ymgysylltu gwirioneddol. Mae ein Gweithdai yn seiliedig ar rannu sgiliau, cyfnewid syniadau a chefnogi ein gilydd: gan gynnwys athrawon, dysgwyr a'n sefydliadau neu leoliadau. Dyma sut mae cymuned lewyrchus yn gweithio. Mae popeth ar gael am ddim i'n cyfranogwyr ac felly maent yn agored i bawb. Rydym yn gweithio gyda'r rhai sy'n aml yn agored i niwed o fewn ein cymdeithas: pobl ag anableddau, pobl ag iechyd meddwl, pobl sy’n unig ac ynysig. Mae hyn yn hybu lles ac yn hyrwyddo rhyngweithio cadarnhaol, yn ogystal â dealltwriaeth amgylcheddol trwy sgiliau ailgylchu a chrefftau traddodiadol. Mae tîm o ymarferwyr medrus, profiadol, hyblyg gyda ni sy'n darparu gweithgareddau crefft a sgiliau gwledig hygyrch, ymarferol.

The Landscapes, The Environment, The Industries, The Workers, The Community, are just some of The Forces That Shape Our Communities, not only in the past, but now & in the future.

The Swansea Valley & the area surrounding the Craig-Y-Nos, country park, was based on farming & industry; carving out the landscape we see today, transforming the communities who live & work there. Recent events, such as increase in tourism, Covid, climate change, furloughing, working from home, have transformed todays working environment, as well as resulting in mental health, work & community issues.

The Forces That Shape Our Communities is a 3 year Heritage Funded project based at Craig-y-Nos & the Swansea Valley, looking at old industrial work places, & the history of the workers’ home lives & work conditions; the skills they had, the materials & plants they used, the effect their work had on the landscape. ​This project aims to support & encourage the reopening/development of community projects & centres, enrich the tourist experience by developing genuine engagement with the landscape, enable individuals to think creatively & acquire skills & qualifications.

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  Y GRYMOEDD SY'N LLUNIO EIN CYMUNEDAU

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Mae'r Tirweddau, yr Amgylchedd, y Diwydiannau, y Gweithwyr, y Gymuned, yn rhai o'r Grymoedd Sy'n Llunio Ein Cymunedau, nid yn unig yn y gorffennol, ond ar hyn  o bryd ac yn y dyfodol.

Roedd Cwm Tawe a'r ardal o gwmpas Parc Gwledig Craig-y-nos, yn seiliedig ar ffermio a diwydiant; gan gerfio’r dirwedd a welwn heddiw, trawsnewid y cymunedau sy’n byw ac yn gweithio yno. Mae digwyddiadau diweddar, megis cynnydd mewn twristiaeth, Covid, newid hinsawdd, ffyrlo, gweithio  gartref, wedi trawsnewid amgylchedd gwaith heddiw, yn ogystal ag arwain at faterion iechyd meddwl, gwaith a chymunedol.

Mae’r Grymoedd Sy’n Llunio Ein Cymunedau yn brosiect 3 blynedd a ariennir gan Heritage yng Nghraig-y-nos a Chwm Tawe, sy’n edrych ar hen weithleoedd diwydiannol, a hanes bywyd cartref ac amodau gwaith y gweithwyr; y sgiliau oedd ganddynt, y deunyddiau a'r planhigion a ddefnyddiwyd ganddynt, yr effaith a gafodd eu gwaith ar y dirwedd. Nod y prosiect hwn yw cefnogi ac annog ail-agor/datblygu prosiectau a chanolfannau cymunedol, cyfoethogi'r profiad twristiaid trwy ddatblygu ymgysylltiad gwirioneddol â'r dirwedd, galluogi unigolion i feddwl yn greadigol ac ennill sgiliau a chymwysterau.

 

PROJECT LIST February 2021 – November 2022

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Connecting Communities with Creative Crafts: Ashley Family Foundation 16 zoom workshops with kits

Connect & Craft & Chat: Free online sessions funded by Community Foundation Wales

Accessible Craft Group: HCF funded workshops at Jubilee Hall

Remember & Rebuild memorial: National Lottery Community Funded, (with help from CFW/Welsh Water, Rotary, Local Giving) at Saxon Hall

Come Together Gardening Group: Local Connection Funded (with help from Tesco)

Camera On The Community: HCF Nets funding

The Forces That Shape Our Communities, Heritage project at Craig-y-Nos. This 3 year Heritage Funded project based at the Craig-y-Nos country park providing workshops, walks, heritage projects, environmental schemes, training opportunities.

Beacons & Surround Crafts Week 18th – 26th June 2022. This is the first year of this BBNPA Sustainable Development Fund event, taking place at venues in and around the Brecon Beacons. Leading up to the event between March & June we are running 30 workshops at different locations.

Workshops for Carers in Monmouthshire. These took place at Abergavenny & Monmouth.

Crafts, Chat & Share: Funding by HCF/HCC provided workshops, zoom sessions, accredited course, 80 craft kits.

Waste-less Gardening, Cooking. & Workshops in Herefordshire. Weekly gardening & cooking sessions at Saxon Hall, Hereford.  Free veg plots, Herefordshire Carers using new polytunnel & providing accredited gardening courses.

ABCDE Activities Bringing Creativity & Developing Enjoyment for 0-5s in Powys. Our workshops are for all ages from the very young to the very old. They are designed to be fun, creative and a social as well as a learning experience.

Remember & Rebuild – Autumn Leaves & Spring Shoots – Opening up creativity at various centres with indoor & outdoor workshops, & accredited courses.

Make Do & Mend – clothes, books, & toys swop; Proud to Patch, Boro & recycling workshops. 5 sessions of 2 crafters at Saxon Hall from 5th Apr

Fundraising day for Ukrainian Refugees: funded by Herefordshire Quakers

Care & Share - a working partnership: -Applied gardening skills & macrame courses, Jubilee Hall & Saxon Hall

Dig Those Workshops, Craft & Chat, Share Your Flare: – Embroidery, Make Do & Mend; Recycled Waste into Crafts, Willow Workshops, Applied Gardening Skills. Saxon Hall & Jubilee Hall.

Places That Work – Crafts, Chat & Reciprocity: Accredited Courses at Ystradgynlais, Brecon, Aberdare, Craig-y-Nos.