Tucked away on the edge of Pembroke town is the Plant Dewi Men’s project, an inspiring group that prove what a bit of skill, tenacity and some land can achieve.
The Plant Dewi Men’s project, established in 2002 to nurture and provide support for families in the St David’s diocese, focuses on empowering fathers by providing opportunities to socialise, share meals, and engage in meaningful activities with their children and to recognise the important role they play in their family and community.
The project aims to increase their networks of support and the ‘Dad and Me’ after school club helps to deepen the bond fathers share with their children, with activities including bike repairs, cycling, tending to a quarter-acre vegetable garden, cooking sessions, workshops, and community initiatives like litter picks.
The local Dad’s Project Officer, Peter, approached Egin following the trail of potentially interesting small scale renewable energy systems. They were particularly interested in setting up a simple solar electric rig and advancing plans for electric bike kits.
In late Autumn 2023, Egin was able to offer funded visits to other local groups, which resulted in an inspiring trip to Gelli-y-Gafel CIC in Dyfed the following Spring. This off-grid smallholding is a living, working example of providing for 100% of its energy, water and waste needs, 75% of their food, and a brewery licence for their cider and wine business produced from fruits on the land. They also have an interesting collection of self-built natural buildings with a very small ecological footprint.
Here, the Dads, along with Egin mentor Caz, were able to learn all about the ins and outs of DIY solar, eco-building, permaculture principles, and sustainable agriculture, all in the setting of 9 acres of a highly resilient landscape design based on the principles of wild, thriving system: permaculture. In the afternoon, a practical session was held on soil preservation, ground covers and fruit growing.
Meanwhile back on their home turf, the Dads have been busy with community work at a local school garden and getting their plot cultivated:
“We’ve been making raised beds and sourcing compost and soil improvers to aid drainage to get potatoes in, laying paths and about to build new composting stations too. We have got some cycling events coming up partnering with schools and Sustrans to encourage active travel, recycling and bike maintenance.”
In April Plant Dewi held an event for families to bring their bicycles along, offering free repairs, and to access second-hand parts and upcycled cycles for a donation to the charity.
Peter also reports, “Following this we are piloting a ‘Bike Bus’ – event promoting cycling to school on a route based on the school catchment area to pick up children and parents, focused on fathers – to cycle with their children to school. If successful we hope to run one monthly.”
Plant Dewi’s plans for the future are to continue to develop the infrastructure of the gardening project and increase food yields and composting. There are ideas to build an undercover growing area to provide year-round crops and resilience to wet seasons. The Dads are also further integrating their upcycling and recycling project in the local community – encouraging sustainable transport as well as providing affordable cycles and maintenance.
The Dads’ final feedback is very heartening:
“The group has benefitted from the knowledge and experience through learning opportunities facilitated through the Egin network. The gardening project particularly has developed as a result of the extra skills and knowledge and the enthusiasm and encouragement of the projects we visited … [Egin support was] excellent and relevant to the project – the experiences we have gained first hand have been inspirational.” Peter Arnold, project officer, Plant Dewi Men’s Group
Comments are closed.