At The Haven, we’re on a mission to nurture, support and empower community wellbeing, and thanks to the support of the National Lottery Community Fund, we’re turning this vision into reality. With a three-year grant in hand, in summer 2023 we embarked on a journey to empower our community, starting with a simple question to our community: What do you need to support your wellbeing?
In June 2022, we conducted a comprehensive community consultation, reaching out to residents to understand their needs and challenges. We had over 200 responses and from these conversations, a clear vision emerged: accessible wellbeing activities that encourage belonging and resilience.
With this invaluable gift of feedback, and the funding received, we set out to deliver on our promise of supporting community wellbeing. Pilates and cooking classes quickly rose to the forefront as the community’s top requests, and we wasted no time in offering these opportunities for free to our community with the help of our Haven Helper volunteers. Our pilates classes provide a space for individuals to strengthen their bodies and minds, while our cooking classes offer practical skills and nourishing recipes to support healthy eating habits for children in our holiday activities, New Mums through our Nurture & Nourish program and Men’s Table – cooking class specifically for men.
We also offer free weekly yoga and meditation sessions. These activities provide opportunities for relaxation, stress reduction, and mindfulness, helping individuals find balance in their busy lives.
In addition to these core offerings, we’ve identified under-served demographics within our community and tailored our programs to meet their unique needs. For instance, we recognized the isolation experienced by Home Ed families and the lack of in-person support for New Mums. In response, we’ve developed targeted initiatives to provide these groups with the support and connection they need to thrive. For example, we have worked in partnership with Breastfeeding Grampian to provide support to New Mums.
Six months into the project, we’re proud to report that we’ve already met half of our outcomes. We’ve made meaningful strides towards our goal of nurturing community wellbeing. My favourite bit of feedback so far has been:
“I have lived in Stonehaven for 6 years and this is the first time I feel like I belong in the community.” – Participant on New Mum Wellbeing Group
But this is just the beginning! With two and a half years left in our grant period, we’re committed to continuing our efforts to support and empower our community. Together, we’re building a stronger, healthier, and more resilient community—one pilates class, one cooking lesson, one gardening course and one mindful breath at a time.
Thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund for believing in our vision and supporting our mission to nurture wellbeing in our community. With your help, we’re being the change we want to see.
If you want to see what is currently happening go to Eventbrite to see what we have on offer here or check out our Haven calendar here.