THE latest community news from Machynlleth

Hear to Help

THE Hear to Help drop-in clinic takes place this Friday, 5 July, from 10am to midday in Y Plas.

NHS hearing-aid wearers can visit this Action on Hearing Loss Cymru service for friendly help with cleaning their aids, new tubes and free batteries. The drop-in is run by trained volunteers on the first Friday of every month.

Tribute band event

LIVE at Y Llew Coch, Hi-On Maiden will be paying tribute to the mighty Iron Maiden during scream for me Machynlleth Iron Maiden Day on Friday, 12 July, starting at 7pm.

Cash only entry £5 with £1 ticket donation from the bar to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Bowls

MACHYNLLETH and Maglona experienced disappointing results in their Montgomeryshire County Men’s League against Montgomery and Aberdyfi respectively.

Last season’s promoted second division champions, Montgomery (five points), ensured that Machynlleth (two points) were left to still await their first away win of the season as the home team emerged winners by 19 shots.

Meanwhile, in Division two, highflying Aberdyfi were 15-shot victors on Llynlloedd green, securing six points to Maglona’s one.

Gerddi Bro Ddyfi Gardens

CONTINUING her report/newsletter to the committee and supporters, senior volunteers’ co-ordinator Angela Paxton advised of the following events: Keith, a regular volunteer, was recently awarded a Mirus Stars award at the Mirus Awards Ceremony for being active in the community, and particularly for his work volunteering at Gerddi Bro Ddyfi Gardens.

Angela said: “Well done Keith and thank you for all your tremendous support and help in the gardens. You are a wonderful example to us all.”

The free workshops and activities have included willow birdfeeders with Pippa Scott, spring tonics with Jade Mellor, Easter wildlife activities with Jenny Dingle, dawn chorus and sound mapping with Ben Porter, and woodworking with James Davies.

Angela also said: “We are monitoring all our events to see what works well and if they could be even better, which is necessary for our project, but is a really useful exercise for constantly improving what we do for our volunteers and visitors.

We have had two woodworking sessions with James Davies, to repair our fold-up potting tables and stall, and to construct a new post-and-rail support for the espaliers in the mini orchard. We will also be making a new bench for the apothecary garden.”

The senior volunteer co-ordinator, members of the committee and volunteers have also been supporting other local events, with stalls at the local Wednesday market, as well as a talk at Llyn Garden Club. All these activities help to reach out to more people in the community and wider area and let them know what happens at ‘Gerddi’.

Celf-Able

AMANDA is the voluntary coordinator for Celf-Able, a disabledled inclusive art group in Montgomeryshire. She explains, “We have been having a busy time at our meetings in Machynlleth, Caersws, Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool and Newtown. We meet once a month in each venue and get together to do art in a social and peer-supportive atmosphere. We provide materials and people can have a go at different types of art, and when funding allows, we invite artists to do workshops with us on different art materials and techniques. We have done pottery, mosaics, linoprinting, portrait painting, abstract painting and a host more.”

“We believe in the role of art in wellbeing and social inclusion. Members benefit from exploring their creativity and doing art in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere. We share skills and help each other achieve our artistic aims. We hold regular exhibitions at Newtown library and Centre Celf in Llandrindod Wells. We are disabled-led but we are open to all.”

Amanda was one of the founding members of Celf-Able back in 2014, when they developed from a group on Celf o Gwmpas’s Artist Training and Mentoring scheme. Carrying on meeting when that project ended, they set up on their own. Celf-Able has grown a lot since then and have had many activities as well as regular meetings. There’s also been a trip on Welshpool canal and a horse-drawn canal boat trip in Llangollen. They hope to get funding to go on more day trips to galleries in Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, Birmingham and Walsall, and subsequently to produce artwork inspired by the trips.

Pathways to Farming

MACH Maethlon has been running the Pathways to Farming project for one year now, training new horticultural food producers to grow food commercially and working with local businesses to increase the demand for local food.

In September 2019 the group will be accepting a new intake of part time trainees to take part in our programme. The training consists of a mixture of classroom sessions, mentoring, independent growing and site visits. Training sessions are held in both Machynlleth and Newtown.

Mach Maethlon is looking for people with a desire to start a food growing business. Have you always wanted to become a market gardener? Do you have an exciting land-based idea? Do you want to be a farmer of the future?

For more details please contact Jodie Griffith on: jodie@machmaethlon. org

Come along to the White Lion if you’d like to get involved with MACH Maethlon and the Edible Mach veg beds around town, or if you just want to chat about what you’d like to see growing there at Monday, 8 July, at 7.30pm to 9pm.

If you’re a member of a club, society or group, send your news to [email protected]