Inspiring study trip to Wales and St. Giles

By Silje Margrethe Jørgensen | 7. October 2024

Study visit in Wales - Photo of staff from KBT and St. Giles

Group photo from the study tour to Wales and St. Giles. We got a lot of inspiration, and hopefully there will be further cooperation between St. Giles and KBT. Photo: Lucy Leighton at St. Giles foundation

Learning together: A Journey Between Wales and Trondheim (poem by Danielle John)

Wrote a Poem About the Study Visit

On the last evening of the study visit, we had dinner with Danielle John. She was one of those with lived experience who visited Trondheim in the spring and is now a team leader in a project. During dinner, she told us that she had written a poem about the study trip, and she read it aloud to us. And here it is for you as well:

Learning Together: A Journey Between Wales and Trondheim

In Trondheim's embrace, we arrived with wide eyes,

The St Giles team, ready for a magical surprise.

Peers and staff alike, we felt something profound,

In the warmth of Norway, new friendships were found.

Roger and Carl, our guides through each day,

Informative and fun, in every possible way.

They taught us, they led us, with wisdom and cheer,

Everyone needs a Roger, to hold near and dear.

At the Glimt Recovery Centre, we felt truly at home,

Shoes off, around tables, we didn't feel alone.

Cooking and sharing, like a family, we sat,

The homeliness, the safety—we’ll never forget that.

Their recovery services were special, so kind,

With every gesture, they opened our mind.

The lived experience college, our hosts and our guides,

Taught us lessons we’ll carry, forever inside.

When they came to Wales, it was our turn to give,

To share our journeys, how together we live.

From Norway to Wales, we exchanged so much,

In stories and laughter, we stayed in close touch.

Now we hold onto hope, and the bonds that we've made,

Grateful for every experience they’ve laid.

For peers and staff, a trip beyond compare,

A journey of learning, respect, and care.

Danielle John

Danielle, a warm and lively woman, turned out to be a super tour guide. On the last evening we had good conversations, laughter, good food and later entertainment from folk musicians. Here we are at an indian restaurant.

In April, KBT and KBT Vocational College were visited by the Wales branch St. Giles. They had received funding for a study trip with a return visit, and on the 24th and 25th of September, it was our turn to learn from them. Like us, St. Giles works in various ways to promote and utilize lived experience. During these study trips, we have drawn inspiration from each other and identified several areas for potential collaboration.

Lived Experience

St. Giles is a large foundation with offices spread across almost all of the United Kingdom. In Wales, they have around 90 employees and a large proportion of volunteers. Many of the volunteers are recruited through various courses, where they later become course instructors themselves. Some of the volunteers eventually get employed by St. Giles or find jobs elsewhere, based on a combination of their lived experience and what they have learned from St. Giles.

Lived experience, is central to the work of St. Giles. This experience can come from, for example, mental health issues, addiction, criminality, poverty, or homelessness. During our visit, we met both volunteers and employees with lived experience. We also reunited with several of those with lived experience who visited Trondheim in April, and it made us happy to see how they have since gained greater confidence.

Learning Aboriginal art. At the boost project, they regulary have welfare days. One of the activities on welfare days, can be painting. At the visit we learned about how Aboriginalart can be used both to story telling and processing your own story. Photo: Lucy Leighton at St. Giles foundation

During our visit to the Gwent Boost project, we had the chance to try our hand at Aboriginal art. This art form has been used during "welfare days," which they hold regularly within the project. Gwent Boost is particularly aimed at women and aims to break down barriers that may prevent women with experience of domestic abuse from obtaining or maintaining employment. The project uses "peer advisors," and co-production is used with each course group to improve the course.

Project Ideas Based on Personal Experience

During the visit, several people with lived experience gave presentations where we heard about all the projects they are involved in and the many ideas they have for helping and supporting others who are in positions similar to what they themselves had been in earlier in life.

There are many people facing difficult situations today, and we heard that homelessness is at a critical point in Wales right now. They are trying to help in various ways, both in the short term and the long term. For exxample, we were told about one activity in one of the projects, where they collect litter in the streets and make emergency blankets out of old crisp bags.

It was both motivating and moving to hear how much resourcefulness and creativity there was in the people we met. They also shared their journeys to where they are today, often coming from tough lives where they might have been exploited by others in the past. They explained how they had moved forward and built up their confidence to become the engaged, positive, and strong people they are today.

Thank you so much for having us on this stuy visit! We have learned a lot, and got a lot of inspiration.

This text have been translated from Norwegian partly with help from the AI-tool chatgpt

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Inspiring study trip to Wales and St. Giles

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