Big Way Of Life

The Ceredigion based Project 'Iachus Gyda'n Gilydd / Healthy Together' – known simply as 'Iachus' by many - held its Penparcau Launch on the 20th March in Llwyn-yr-Eos Woods following a year of activity across the county.

The project works with 3 to 11 year olds and their communities to celebrate healthy eating and activity across 5 areas of Ceredigion (Penparcau, Llandysul, Llanarth, New Quay and Llangybi) and saw this launch as a chance to say thank you to all those who've supported the project so far as well as focus attention on what should be a well-used community resource.

Despite the rain there were well-attended activities in the woods from midday including a Woodland Camp and Wood Crafts Demonstrations with 'The World's Largest Saucepan of Veg Soup!' for lunch.

The day also saw more than 60 volunteers including local children and young people clear the woods of fly-tipped material.

Development Worker Oliver Morris said "It was really heartening to see so many local children and young people turn out who obviously care about their surroundings and are also happy to get their hands dirty – we literally chipped tons of dumped branches and filled a skip with rubble, old furniture, general waste and domestic grass cuttings.

"It was a lot of fun and the hard day's work put in by community members means that children and their families can now visit the wood and enjoy its beauty without worrying about dangerous waste."

The project received help from numerous people and organisations including Tidy Towns, local Woodsman Bob Shaw, Forest Schools, and Aberystwyth University Conservation Volunteers, and together they took another important step in terms of caring for the site.

Oliver Morris said "It's been an amazing and very busy year for us and I was really glad that so many children and their families joined us to celebrate on the 20th March in Penparcau – it was lots of fun and bodes well for the coming year!"