As 2022 comes to a close, Folk Features asks people to reflect on this year – and to share their hopes for the next one
Breanne Cook is the owner of The Pied Wagtail, a meaningful gift shop in Holt, Norfolk. She is also a self esteem and resilience coach and mindful photographer
As the year comes to an end, The Pied Wagtail has been open for 10 months. It’s been a wonderful 10 months in Holt. Holiday makers and locals have been incredibly supportive and friendly.
I’ve loved meeting so many people and it’s been amazing having so many meaningful conversations with people about what the shop is and what the principles and values of the shop are. People have been very curious and are recognising the shop as a positivity shop or being mental health oriented and somewhere to go to buy a gift for someone going through a hard time. It’s been wonderful that people have been so accepting of something a little different in the area.
The Pied Wagtail is looking forward to the New Year and there are lots of plans in place as the business expands. In the last few months of this year, I have qualified as a Coach and as a Mindful Photography tutor. Self-esteem and resilience coaching is available and has had a soft launch but expect it to have a larger presence next year. Also launched next year will be my five-week mindful photography course. The specific mindful photography methodology I have been trained in has been researched and proven to increase capacity for resilience and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. These courses are something I am very excited to launch. You can expect to see the first one launching in the Spring.
Rhi Tims is the founder of RRT Coaching, Health & Wellness Coach for Parents
2022 has been a year of reconnecting with what’s important and aligning with the core values I want to live life by. Adjusting to life as a parent has been the main challenge this year, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I am excited to see a new year on the horizon because sometimes we just need a fresh start and a new focus, and that is exactly how I’m going to approach 2023. My hope for next year is to take ‘RRT Coaching’ to the next level and help women from all over the world feel unstoppable – both mentally and physically!
Sarah McPherson is the founder of Miniature Donkeys for Wellbeing, based in South Norfolk and operating across Norfolk, Suffolk, East Cambridgeshire and North Essex
It has been a busy, busy year for us with requests for visits coming in thick and fast, and more demand than we have been able to meet.
There have still been a lot of Covid cancellations, which we understand, the care homes we visit must keep their residents safe first and foremost. And then, the weather has been so extreme, something we have had to juggle too.
Temperatures of 30 degrees and over in the summer caused some unexpected cancellations. And now, freezing conditions mean we’re lugging warm water to the yard three times a day, because our donkeys won’t drink cold water.
The end of the year is one of the most joyful times for us. Taking the donkeys out to festive visits has been so special, as we see them light up faces, the response they get is very touching.
Being able to get out and visit people again this year, we have made so many new friends, reacquainted with old ones and we remember those who are no longer with us, of course.
Here’s to 2023 being a happy and healthy one for all our hardworking and caring team, both our two legged and four legged friends.
My wishes and hopes for the year ahead are that we see big improvements in funding for our social and health care systems, and we’d also like to make as many magical Minidonk moments as we can.
Minnie Moll is the Chief Executive of the Design Council
My hope for next year is that the ground swell of people power forces governments and businesses to take more immediate action to address the climate crisis.
The Design Council’s Design for Planet Festival will be at UEA in Norwich in October. I’m excited to bring lots of design thought leaders and opinion formers to experience Norwich.
I also hope that we spend more time together. I know how good it feels to have my slippers on during Zoom calls. But I also know how much energy is passed between human beings when they meet in person, bounce ideas and inspire each other. Human connection makes us feel heard and understood and brings a sense of belonging. We need that.
Helen Oldfield is the Director of Affinity PR and Affinity PR Coaching, based in Suffolk
This year has been a surprisingly positive one for me, in that a serious health diagnosis this time last year has turned out not to be the “downer” and life changer I had feared, and my partner got back into work after being laid off during the pandemic. Generally, life has been good to us. After wondering if I’d ever work again beyond 2020 and if my business would build up again, I finally got to do lots more of the arts and culture PR work I love most – through which I attended multiple brilliant live events and festivals (Neurodelicious, SPILL and Primadonna among my favourites).
At every year-end I prefer to have “hopes” rather than dreams, because then it feels there’s a good chance of them happening. It motivates me to have a go or to keep on trying, even if it’s against the odds. At the risk of sounding all “Gandhi” (!), top of my list is a hope that everyone gets a fairer slice of life’s cake in 2023, and that this cost-of-living emergency is finally stamped out for good. I’d love to never again have to write another campaign plan or a case study about hardship. If I never needed to organise another sad media interview about the local impact of people experiencing poverty, I’d feel very relieved.
