Welcome Space

Our Welcome Space is a friendly, welcoming, and inclusive environment where residents can come together in a safe, warm, and supportive setting. The idea was inspired by the impact of the recent global pandemic, which highlighted how many people in our community needed support but were unsure where to turn for help.

To make accessing support as simple as possible, we created a one-stop hub where residents can find information, guidance, and services from a single trusted source. Whether someone is looking for practical assistance, advice, or simply a place to connect with others, our Welcome Space is here to help.

Since its launch, our Welcome Space has continued to grow from strength to strength, becoming a vital community resource and a trusted safe space for local residents. We are proud to provide a welcoming environment where people feel supported, valued, and connected, helping to build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient community.

We are a dedicated community champions provision, all staffed are Mental Health First Aid Trained and have received coaching skills training, working with Torfaen Talks CIC we provide a vital drop-in service that sees us work with people who are experiencing challenges, the provision sees us:

Enable the delivery of support “In the community by the community” by developing a supportive network of Community Champions,
Addressing local needs of the community and supporting community self-reliance
Championing healthy living, improving mental wellbeing or attaining better living conditions and access to key support services
Ensuring that the community can influence local decision making

What Sets Us Apart

Additionally, our Wellbeing hub comprises of a variety of service provisions these are:

Warm Bank

Garnsychan Welcoming Space (Warm Bank) provides a safe space and a communal heat bank to help people unable to afford to heat their homes during the winter. As we slowly move towards autumn, fears around the cost-of-living crisis continue to rise in the face of increasing duel, energy, and utility costs, coupled with the highest inflation in years. With the predicted increase in costs, campaigning organisation Don’t Pay UK has estimated that up to 6.3million households won’t be able to afford their energy bills and will be unable to heat their homes winter.

According to the National Energy Action 11,400 winter deaths are already caused by cold weather each year. So, in the face of the crisis, people who are unable to afford their heating can come to our warm space. Linking with other community organisation and partners around Torfaen we will we provide a warm relaxing space, providing access to the WWW, gaming PC’s, homework support, financial advice and align in with some of the programmes we have across our welcoming hub to tackle hunger and poverty within our community.

Community Buddies

Garnsychan Partnership launched the friendly wellbeing calls – Community Buddy scheme in June 2020. It is virtual company telephone service for those shielding, isolating or otherwise that live alone and simply want some company.

Garnsychan Partnership simply act as a friendly neighbour (namely senior and elderly) by ‘checking in’ on their wellbeing and needs of residents but mostly providing some friendly company once or twice week. Community Buddies is a companion and safe contact for our residents that builds friendship and trust.

If you or someone you know is missing the joy of regular conversation, Garnsychan Partnership are here to help.

We offer free telephone friendship services so residents can enjoy chatting with someone over the phone, all from the comfort of their own home. Whether they would like to speak to someone every week, or just want to talk when the need strikes, we’re here to help. You can sign up for regular telephone calls by contacting us on 01494 774453.

Period Power! - We Provide A Period Support Scheme

Funded by TCBC, the project supports local schools, community groups and families in crisis with access to essential non-toxic sanitary products.

Who we help: - Women In Low Income Employment.

Can you imagine having to choose between buying sanitary pads for you and your daughter(s) or food for your family? This is an issue which affects many women, yet one that’s often overlooked.

Surprisingly, what we have discovered throughout the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis is that many of these women are in professional roles, like carers and nurses. Working alongside our community foodbank project we donate sanitary pads to support women and their families living on the breadline, so they don’t have to go without.

FEMALE STUDENTS. Period Poverty UK and found that 48% of girls aged 14-21 in the UK were embarrassed by their periods. The shocking stats continue.

14% of girls admitted that they did not know what was happening when they started their period and 26% reported that they did not know what to do when they started their period. 78% of girls didn't feel comfortable discussing their period with their teacher.

The impact? Shame, embarrassment, and missing school. Schools are working hard to normalise these conversations and Garnsychan is playing their part.

Working with our local schools we provide made up discreet period packs that consist of a variety of essential items that female students can keep in their school bags for whenever their period happens. The students can then replenish supplies from the large stock donations that we donate (on a monthly basis) to the school’s nurses’ stations as required.

HOMELESS WOMEN. We are supporting local homeless organisations and charities (Pobl, Plattform, Salvation Army, Torfaen’s Wallich homeless support) with donations of sanitary products. Additionally, we provide a discreet community drop-in service, where residents in crisis are able to call on us for access to emergency food and or female supplies.

Warm Bundles

Warm bundles are also provided from October to March for those most vulnerable who may be exposed to the cold.

We distribute these warm packs including coats and other clothing to those in need and require help at the coldest time of the year.

We see our packs mostly help the elderly and on occasions those who are particularly vulnerable to low temperatures, our packs are free and to help keep those warm in harsh conditions.