September 19, 2018

From the house to the great outdoors

Newby House is part of our Supported Living service. For people who don’t quite feel comfortable living on their own, who still want their own independence but also like the safety and security of a top-notch team of supporters available to give them as much or as little support as they want and need; Supported Living provides the best of both worlds.   

At Newby House there’s a fair few people who live together under one roof who have mental health needs. Getting to know people like them and getting involved in lots of activities together really has a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing. There’s some really strong and supportive friendships that’ve been formed through the years and the people who live at Newby have been itching to have a break away together for some time. 

On 3rd September, the team decided to make this happen. Not put off by the infamous perils of soggy socks, missing pegs and creepy crawlies, they decided to pitch up in Wales and enjoy the great outdoors as a group.  Sarah, the manager at Newby House, made sure to find somewhere where everyone would feel really safe to visit, but also somewhere where they could experience something extra special and out of the ordinary; She did pretty darn well too! The group went to Denmark Eco Farm, where they lived the full eco experience; sleeping in tents and even using an eco loo (good old compost)! 

Green, green grass, lush trees, epic scenery (and a shed loads of sheep) provide a lot more than great photo opportunities; there’s tons of therapeutic benefits to being out in the countryside. By ditching their laptops, phones and TVs the group were able to truly unwind and escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Nature has a fantastic way of refocusing our perspective and reminding us to notice the beauty of the natural world all around us, which is pretty awesome if you ask us! 

Whilst out in the fresh air, the gang went on lots of relaxing and exciting nature trails, finding winding rivers and lush trees and getting to know each other that little bit better. They also took a healthy stroll down to a nearby river to get involved in a round of relaxation therapy, pondering over the many pebbles and picking out little colourful gems and treasures amongst them.  

That wasn’t all for the Newby explorers though…they also got to have a gander around the Aberystwyth University campus and joined the bat conservation team to help them track down and catch some bats.  A once-in-a-lifetime experience they really enjoyed! 

The fun didn’t stop in the night time either. After hours, the gang were able to take full advantage of the dark night skies and get all dreamy with a spot of stargazing. Sarah pulled out her trusty stargazing app and they all lay in their tents, heads out the end, staring up at the twinkly night sky above, picking out all the different constellations. One of the campers said ‘This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life’ – and we wish we were there to see it, too.

Find out more about our Liverpool Supported Living service.