* * Due to other commitments, this project is temporarily suspended * *
Who are Street Buddies?
We are a group of community members committed to making positive changes in our local community, join us and make a difference!
Why do we need Street Buddies?
You may or may not know it but there are many things going on in your community, such as events, clubs, coffee mornings, hobby groups, walks, talks, trips and sport clubs. These take place in various venues such as sheltered accommodation, cafes, industrial units, community halls, church halls are just some examples. There are services out there that you, a family member or friend can benefit from that you don’t even know about. This is where a street buddy can help. By becoming a street buddy you can help:-
- people in their community
- increase awareness and use of local services
- increase confidence in residents finding solutions to their needs
- reduce isolation and increase well-being amongst individuals
- promote a joined up approach between service providers
- provide a more equal and resilient community for residents
Interested in becoming a Street Buddy, but what is in it for you?
A street buddy role can fit around your own schedule and interests. For example if you are passionate about the environment, you could focus the role around that. Or you may want to put on an event in your area – the street buddy role and network can help you with that. Whatever your interest is, there is an opportunity to tailor your role around that. By joining you can
- Learn new skills
- Make new friends
- Earn Time Credits
- Join a group
- Induction and ongoing training
- Help to make a difference
- Increase you confidence
- Enjoy a better quality of life
For a broader understanding, click here to view the Street Buddies Volunteer Agreement and/or contact Darren Rees on 01554 774103 or [email protected]. To register your interest complete the form online here.
When and where do we meet?
The Street Buddies Network meet once a month on the second Wednesday of the month at 10am at Felinfoel Community Resource Centre. These meetings are open to all and are an excellent opportunity to learn about what is on offer from various services in your community. If you would like to promote your own organisation, please get in touch (details above). Turn Up. Take Part. Join the Network. Time Credits are offered to all volunteers that attend the Network meetings.
Next meeting…
The next Street Buddy Network meeting takes place on Wednesday 11th March, 2020 at 10am.
On the agenda: Hate Crime Victim Support and Actif Sir Gar
Venue: Felinfoel Community Resource Centre, Felinfoel Recreation Ground, off Ynyswen Road, Felinfoel, Llanelli, SA14 8BE.
Previously…
At the February meeting we had representatives from Public Health Wales discussing Health Screening and Hywel Dda University Health Board, who in line with their Healthier and Mid West Wales Strategy, conducted a Health and Well-being in Your Community workshop. We also heard about the new Tools Shed project as well as ways to involve Street Buddies in an upcoming Llanelli Community Emergency planning exercise on community response to flooding.
We had St John Ambulance provide the Street Buddies with First Aid training at January’s meeting. The training was relaxed and informative, and the 2 hours went by quickly. The talk covered basic life support elements and there was some practical demonstrations also. It is one of St John Ambulance’s missions to have a first aider on every street in Wales – this where Street Buddies can help! We will likely have another session later on in the year with a focus on first aid for infants and children.
2019
At the November meeting we had representation from CUSP (Carmarthenshire United Support Project) who provide social welfare advice and information. CUSP is supported by, and is a partnership between, The British Red Cross and various local third sector organisations. CUSP is a project aimed at coordinating support for people living in Carmarthenshire who are over 18 years old and not receiving care on a regular basis. The objective is to enable them to build confidence and maintain or develop their independence. To find out more about the CUSP project click here
During the September meeting the Street Buddies were introduced to Dementia Friends and Kerbcraft. Dementia Friends is an Alzheimer’s Society led initiative which aims to increase dementia awareness and change the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about dementia. The session covered the various types of dementia, how it affects the brain and how memory can be affected. To find out more about Dementia Friends click here.
Kerbcraft is a national road safety scheme, funded by the Welsh Government and delivered by Carmarthenshire County Council. It aims to teach children from age 5-7 how to be safer pedestrians by taking them on the real roadside and showing them how correct decision-making and behaviour can really help them to stay safe. Kerbcraft are currently on the lookout for volunteers. You can find out more if you click here.
We had People Speak Up with us for the July meeting. People Speak Up, based at Ffwrness Fach at Ffwrness Theatre are a social arts and well-being enterprise who connect communities through storytelling, spoken word, creative writing and participatory arts. They run a number of fantastic projects in the community and will be explaining more on what they can offer, such as workshops, training, events, volunteering and conversations. You can view a short video that focuses on one of their projects, that tackles loneliness and isolation through storytelling, by clicking here.
Thank you to Brian Mogford from Pride in Your Patch for attending and giving an overview of the project at the June meeting. Brian discussed the work the project has achieved in local communities across Carmarthenshire in regards to keeping it clean. Future plans will look to create litter pick ‘hubs’ in different areas. A Street Buddies litter picking group will be on the agenda for sure.
At the May meeting, Marc Davies discussed the volunteering options with Digital Communities Wales. He informed the Street Buddies of how they are going about getting more people online and the tools available for volunteers to help others. Digital Communities Wales works nationwide and they have trained over 3,000 volunteers in Wales to date. To find out more click here
At the April meeting, Sue Smith gave a talk on Carmarthenshire Is Kind and Dewis Cymru. Carmarthenshire is Kind is aiming to promote kindness within local communities in Carmarthenshire. In particular it aims to help support and intervene with those individuals who are lonely and socially isolated. It also aims to create more local community provision based on the needs of the community. Dewis Cymru is a website that aims to help people with their well-being. It’s the place to go for people who want information or advice about well-being – whether that’s their own well-being or the well-being of a family member or friend. View their leaflet here