Building Skills, Building Community
For Adult Learning Week, we are shining a spotlight on the transformative power of part-time courses at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai. The students from Woodworking for Wellbeing at Porthi Dre, Caernarfon, show how learning a new skill can be life changing.
The welcoming atmosphere of the Woodworking for Wellbeing workshop, with opportunities to work on restoration projects, gave one group of learners not only the chance to learn new skills but also helped them improve their wellbeing and extend their social networks within and outside of the course.
When talking about their experiences on the course, the words that cropped up time again were “confidence”, “included” and “supportive”’.
In the space of three months, Patrick went from finding it difficult to leave his house to not only developing new skills in woodworking but also joining a cooking course and undertaking more volunteering. Patrick commented: “It’s been a really difficult time for me, and attending these sessions and doing volunteering has helped me to get through it. I feel more confident and am happy to be able to help other people.”
The tutors tailor the sessions for each individual so that they can learn at their own pace but also have opportunities to challenge themselves. Alwyn was spending much of his time alone at home after developing epilepsy almost a year ago, and thought he would no longer be able to enjoy doing things outside.
Adapting the pace for Alwyn’s concentration and energy, along with additional breaks when needed, made sure he soon became an important member of the group, taking on more demanding tasks and offering to help others. “This group has helped me to feel included again,” he said.
The course helped Evan realise that he can still participate in meaningful activities and work following a cardiac arrest and subsequent stroke, which affected his vision. Following months of isolation, Evan was initially anxious about attending the sessions but is now a regular at the group and even advises and supports his fellow students. “The thing I am most proud of is being part of a friendly group that helps and supports each other,” he said. “By restoring old furniture and benches, I feel I am giving them a new lease of life,” added Evan.
Learning as an adult can also open doors to new ventures. Tina joined Woodworking for Wellbeing following a long period of rehabilitation after a brain injury. After initially finding being with unfamiliar people challenging, Tina has now completed numerous restoration and construction projects and has blossomed into a valued and confident member of the group.
With no prior experience in the subject, woodworking has now become Tina’s passion and integral to her wellbeing. She now uses her woodcraft talents to create useful items for herself and friends and family.
For Jac, the confidence he gained from attending the course enabled him to start applying for paid work and he’s now secured his first job interview. Jac has a mobility impairment, but the accessible seated workspace meant he could participate in each of the projects.
The experiences of our Woodworking students demonstrates that adult learning at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai offers not just new skills and pathways into employment or career changes, but also a ready-built community of like-minded people where you can build connections.
If you are interested in starting your own story with us and taking one of our part-time courses, visit the website to see the huge variety of subjects available: https://www.gllm.ac.uk/course-type/adult-learners-part-time
There’s something for everyone at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and why not try something different…you never know where it may take you!
