Name(s): Eleanor Shaw
Role(s): Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Location: Llanelli
Website: People Speak Up
People Speak Up
Can you tell us a little about your organisation, what inspired you to start, and its role within the local community?
People Speak Up (PSU) is a social, arts, health, mental-health, and well-being community organisation. We connect people, help them find their voice, and create healthier and resilient communities through storytelling, spoken word, creative writing, conversation-based activities, participatory arts, volunteering and training.
Our services are free to access and open to all. We run activities to support people’s mental health, reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation from our Arts, Health and Wellbeing Hub and Community Garden in Llanelli, The Living Well Centre in Carmarthen, online, and by taking our work into people’s homes, care homes, and community spaces across Southwest Wales.
Watch a short film about us here
Eleanor Shaw - Founder & Chief Executive Officer:
I created People Speak Up in 2017, when I was on a journey of re-building, searching, and understanding my purpose. I found the power of autobiographical and traditional storytelling. This process helped me to look at my story and make sense of my life. PSU has become the vehicle to take more people on this journey. When you put similar people together in a space who are on a similar journey – the magic starts to happen. When people start to speak up, they connect, learn and start to feel human again. Thank you to all of our creatives who all bring their own art forms and tool kits for our community to find their voice.
Eleanor Shaw is a UNLTD Alumni and a recipient of the Women in Social Enterprise award at the Social Business of Wales Awards 2023.
How has the UK SPF supported your organisation and what specific improvements or changes have you been able to make with the funding?
UK SPF supported job growth, enabled us to develop our community garden and increase engagement in our arts and health hub, the old Zion chapel. We were able to deliver creative wellbeing activities twice a week and during the summer holidays for young people in Llanelli to feel safe, to be inspired by creativity & Culture and to feel positive about their town and their community. This had a ripple effect on the community as a whole, families were involved, our older people and partners. This funding enabled our community to find their voice.
What impact has this project had on the local community so far and how have they responded to the services/improvements you’ve made?
The community garden has been improved/ we have increased engagement and more young people are volunteering with us on other projects!
Beneficiary of the project:
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what life was like before you got involved at the Ffwrnes Fach?
I was just in the house every day and I didn't go to school much either and didn’t do much at all before coming here
How did you get involved in the Ffwrnes Fach? What did you hope might happen as a result of getting involved?
It was through school. My friend came here and I didn’t want to come alone so I thought it would be cool to try it out, I knew someone here so that really helped.
As a result of participating, what do you think has been the most significant change for you personally?
I do a lot more now and even outside of PSU, It's given me motivation to do more than I was. I think it's helped my confidence; I have met new friends. I'm volunteering now too, which has been great.
