Fantastic news that Hafal has been awarded £199,907 from the Big Lottery. The money will be spent on supporting our new Tŷ Adferiad Centre in Porthmadog to provide a unique service to people with serious mental illness from all parts of Wales, giving them an opportunity to step back from their lives, review their recovery goals and take part in motivational activities.
The grant means that people from across Wales will have the opportunity to spend a few days in a beautiful part of the country where their time will be split between developing their plans for recovery and getting out to undertake challenging activities in Snowdonia and the Llyn Peninsula.
This is right "on mission" for Hafal, fulfilling a particular ambition of our Trustees to extend the opportunity to make use of our recovery programme to many more people. The Centre's doors will open at exactly the right time - as the new Measure comes into force from next year we will be able to support people with a serious mental illness to get maximum value out of their new legal right to a care and treatment plan.
The project was developed through listening carefully to patients who flagged up the value of getting away from the distraction of day-to-day routines in order to take a good look at life plans and sort out how to move forward with the right balance of ambition and realism. Hmm: I think I'll book my place now...
Postscript:
Talking of life plans I'm doing a lot of reading at the moment as my cough keeps me up at night. I recommend The Complete Essays of Michel de Montaigne which, though dating from the 16th C, are earthy, modern, and often very funny. They are also immensely soothing as he explores practical ways to get through life which allow for weakness and irresolution and (most untypical for a French philosopher) he doesn't claim to have all the answers.
