Above and Beyond Awards

A group of young parents ( ages from 15 -20 ) based around Penparcau Family Centre maintained and strengthened connections to one another throughout Covid using a regular Whats App virtual group . They recognised and supported one anothers situations which reduced their own isolation and benefited their children. The group is about to restart as face to face and this will enable them to safely meet in different locations across Aberystwyth .

For the last 34 year and throughout the COVID crisis Denmark Farm has been open for the community to come and connect with nature. Local volunteers have continued to carry out conservation and maintenance tasks to keep the 40 acre nature reserve accessible for people and good for wildlife. The Shared Earth Trust at Denmark Farm believes that everything is connected and if we look after our environment we also improve our own wellbeing and health.

The team at the Oxygen Therapy Centre have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic providing essential medical therapies to local people with neurological and other chronic illnesses. They have worked so hard to keep everyone safe but at the same time gone above and beyond to help keep their members socially connected during a period of exceptional social isolation. They have happily helped those shielding with getting groceries or supplies. Through a difficult 18 months they have done all of this with a smile. Third sector healthcare workers have been overlooked and we would love to show our team just how much of a difference they really make.

This group has gone above and beyond throughout the whole pandemic and especially in the last 12 months.
Usually Girlguiding units meet every month providing activities for girls aged from 5 upwards.
When we were not allowed to meet face2face the leaders didn't give up - they thought outside the box and started providing unit meetings via zoom - not an easy task as the children aren't always up for talking to a computer screen, internet issues - we all know how the broadband speeds in Ceredigion vary greatly - but they certainly succeeded. Both the leaders and the girls found it absolutely great to see one another regularly.
The leaders put together some amazing activities many providing activity bags full of things for the girls to do from crafts to colouring to planting seeds the list is endless to be honest.
When the girls received their bags inside they would find a treasure trove - they had great delight in opening up their bags - things for specific meetings were put in specific envelopes with the date to be opened on them - it was all very exciting for them. 

I really cant thank the leaders enough for what they have done - who said volunteering was only an hour a week! Volunteering certainly has its challenges but its rewards too.

Thank you for this opportunity to nominate this amazing group.

The group has gone above and beyond throughout the pandemic and especially over the last 12 months.
Green Dragon provides much needed community transport for a lot of people int he south of Ceredigion. People who find it difficult to access transport for whatever reason.
We have kept in touch with many of our passengers by calling them and encouraging them to give us a ring for a chat and let us know how they are and if they require anything. Our drivers were going out getting shopping for them when they weren't confident to do it themselves. Now restrictions are lifting the drivers are even more busy - helping those that do want to get out meet with their friends, who they met on the community bus and probably haven't seen for months and months.

It has certainly done their mental health the world of good.
Without our fantastic, amazing drivers this would not have been possible. Looking after their own families and their own mental health and well being has been prioritised too but they worry about their passengers (who they see on a weekly basis) We call them our Green Dragon family.
Support from the office staff who work above and beyond the hours they are supposed to do to make sure drivers and passengers are safe and well. It wouldn't happen without the team all pulling together and for such a small organisation it is totally amazing.

Thank you for giving us this opportunity to nominate Green Dragon - they certainly deserve some recognition.

Everyone at mes bach have gone above and beyond, we have remained open throughout the pandemic, they have kept the children in their care safe, they really do not get the recognition they deserve

We are a voluntary organisation who help people with learning disabilities. During the lockdown we approached morrisons supermarket head office and asked them to support the hidden disabilities lanyard scheme. They are now providing free lanyards in all there stores in England and Wales.

All of the Volunteers within the Organisation and supported vulnerable families excellently over the pandemic. Home-Start offered care packages and virtually support throughout the pandemic and continue to do so - allowing families within the County to access items which are needed within their family.

Mae aelodau o'r C.Ff.I. sydd rhwng 10 a 27 mlwydd oed wedi gwirfoddoli i gynorthwyo yn y gymuned dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf yn casglu presgripsiwn; yn siopa ac yn ymweld/sgwrsio â thrigolion yn eu cymunedau yn ystod Pandemig Covid 19.

The Wallich support some of the most marginalised and vulnerable people in Ceredigion. They support individuals and families who are at their lowest point and most are homeless, in temp accommodation and/ or street homeless.
During COVID they not only looked after their own residents and service users - they thought of others and took part in distributing food parcels and supported their wider community. The staff at The Wallich always go above and beyond as the work they do is very challenging at times with supporting people with very complex issues. They help people turn their own lives around. Due to the effects of COVID we will be seeing an increase in homelessness and issues exacerbated by lockdown. It is organisations like The Wallich that will help people pick up the pieces and put their lives back together again.
I think the staff deserve the recognition for going the extra mile every day!

We are a community based organisation and work to support senior citizens and learning disabled adults. Our recent project aims to match older people with our members, so that our more able members can support people in need. We run an organisation that is sustainable but at the same time we will support people on a low income, thus offering services which they do not have to pay for if they cant afford it, all we ask for is a donation. We meet once a week socially to support our own members, and this group is totally sustainable and the money raised goes into treats for our own members - for example having their food paid for every now and again, and/or organising a trip / group outing.

