B.R.A.N.C.H. (Befriending, Recovery, Aid, Nurturing, Community, Health) are a group of people primarily made up of people accessing community mental health services.
Based at Mardy Park in Abergavenny, BRANCH come together at the centre each week to engage in social and therapeutic activity centred around community growing, woodwork and art/painting to promote well being, aid recovery and engage those that would usually struggle to engage within the community.
The project was started up by myself initially and literally started with nothing! unable to access funding due to the project being initiated by a member of Aneurin Bevan Health Board (a constituted charity - branch are not constituted) all funding comes from the group fund raising themselves. With the restrictions of once a week, patient confidentiality and remaining professional at all times this can be quite difficult!
The team have worked have tirelessly at Mardy Park for the past two years developing sites for poly tunnels, fruit and vegetable growing, making raised beds and sheds/beach huts for therapeutic use. We have just installed a beach hut/shed for disabled access too!
We are grateful for mardy park for allowing us access to the grounds and have been asked to help maintain the grounds, in turn BRANCH seem to have made a huge impact on the centre as a whole, so much so that BRANCH now supports other members of the community and volunteers to stay well through contributing to the approach.
We are forever expanding and welcome all volunteers and also are able to offer some basic training and knowledge along with experience to gain, however unfortunately our pot of money is not forever expanding and we really could use your help to keep us going.
We need supplies of gloves, hats, fleeces, wood, paint, plants, seeds, bedding and tools! All money raised through our Just Giving page will help to provide all of these things and anything else needed to help sustain the provision for the future.