DOUBLE BOOST FOR NORTHERN CHARITY

The Island’s northern community will benefit from a botanical boost thanks to a grant from Manx Lottery Trust.

The Trust has awarded £3,500 to Jurby and Northern Community Initiatives for local herbology and creative writing for wellbeing workshops, which aim to improve the physical, emotional, intellectual and social wellbeing of the people who live and work in Jurby and the surrounding area.

Hosted by Jane Prescott, landscape architect and founder of The Manx Herbalist, and Janet Lees, a local artist, poet, workshop facilitator and freelance writer, the workshops will educate people on the healing powers of local herbs and empower them to use plants to improve health and treat minor ailments. Through the diverse range of activities, Janet and Jane will provide guests with the opportunity to take inspiration from Manx folklore and tap into self-exploration and self-expression.

Janet said: ‘Mindful interaction with nature has been shown to help people feel more alive, boost self-esteem, increase creativity, reduce stress, improve memory and enhance a sense of tranquillity – the benefits are quite simply endless. There is also increasing evidence around the healing power of the creative arts, with creative self-expression shown to reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety and increase feelings of wellbeing. These workshops will tap into this and encourage wellbeing through nature and creativity.

Centre Coordinator for Jurby and Northern Community Initiatives Angela Quaggin added: ‘We are very grateful to Manx Lottery Trust for its ongoing support of our charity and enabling us to host workshops like this for our community.’

This marks the second grant Jurby and Northern Community Initiatives was awarded in 2020. The first was to help fund a ‘Centre Co-ordinator’; a role created to develop new ideas and opportunities and organise activities and events such as community and tots drop-ins, wellbeing cafes, Irish dancing, Rainbows and Brownies, computer support workshops, Qi Gong, chair-based Pilates, sewing bees, craft groups, creative writing and art therapy sessions for young people.

Sarah Kelly, Chairman of Manx Lottery Trust, added: ‘We are pleased to offer our support to Jurby and Northern Community Initiatives for another of its important projects. The charity does a wonderful job developing activities for the wellbeing of the local community and it’s a pleasure to help bring its ideas to life. The local herbology and creative writing for wellbeing workshops sound fabulous and I imagine will be very popular.’

Manx Lottery Trust has been delegated to distribute National Lottery money that has come from The National Lottery Community Fund. To find out more, head to: www.mlt.org.im/