The group started out as a weekly dementia friendly group in january 2020 but then the pandemic began. the group expanded to include so many more elderly people as so many in this area were already living far from family and friends.. we worked so hard during lockdown to combat loneliness and isolation. the face to face sessions changed to bespoke individual art packs devised and delivered by Martine Ormerod. Martine went above and beyond in developing packs with individuals to suit them. We expanded into Borth Caring Community and delivered Afternoon Tea at Home Boxes, Christmas Boxes, bird feeders and bird food, spring bulb planters , flower and veg planters, food bundles, magazines, jigsaws, wool and other resources for people to knit baby blankets .  We delivered @70 Christmas boxes and once a month delivered @50 Afternoon Teas at home to elderly living far from family in friends. The vast majority were living on their own . We were supported by so many volunteers - delivering , making and providing donations of materials and gifts for boxes.

Ceredigion Country Car Covid Team
The country car team of volunteers came together to respond to our service users that we have been previously covering before covid.

This a relatively new peer support group which provides invaluable support to people who have been bereaved by suicide. It has been set up by 3 women who have all been bereaved by suicide themselves who saw that there was a serious lack of support in West Wales for this group of people. For someone who has been bereaved by suicide, their risk for completing suicide themselves is 65% higher than someone who hasn't. This is frightening. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have had monthly online meetings reaching people who have never been able to talk about their loss. We've also been having monthly walks alternating between Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and Ceredigion to ensure we reach as many people as possible and are as accessible as possible. We have a group Facebook page and group phone and regularly receive messages and phone calls from people who just need a listening ear from someone who had been though it.

Leaders and buddies are all voluntary. They make such a difference to the people that participate. Increasing social friendships, reducing social isolation, increasing fitness and confidence and self esteem.

As Pobl Care & Support Area Manager for Ceredigion I have for many years been so impressed by the commitment, dedication and inspirational work undertaken by this team. Whilst not volunteers, they routinely work above their contracted hours, always with the clients they support at the heart of all of their endeavours. This has been even more evident throughout the pandemic. Through robust risk assessing and implementing safe systems of work, the team were able to keep Camfan's welcoming doors open to those individuals across the county who were struggling the most. The number of visitors to the support hub had to be reduced, but the team sought innovative means of ensuring regular contact with the clients and introduced a suite of virtual resources aimed at negating isolation and maintaining emotional and physical health and well-being.

It has been a vital asset to the village throughout the last 16months and beyond. Supporting the community for all ages. Delivering courses, help, support and becoming the Hub of the village. Under the leadership of Helen Williams the Hub has helped so many people. Events were held in the local school through the summertime, art courses have been developed, new mothers, people with dementia, single people are just a few of the things I could mention. I am a trustee and am very proud to nominate us.

DASH Ceredigion has been supporting disabled children and young people in Ceredigion for over 40 years. Times have been difficult during the pandemic, and covid restrictions have meant that DASH has had to limit its activities. However, for the families that DASH has been able to help, that support has been invaluable. For these families, DASH has provided vital support for children and young people in crisis as a result of their lives being turned upside down by the pandemic. This support went above and beyond much of the help available to these families during the pandemic, and DASH absolutely deserves recognition for the service and support they were able to provide at such a critical time and in such difficult circumstances.

During lockdown they were fantastic with online video chats, games , sending out boxes of craft bits to keep the kids amused , being there if the children were struggling with lockdown . They are totally amazing and supportive.

This group collect surplus food from the supermarkets and makes it available to those in need. Most of the group are volunteers. Food poverty is a growing problem.

Volunteers come out in all weathers, carrying out hard work in very difficult locations to improve nature reserves for wildlife and for visitors. These sites have difficult parking and access and some of the sites require a walk in of over a mile just to get to the nature reserve before they even start work!
The work is very physical but the volunteers continue to show their commitment to the wildlife of the county and this award would be recognition of their hard work and tireless commitment!

Caru Aber was set up by a small group of volunteers. Our aim and objecting is to get our members and the public to pull together to help make Aberystwyth a nicer place. With the support of the town and country county we organise litter picks on our beaches and around the town. Graffiti removal, planting and weeding. We worked with Scottish power to get their substation painted as it was covered in graffiti and looking tired. We have installed dog poo dispensers along the promenade. We also have many proposals waiting with the county council such as the installation of a splash park, water drinks fountain at the skateboard park, lifting of a bilateral on plascrug avenue, plans for the castle shelter and a sculpture to highlight plastic in our oceans.

Aberkayakers restarted a series of Covid-safe club sessions for its 80+ membership very quickly after the release of lockdowns in both summer 2020 and Spring 2021. More than 280 paddlers, counting both coaches and particpants, attended 14 sessions between July - December 2020 and nearly 600 paddlers attended 36 sessions between May - September 2021. This meant that paddlers got back on the water, to a sport they love, with minimal delays.

They have continued to provide training sessions for 7 to 18 year olds giving them invaluable life skills, confidence and an outlet during the pandemic.

No matter whether she has been able to secure funding or not she has continued to survey & produce robust data. She has kept in touch with her volunteers through the pandemic giving us all something to keep our spirits up, aswell as keeping the data coming single-handed at times. Her hard work is producing volunteers who look after an area that is deprived & giving those people pride in their area & encouraging people of all ages to look after it for future generations to enjoy. I am proud to be a part of this & think she so deserves recognition for all the hours spent in all weathers doing important work with such patience and dedication.