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.
Y GRYMOEDD SY'N LLUNIO EIN CYMUNEDAU
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
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.

The Big Skill, coming to a community near you!
Each year, we continue to offer friendly
Craft and Chat sessions both in person and over Zoom to lift your spirits. Helping you to make new connections and revive friendships, through sharing our crafts together.
Each Craft and Chat session will feature one of your favourite Big Skill Tutors, who will teach you new skills whilst having fun, with plenty of time for a chat and sharing our top crafting tips. Click the link in blue to find the page listing their courses and kits.
Join In - either at one of our lovely community venues, or from the comfort of your home...
With workshops such as; Hand embroidery with Ginn, Acrylic paint techniques with Karen of The WelshHat, Organza flowers with Katey's Crafts, Kids Kitchen cook along with Kate, rag-rug flower brooches and coil basked making with Bridget of Bridget's ScrapBag, needlefelted animals with Emma of FfolkyFfelt, foraging with Adele Nozedar, printmaking with Rachel Cadman, willow weaving with Sarah Adby, plus more sessions to be announced!
To book your place (we have both paid and free sessions depending on our funding or donations), please click on the workshop you wish to take part in on the events page here
In May 2021, we were delighted to have Rosie Ramsey join Bridget for a Craft and Chat session. Rosie discovered how to upcycle an old t-shirt into a tote bag. You'll find Rosie's video on our About Page.


Cous-Cous Volcanos




Craft Sessions across Wales and Herefordshire
During the pandemic we ran live workshops alongside giving free craft kits, cooking recipes and ingredients, and for those who were unable to make it to local community centres, we provided video tutorials and zoom lessons. Helping people work through the effects of lockdowns and the pandemic that you, your family and the local community may have felt.
For more information (including how you can share your community, crafts and cooking skills)
Contact Emma Bevan, Events Coordinator
(Thank you to our generous sponsors for helping us run subsidised workshops!)
February Photo Challenge Gallery
Lots of folks in 2020 joined in with Emma's Facebook 'challenge', posting photos of what they notice while out and about, or while taking daily exercise outdoors. Then sharing their snaps with us at The Big Skill on facebook or instagram.
Taking notice of little things happening around us has been proven to lift our mood, by bringing us closer to the wonders of nature.
All of our February Challenge photos were brought together in an exhibition at the Big Skill Midsummer Crafts Festival in June 2021... you can enjoy them here...




The Big Skill Cook-In
During Adult Learners Week 2020 we held 4 Cook-in sessions, hosted by the Bleddfa Centre in Mid-Wales. Two in-person sessions (with social distancing) and two online on Zoom.
On Monday, Lizzy of Pippin and Gile led participants in making Blackberry and Apple butter from local fruit, outside in the courtyard at The Barn. The autumn weather stayed fine for the session, which produced a good crop of jars of preserves for participants to take home.
On Tuesday, Kate Alman, Herefordshire co-ordinator for Kids Kitchen, ran a session creating Savoury and Sweet Tarts for us over Zoom. Kids Kitchen run free, weekly Tuesday sessions online for parents and children to cook together. They also offer CPD accredited training for adults and parents (or grandparents!) who wish to cook along with their own children. Kate's next online Kids Kitchen course starts soon.
On Wednesday, we got together with Adele from Brecon Beacons Foraging to Rumble for Crumble in the Bleddfa orchards. Scrumping for apples and blackberries was followed by a cooking demonstration and tasting in the Barn. Participants took away a bag of freshly foraged ingredients, plus a recipe sheet, to try out their new skills at home.
On Thursday, Louise and Sue of The Woodee firepit company in Herefordshire joined us over Zoom. Louise showed us how to safely light the Woodee firepit with local sustainable firewood and flamers. While Sue demonstrated cooking a meal outdoors using a Woodee. Chicken stir fry with vegetables, followed by Baked apple and blackberry parcels. Our session was topped off with tips on using a Dutch Oven in the fire, prompted by a question from course attendees.
Altogether, a delicious week of Autumn courses and recipes, created by local tutors and participants, from seasonal produce.

Describe your image

Two ladies making fruit butter outdoors at a table.

Cooking on a Woodee Fire Pit.

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Events Co-ordinator Emma Bevan says Thank You to Community Foundation Wales for supporting The Big Skill during lockdown and beyond.
English Video (with captions)
Fideo Cymraeg (no captions)
Welsh Translation by Brychan Jones
Audio and Titles by Fitz Audio

