Our first speaker in May was Kristina Spindler of the Outward-Bound Trust, which was founded in 1941 by Kurt Hohm, who had founded Gordonstoun School earlier. The Trust is currently the largest outdoor education charity in the country and 85% of the children it accommodates at one of its seven centres are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Its aim is to empower young people and they can take over 25,000 children each year. However, last year they could only take 14,000 due to Covid restrictions. The Trust requires £5 million annually to continue and raises a lot of this from charity events. Kristina mentioned that, at present, there is a large gender gap in instructors and therefore they are presently running a dedicated Women’s outdoor leadership course. She said what a positive effect the courses had on youngsters and that they sometimes changed their attitudes quite substantially.

Beverley and Kelly, Fundraisers from Ty Gobaith Hospice joined us at our Zoom meeting in April and updated us on how they are coping during the Covid pandemic. Tŷ Gobaith is just outside Conwy with stunning views across the estuary. It offers peace and tranquillity to the children and families who visit and is sensitive to the needs of the local population, many of whom speak Welsh as a first language. There are four children’s bedrooms and three parents/family rooms. There is a multi-sensory room, young adult lounge, playroom, therapy room, kitchen and dining room and a parents’ lounge. The Snowflake suite enables families to stay close to their child after they have died and before the funeral. Amazingly, they have managed to remain open to provide support and counselling for families requiring their services. It has been a very challenging time financially for them

Kristoffer Hughes, Chief Druid of Anglesey, gave a Zoom talk about the history of Anglesey Druids. Ynys Môn’s association with the Druids and Druidism suggests a deeper magic to the island. Giraldus Cambrensis writing in 1188 recorded the phrase Môn mam Kembre, familiar today as Môn Mother of Wales, owing to the fertility of the island and her pseudonym as the bread basket of Wales. Later local lore developed the additional phrase “Grandmother of the world”; perhaps in relation to the vast influence of her Priests throughout the Neolithic and Iron Age periods. In Celtic society women and men would fight as equals, but it seems apparent that on Môn the women actively chose to be the first line of defence perhaps expressing Môn’s reputation as an island of the Goddess. Anglesey has one of the largest concentrations of ancient sacred sites per square mile

Eleri Ellis and Debra Jones, Complaints Advocates, North Wales Community Health Council were our guest speakers at our Zoom meeting on 2 March.  There are times we all need help to speak up about concerns/complaints if we – patients, carers, relatives – feel let down by our local health board or social care service. It can be difficult to know who or where to turn to or what to do. We may not always feel confident about getting in touch with the local health authority or hospital; or know who to contact; or the right questions to ask, or what exactly we want to say or how to say it. The Advocacy Service can help raise those concerns/complaints through its role in providing a free, independent, confidential, non-legal, client-led service. They are able to help patients or their representative in making a complaint under the

Catrin Jones Acting Chief Officer of Carer’s Outreach gave a talk about the valuable work they do.  It started here in 1991 to provide support for unpaid carers over 18 years of age covering Anglesey, Gwynedd and Conwy. Currently over 4,000 carers are supported. Informal carers can suffer from ill health, depression, social isolation, financial issues and tend to ignore their own well-being. Whilst carers can make contact witrh them via phone, email and social media, very many come via professional referral such as social services and GPs. Lockdown has affected many of their services but the parents and the mental health Zoom groups are very popular. Counselling, respite grants, emotional support, bereavement services,  housing and other benefits are just some of what they help with. It is funded mainly by the Health Board and the Local authorities. They have 20 volunteers at the moment

Kirsty Thomson, Head of fundraising at Awyr Las North Wales NHS Charity spoke about what is done with the money the charity receives. Kirsty was well qualified for her position having worked for a variety of local and national charities and is a trustee for ‘NHS Charities together’ the umbrella organisation that distributes money raised by Captain Tom and all the other fund raisers throughout the UK. Awyr Las covers around 444 different funds, 40% are for cancer related projects.  Individual project managers from those specific departments are responsible for the usage of this money.  It is very impressive to see how much the public contributes towards Awyr Las.  Legacies are also accepted. Kirsty acknowledged the support the club had provided to various Ysbyty Gwynedd funds over the years and the current Dementia services. She enthusiastically shared the activity that had been undertaken in response