Groundwork in North Wales Mentro Allan project

Mentro Allan - a collection of health research projects in Wales – was started in January 2007 with the aim of encouraging local people to make better use of the outdoors.

Through the Mentro Allan project, people are encouraged to make use of the local natural environment in order to enhance their well-being and make their lifestyles healthier.

Mentro Allan targets groups that are generally less active than the wider population, and the programmes aim to identify and overcome the barriers which these groups face to getting active. The project is specifically aimed at adults with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, sensory impairments, and also carers.

Groundwork Wrexham & Flintshire is the lead organisation for Mentro Allan in Wrexham and Flintshire. Having had the idea for the project and knowing the audience they wished to target, the first stage of the programme was to talk with the groups involved and ask them how they would prefer to participate.

Mentro Allan staff developed trusting relationships with disability groups, which is crucial to ensure their support and commitment. This research was fundamental to the project’s success as it allowed the groups involved to raise any concerns and feel confidence in the project.

Mentro Allan organised community consultations in order to build these good relationships with individuals and carers, and get their input into the suggested activities. The plans had to consider the needs of the adults with disabilities, but also the carers. Through this consultative process, Mentro Allan inspired a spirit of inclusion which led to positive activities being arranged.

The project organisers also considered the need to pitch communication appropriately, for example sign languages was used for deaf communities.

Having received feedback from the participants in this way, activities were then planned to suit their needs. The project has been able to set up a number of diverse   activity clubs, including abseiling/climbing, archery, camping outdoor skills, canoeing, rafting, cycling, Nordic walking, dry slope skiing, gardening, orienteering and tai chi.

The project aims to evaluate how successful it has been in changing behaviours by conducting research into action that the individuals involved have taken.

Groundwork admits that evaluation work and form filling can be difficult, but, thanks to this monitoring, the project’s successes have been recorded.

The Mentro Allan project has been a great success; there have been 459 individuals with disabilities (both physical disabilities and learning disabilities) involved in these activities.

The scheme has a small group of highly trained and dedicated    volunteers who help to run activities and help beneficiaries to participate, and it is thanks to these volunteers that so many activities have been achieved.

In 2008-9, the equivalent of 215 person days were given by adults and young people actively involved as volunteers. 107 partners and 110 schools were actively involved and 109 qualifications were gained by participants and others.

Instructors were trained in cycling skills, sign language and disability awareness. This training was necessary in order to achieve the project’s outcomes, but an additional outcome of the project was the instruction and qualifications which the volunteers gained.

The project has therefore been successful in not only increasing the well-being of its participants, but also giving work experience to the volunteers.

Groundwork Wrexham & Flintshire are confident that, with appropriate funding, similar projects could be set up throughout Wales. They were grateful to have a working partnership which helped ensure the project’s success. The project, which is funded for four years, has been supported by the Big Lottery and a national partnership.

Contact Sarah Thomas at Groundwork on 01978 757524