At The Wallich, we work with people to improve their quality of living beyond a roof over someone’s head.
The Wallich worked with Geraint to reduce his reliance on alcohol, reconnect with himself, build his confidence and look towards the future.
Geraint had first accessed The Wallich through our North Wales Peer Mentoring service which works closely with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
“I’ve been attending The Wallich groups since new year. I had difficulty sleeping. I needed alcohol to sleep.“
Geraint then showed an interest in our Engagement and Wellbeing project in early January 2024. He came along to a ‘meet and greet’ for the Outdoor Activity Program, after being told about it by our North Wales Peer Mentor, Bronwyn.
The programme appealed to Geraint because it takes you away from your normal environments and social networks. It provides a space to breathe, reducing external pressures and allowing time for personal growth.
Geraint initially said that he may be interested in the walking part of the programme. He was scared of heights, so he wasn’t sure about the climbing sessions.
Coming to the first session at the climbing wall, impressively Geraint got stuck in. He even supported the other participants and ended up doing a climb himself, which he was very proud of.
Geraint ended up coming to every session of the programme and showed real passion for it.
Geraint often commented that coming to our active wellbeing sessions had made it easier to reduce the amount of alcohol he was consuming.
Improving someone’s wellbeing is helped by offering out-of-the-ordinary or joyful experiences which helps the person break out of their usual routine.
He reduced his dependency on alcohol to help him sleep at night.
A particular achievement was to come. Geraint took on a hike in Eryri’s Carneddau mountains that ended with an overnight stay in a Bothy.
Tackling the mountains was one thing, getting through tricky sleeping conditions without the use of alcohol was no small task. But he did it!
During the 10-week programme, he also took on:
“I’ve been attending the Tuesday and Thursday group activities and they have given me the refocus to find and be accepted for a new job.
The walks and activities have helped my blood pressure and confidence.”
Geraint has completed the Wrexham FC Fit Dragons 12-week program and received the award for the most steps over the course of the program – coming in at nearly 1.6 million steps!
“I think the farm, the walks and the walking group on a Sunday all helped, plus of course walking to the garage”.
“It is sad to see him leaving the groups and he will be missed.
But everyone is so proud of his achievements and how much effort he has put into reaching this point!”
-The Wallich Engagement and Wellbeing Mentor