This webinar explored Fuel Poverty and Renewable Energy: How can we heat our homes, reduce our costs, and live more sustainably?  The speakers at this webinar were: Delyth Higgins (Renew Wales), Joan Megson (Energising Moray) and Liz McKnockiter, Local Activist. 

In this event we heard about the newly formed project, men2men which is for, and led by, men in rural communities around Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and Ceredigionshire in Wales. They are developing a range of activities that offer opportunities for men to connect, share and support. 

South Lanarkshire Mobile Mens Shed shared how they are making the Men’s Shed movement work for rural communities. We heard about their innovative mobile shed, the difference it makes for local men, and key learning from their journey. 

Read our Conversation Starter Roundup Connecting Men. 

This session provided a chance to hear from Heléna Herklots, who is the current The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Cymru Older People’s Alliance, and to explore what learning Scotland can take from the Commissioner’s journey in Wales. 

We’ve been working with partners in Pembrokeshire who have developed the PIVOT project, which is designed to co-ordinate local community support. It brings together practical supports that people need to get home from hospital safely – like community transport, and Care and Repair. It also links in with community volunteers and works alongside local health and social care staff.  

This session explored what makes PIVOT and the Community Hub possible, the partnerships involved, and what learning we can take to other areas. We were joined by;
– Sue Leonard, the Chief Officer of PAVS (Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services)
– Rhian Bennett, Commissioning Manager, Pembrokeshire County Council 

Through our work in rural communities we know there are areas developing in ways that work well for people living with dementia. In doing so, they also create communities that work better for a wider range of people – of all ages. 

We were joined by Colm McBriarty – Dementia Programme, Life Changes Trust, Graham Galloway – Chief Executive, Kirrie Connections and Hugh Dan MacLennan and John Mackenzie from Shinty Memories Scotland. Our guest speakers shared their experiences of what is working well; approaches such as the Kirriemuir Meeting Centre, the Badenoch model of Shinty Memories and useful resources like the Dementia Friendly Communities Toolkit from Life Changes Trust.