Join our Arts and Crafts group

We first met Valerie when she attended an Open day at Y Cartref.  She saw what was on offer and signed up for the Gwanwyn project.

She had an interest in Arts and Crafts but because of illness she lost her confidence and was self-critical.

Since attending Gwanwyn Valerie has made a new group of friends. She
enjoys the social aspect and stays for lunch, with her husband joining on a regular basis.

Coming to the sessions gives Valerie something to look forward to weekly and she says that it’s great to get back into creative work.

 Heulwen lives locally in the village and first learnt about the Gwanwyn project through a local advertisement. She came along to see what was on offer as she had an interest in textile work.

Being a part of the group has led her into making some spectacular pieces at home.

She feels that everyone in the group helps each other, giving guidance and sharing ideas. She had played around with textiles in the past but has since found that she has a passion for the work.

Heulwen lives alone and feels that she now has a purpose and that the group have become an extended family.

Although not so confident with painting, Marian the tutor has
given her  confidence and she is looking forward to further
developing her skills.

Through attending the group she has also become a volunteer with Age Cymru Gwynedd a Môn.

John was a member of the Caernarfon Men’s Shed and when he was informed of the Gwanwyn Club he was very eager to join up.  John didn’t have much confidence when he first attended but his skills and confidence have improved greatly.

As a child he would enjoy copying pictures but never developed it further.

Since beginning the course he has developed and thoroughly enjoys the art work and has created many paintings.

He looks forward to each session and has begun painting at home.

His family have noticed an improvement in his emotional wellbeing.

John has made new friends who encourage and support him and feels good to see others improving and to share ideas.

Iris became interested after visiting our shop and speaking to a member of staff. She visited the café at Y Cartref to introduce herself and to speak of her interest.

Since having a stroke Iris was part of a group which only ran for a short time, which left her feeling lost once it ended. She has now regained a feeling of
enjoyment and being a part of something.

She feels that she has learnt so much and everyone gives something different to the group. Although Iris is less confident than the rest of the group she feels that everyone helps her along leading her to gain confidence.

She enjoys all aspects of the work and feels very passionate about the group with her confidence growing on a weekly basis. She has become attached to the group and has friends for life.

Linda is a retired primary school teacher with a talent for art.

Since retiring from the school Linda has been wondering what she could do to give something back to the community. We were lucky at Cymru Gwynedd a Môn that she decided to volunteer for us at Y Cartref.

She took an interest in our art club and saw it as a chance to recapture her skills in art.

Linda is a talented individual who is a valuable part of the group.

Suzanne is a humorous character who is a regular member of our
activities at Y Cartref.  She also does voluntary work here.

She takes a lot of pleasure from the artwork and does excellent felting work.

In Memory of Geraint

Written when Geraint was a member of the class. It has been a great loss to our Art Club and we all feel the loss of Geraint.

Geraint was referred to the Gwanwyn Club by the Red Cross. He needed help to get out of the house after suffering with his nerves after a serious illness.

Geriant has suffered tremendously with illness but by being a part of the group he feels that Marian the tutor inspires him and gives him encouragement.

He always enjoyed painting but didn’t get round to doing it very often as he led a busy life working as a headteacher. His confidence in art work has grown with the support he has received.

At the end of project exhibition Geraint made a speech thanking everyone for the opportunity he has been given.

The support and friendship given to Geraint has been a tremendous help to him and his wife, who joins the group for lunch after each session.

We were very proud of him as one of his paintings was sold which was a huge boost for him.

A big thank you to Marian Sandham and Rhiannon Parry