“Something to look forward to, a therapeutic environment and a real sense of achievement” - A Volunteer’s Story by Ben Jones

“Volunteering at Glasbren has given me something to look forward to each week, a therapeutic environment away from the noise and anxieties of modern life, plus, a real sense of achievement.”

Eight months ago, while in London for studies, I suffered a breakdown. Psychosis,  induced by stress and other, more personal factors, subsequently left me spending  nine weeks at a hospital in Enfield. In that time I experienced delusions, intense  hallucinations, anger, ecstasy, and voices.  

I somehow ‘spoke’ with James Gandolfini, or his spirit, imagined hospital walls  stained through with blood, thought I was the protagonist in an elaborate reality TV  show, thought that I'd been abducted and flown to snowy Los Angeles - yep - I’d  been dealt a major setback, and had lost all confidence in how I could ever recover  properly on release. I barely spoke for the first couple of weeks home. I couldn’t  concentrate on anything properly, couldn’t write fully, and the following few months  left me with serious depression, watching my classmates and friends go on to  graduate and transition ably into the wider world of work.  

At my lowest I was introduced to the Glasbren project, a local grassroots eco-farm  project in nearby Bancyfelin that had supplied local families and customers with  vegetable boxes during lockdown, from whatever was grown seasonally on the  farm during that time. Though a real help locally during the pandemic, the project  started much earlier, in 2018.  

They were always welcome to new volunteers, so with the encouragement of my  support worker and parents, I applied. The project attracts all kinds of people, of all  ages. Most who I have spoken to were drawn to the project through a need for  structure, for connection, something to ground them as they get back on their feet.  

You can be as open or as private as you’d like. You aren’t tied to any one task in  particular, and you can take on as much physical work as you feel comfortable with.  You can work alone or with others, depending on how you’re feeling. I prefer to  work by myself, listening to music, but sometimes I do like to work as part of a  team.  

I was initially intimidated by the prospect of working on a farm - I’m not the most  ‘outdoorsy’ person - Dad was, but that didn’t pass down - at least, I didn’t think that  it did. But in the months since I first started, I have found that I’m much more  capable than I thought I was, planting, harvesting, preparing - I’m not an expert by  any means, but I’ve grown more confident in something that I didn’t believe I had  the ability for.  

“I was initially intimidated by the prospect of working on a farm - I’m not the most  ‘outdoorsy’ person. But in the months since I first started, I have found that I’m much more  capable than I thought I was,”

All volunteers get their own vegetable box to take home - free of charge - to enjoy, plus fresh food every lunchtime. Volunteering at Glasbren has given me something to look forward to each week, a therapeutic environment away from the noise and anxieties of modern life, plus, a real sense of achievement. If you have the time to spare, then I would definitely recommend volunteering at Glasbren!