Looking ahead on a more personal level, my fingers are crossed for continued good health for all in my clan, plus I’m counting the months until a long-awaited trip to the Scottish Highlands, for some blissful solitude in the great outdoors.
Clive Evans, CEO of Sue Lambert Trust, the leading charity in Norfolk for supporting people who have experienced sexual abuse and sexual violence
This year has brought us many successes. We’ve received National Lottery funding to continue with our work in Great Yarmouth; since January last year we assisted 572 individuals with therapy and practical support, launched a new website and spoke out, when necessary, about issues that matter to the people we work with.
But as ever, our highs are tinged with slight sadness. We’ve continued to experience an increase in demand, with new calls coming in daily. We wish we didn’t need to exist. The fact is we are needed more than ever.
There are many contributing factors, of course. As a society, we talk more openly and directly about sexual violence and sexual abuse. Shedding the stigma and having these conversations means people can feel, finally, ready to talk and get help.
Then, we have our mental health services, in tatters. Leaving people to deal with their ill health without support. Often, they turn to us.
My hope for 2023 is that we get serious about our politics again. We all deserve some stability and common sense to see a way forward. And that our mental health services greatly improve, fast.
I also hope to recruit many more Sue Lambert Trust counsellors to build our capacity, so that anyone who has suffered sexual abuse can get access to the support they deserve, immediately. We are a way off; but we want to get there.
To end on a personal note, my abiding memory of 2023 will be seeing Diana Ross live in concert in Cambridge. A show I’ll never forget.
Angie Lee-Foster is Producer: Arts, Health & Wellbeing at Britten Pears Arts, based at Snape Maltings, Suffolk
It’s been a busy year for Arts Health and Wellbeing work at Britten Pears Arts. We ran three ThinkTanks – these are events which bring together researchers, practitioners, campaigners, policy makers and those with lived experience to explore a topic in depth and ways to develop practice or research. This year we ran ThinkTanks on Young Musicians Health and Wellbeing, Coproduction and the Future of Music in Criminal Justice Settings. The outcomes of which can all be found on our website. We also ran a ThinkTank reflections event to look back over the last three years and examine the impact of these events and strategize what is needed post Covid.
We now have a quarterly arts, health and wellbeing newsletter which keeps you up to date with ThinkTanks, MOTs – rejuvenation and re-inspiration retreats for musicians and leaders in the industry – Enquiry Residencies (interdisciplinary weeklong residencies) and our work with academic and other partners including – Sing to Beat Parkinsons, Cambridge institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University, the Early Career Research Network at UCL and others. Do sign up to find out more.
We have exciting plans for 2023 and beyond with one day ‘Spark’ events to stimulate and broaden conversations on key arts, health and wellbeing topics. Do get in touch if you would like to know more about our work as well as our wider work in the community.
Claire Cullens is the Chief Executive of Norfolk Community Foundation
2022 has been an incredibly busy year for the Community Foundation as we work with partners to tackle the issues our Norfolk communities are facing. Looking at just some of our programmes this year, I am overwhelmed by what has been achieved and similarly daunted by the scale of some of problems we need to tackle together.
- More than 12,000 households are regularly relying on buying affordable food from one of the 12 food hubs we have opened as part of our Nourishing Norfolk programme in 2022.
- Working with local front-line charities, we have delivered emergency funding to over 23,000 households in need.
- We have opened nearly 140 Community hotspots in the last few weeks, giving people a place to go for warmth and support in what is a very hostile winter.
We know that 2023 will present the same challenges and more. I hope that we can continue to work with Norfolk people who always seem to step up and help those people on their doorstep who need a helping hand.
Daisy Lees is the Co-Director of Community Hub Ipswich CIC (CHIp)
It’s been a busy year for Art Eat and Community Hub Ipswich CIC. CHIp opened its doors for the first time in the beautiful Tudor building at 47 St Nicholas Street in March 2022, we took part in the Welcome Back Ipswich Weekend which was an extraordinary event with arts and creative activities across the town. CHIp hosted an Open Mic; we had a full house all evening with fantastic music and street performance including stilt walkers and a LED-light dancer. Since March the hub has been open every day, Monday-Saturday, 10-4pm, completely run by volunteers and making space in Ipswich town centre for local people to trade from as well as instigate and lead creative workshops almost every day of the week – free for everyone and accessible for all. New events and activities are always welcome, there’s prints, crafts and art for sale as well as fresh flowers, vintage and pre-loved clothes. The space is a warm and friendly place with teas and coffees available for donations.
