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Meddylgarwch Cymru/Mindfulness Wales Charity Registration Number 1193146 FIRST TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 19[th] January 2021- 13th January 2022
Background and Objectives
This Report for the first Annual General Meeting of Meddylgarwch Cymru/Mindfulness Wales celebrates the first year of activity.
Meddylgarwch Cymru/Mindfulness Wales was registered as a Charitable Interest Organisation on 19[th] January 2021 with the following charitable purpose:
To advance education for the public benefit in Wales through the provision of events and activities directed towards the study and practice of mindfulness training which enable participants to develop their understanding and awareness of the practice of mindfulness and the beneficial impact it may have upon good mental health and wellbeing.
We confirm that the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in all our activities.
We aim to work with partners to embed mindfulness and its values and intentions within Welsh society and at the heart of policy making for the benefit of organisations, communities and individuals. The purpose of this is to enable the experience of high quality mindfulness provision to enhance emotional and mental health and develop the skills, techniques and understanding to promote flourishing and alleviate distress.
The organisation has grown from the longstanding development of mindfulness in Wales and the collaboration of the mindfulness community including links with the Mindfulness Initiative. A meeting in March 2019 between Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales and Chris Ruane, then MP for Vale of Clwyd, accompanied by key members of the mindfulness community in Wales enabled us to take this further. The group worked with Welsh Government officials to take forward the ideas arising from that meeting which were shared with a much wider audience at a major conference in November 2019, with the First Minister as keynote speaker.
The original five Trustees (Elizabeth Williams, Chair, Vishvapani Blomfield, Treasurer, Heather Fish, Secretary, Rob Callen-Davies and Karen Scott) were nominated from this group and began work in May 2020 to establish the organisation more formally and prepare the application to the Charity
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Commission. Achieving charitable status enables us to harness the energy and enthusiasm from the conference to support and where appropriate initiate the development and implementation of mindfulness to create a fairer, kinder and more compassionate society in Wales, increasing benefit to the mindfulness community and the public, private and third sector organisations and individuals that this community serves.
A sixth member of the original group, Chris Ruane, was invited to join the Board in January 2021, bringing his extensive experience and expertise from the Westminster Mindfulness All Party Parliamentary Group and the Mindfulness Initiative. In July 2021 Gwenan Roberts was invited to join the Board in recognition of the significant contribution she has made to the development of mindfulness in the Welsh Language, and the value Meddylgarwch Cymru/Mindfulness Wales places on the status of the language.
In September 2021 the Board invited declarations of interest from across Wales for two new Board members to support the broad range of our work, but more specifically communications and future grant applications. Tommy Carr joined the Board in October 2021 and Sofia Pereira joined in January 2022. This brings the total number of Trustees to nine, as set out in the Constitution.
Board Members
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Name Position Term of Start End
2021-2 Office Date Date
Elizabeth Williams Chair 3 years May May
2020 2023
Vishvapani (Simon Treasurer 2 years May May
Blomfield) 2020 2022
Heather Fish Secretary 3 years May May
2020 2023
Rob Callen-Davies 3 years May May
2020 2023
Karen Scott 2 years May May
2020 2022
Chris Ruane 3 years Jan Jan
2021 2024
Gwenan Roberts 3 years July July
2021 2024
Tommy Carr 3 years Oct Oct
2021 2024
Sofia Pereira 3 years Jan Jan
2022 2025
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(Trustees can serve up to 3 consecutive terms)
Activities
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Just as the Board turned our attention from achieving CIO status to planning how we might take this forward, lockdown happened. Whilst this made in-person activity impossible, it provided us with the opportunity to create a website and social media presence and initiate a series of online events aimed at creating a network of people in Wales with an interest in and commitment to extending the use of mindfulness in all sectors in Wales. So far these have included external speakers to educate, inform and inspire, and networking discussions to share and develop the existing good practice growing in Wales. The events are free to attend, with the option of making a donation. Events have included:
Programme of Activities
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Date Event Registere
d
17.3.21 Mindfulness Wales: Taking it forward 75
21.4.21 Jamie Bristow 52
Mindfulness: Developing agency in urgent times
12.5.21 Professor Katherine Weare 88
Supporting mindfulness in education in Wales
16.6.21 Mindfulness Wales 51
Diversity and Accessibility
14.7.21 Vidyamala Burch 101
Mindfulness in mind and body
23.9.21 Dr Dan Siegel 248
Mindfulness in Wales and the World
20.10.2 Meddylgarwch Cymru: Mwy na geiriau 27
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16.11.2 Mindfulness developments in Health Services in 84
1 Wales
14.12.2 Ruby Wax 287
1 Mindfulness Wales meets Ruby Wax
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Whilst the live audience for each event has been significantly less than the registered participants we have recorded each event and made the YouTube link available to all those who registered and also freely available on our website. We have also grown our official mailing list to 329.
These activities have enabled us to develop a core group of regular participants (around 130 people have attended more than one event) and contributors to the discussions as well as a much wider audience from across Wales, the UK and internationally. We are proud that the developments in Wales have attracted the interest and support of speakers of international renown and participants across the world who are interested in what is happening here.
Alongside these public events, and sometimes initiated through them, there are developing special interest support groups in Education, Health and Welsh Language. Meddylgarwch Cymru/Mindfulness Wales has contributed to growing and strengthening the network of mindfulness
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practitioners throughout Wales and creating interest more widely in the possibilities of mindfulness for society and communities in Wales.
Financial Report
January 9, 2022
Treasurer: Simon Blomfield (Vishvapani)
Balance at start of the financial year £1,773.85
This was paid by the Mindfulness Network on 17 February 2021 and represents the surplus from 2019 Developing Mindfulness in Wales Conference.
The only income we have received donations totalling £250.04, most of it received in December 2021.
Our only expenditure has been £220.78 to Zoom. Because of difficulties in setting up the account this has been paid by Vishvapani and is owing to him.
Current Balance (held in a current account with Metro Bank): £2,028.45
Balance minus money owed:
£1807.67
Declarations
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
H Fish Signature(s) E.M Williams Heather Fish Full name(s) Elizabeth Williams Position (e.g. Chair Secretary Secretary, Chair, etc) Date 13[th] January 2022
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