Art Eat enjoyed its first-time painting three murals at once on Ipswich Waterfront as well as delivering two art projects in schools and nurseries in Ipswich. Part of Hullabaloo22 Tell Your Story young people’s art programme, and thanks to funding from Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Cultural Education Partnership, we were able to deliver three murals, a Paint Jam in Stoke Bridge Skate Park with Skate Suffolk, an amazing week of community workshops leading up to a performance with East Anglia based roller-skating star and actress Dulce Duca, as well as art projects in Highfield Nursery School with Ceramist Ange Leinster and Moreland Church of England School with The Nest Project – eco artists whose favourite thing is to make out very comfy nests for smaller humans to rest in…
So, a little bit of rest is good in the winter, and that’s what I intend to do over the two weeks of Chanukah, Christmas and New Year, in order to get recharged and ready for 2023. I’m looking forward to Art Eat’s new public art and mural projects in Ipswich, Lowestoft and Colchester, working some more in Ipswich schools, and attracting more artists and makers to take part in the growing collective and sell their work in CHIp. I really hope more and more people start to buy affordable art from local creatives, take part in community initiatives and really see the amazing opportunities open to all of us in Ipswich.
Chris Elliott is the Marketing Manager for The Feed Norwich:
In July we launched our Social Supermarket providing low-cost food for those struggling to afford it. This reflects what we see all around us, with the cost of essential items rising steeply. We expected to be supporting a few hundred households but there are over 1700 using our store already. We continue to serve our delicious homemade food at our cafés (Waterloo Park, Bethel Street and Prince of Wales Road) and to event organisers through our catering business. Using these is a great way to support our work. For 2023 we envisage lots more people in Norwich will need our support. We will continue to work hard to do that.
David Robertson is the Director of JADER Ltd, a software house based near Bungay:
JADER Ltd’s year, that was, has been a bit of a tumultuous one filled with routine. To those that do not know, I am Bipolar, so routine is quite important to me. If I step out of my routine to “explore” the vortex I am in can become quite unwieldy. So, I have progressed in no small way the project I have been working on for nearly two years (more in previous incarnations): an accountancy software offering. I have set up a new company (Buku Platform Ltd) to manage the project – this is one high hope for 2023, and onwards.
Alex Howarth Yoga, organiser of this year’s inaugural Norwich Yoga Festival
The Norwich Yoga Festival truly was an incredible day. And it was all down to the wonderful yogis that showed up, rocked their best yoga outfits, tried as many classes as they could and embraced the beautiful concepts shared by some seriously inspirational Norfolk based teachers. We’re so lucky to have a yoga community within Norwich, and it’s exciting to watch it grow. We can’t wait for next year.
Ali Jagger is the Participant Engagement Co-ordinator, Norfolk, for the Green Light Trust
The Green Light Trust has had an exciting year continuing its steadfast mission to positively transform the lives of individuals who may have been disadvantaged, suffered challenges, or been to the depths of despair through mental health or addictive behaviours. The charity believes that our woodland environments, and their commitment to nature-inspired initiatives, have been fundamental in enabling hundreds of adults and children to achieve health, hope and happiness.
In addition to the existing offering of free courses at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, Green Light Trust also launched new forest camps at both Blickling Estate and Oxburgh Hall. The charity also hosted their first Referrers Open Day Event specifically for our referral partners and agencies to experience the participant journey with us in the forest with over 50 in attendance.
Tom Brown CEO of the Green Light Trust adds: ‘2022 has seen the Green Light Trust continue to build and grow, with several new faces joining us throughout the year. Norfolk continues to increase in size and reach, and after securing a three-year lottery-funded project, starting in 2023, this team will continue to develop as we aim to deliver the breadth of services we already provide in Suffolk. Green Light Trust’s work is ground-breaking and, in many cases, we are the first people to be doing what we do. With that in mind, we hope to begin additional academic research projects in 2023 which will help showcase our work.’
For an up to date list of courses available please click here. Please note – participants can also self-refer if they would like to join us in 2023 via the website.
(Featured image: Breanne Cook, of The Pied Wagtail)
Leave a Reply