Rachel Plaxton, Y Fron
Volunteering at Yr Orsaf
“I am very glad that GwyrddNi has spread across the whole of Gwynedd, with each group focusing on different things – in Nantlle, on food and growing organically, soil and biodiversity, and how this affects the community.” – Rachel Plaxton
Getting to Know Rachel:
Rachel is a very busy and talented individual, with countless interests, including volunteering at Yr Orsaf.
Rachel has a variety of interests and hobbies which are an important part of her life. She enjoys handicrafts and gardening, and meets once a month in Penygroes to take part in classes and listen to guest speakers.
Rachel was also a member of a watercolor painting group, which she really enjoyed. She also enjoys going to Caeathro’s gardening club, where guest speakers share their knowledge and experiences. She has had many ideas from the club, including adding a Primula plant and Japanese inspired plants to her garden.
Rachel belongs to local Anglican churches that hold bilingual services. Although she doesn’t speak much Welsh, she enjoys hearing the language and appreciates how willing people are to help her understand. In the churches, Rachel also leads an inner-intervention prayer group in Llanwnda and Llandwrog. The group prays for the community, families and for world peace.
Exercise is also part of Rachel’s life, and she enjoys Pilates classes. In addition to her many activities, she spends a lot of her time writing emails to friends and family. Keeping in touch with the people she has met and known throughout her life is very important to her.
Rachel’s Experience in Volunteering:
Rachel started volunteering when GwyrddNi and the Pantri Station was founded, when the old post office was transformed. She watched the work with great interest and was very pleased to see an opportunity to reduce all the food that goes to waste.
“I am very grateful for Yr Orsaf and the people there. They do great work in the community, and I enjoy helping with the gardening at Yr Orsaf. I help every Wednesday.” – Rachel Plaxton
While volunteering at the Pantry and attending Clwb Piclo sessions, Rachel has made lifelong friends and filled her bag with plenty of leftovers many times! Sion, GwyrddNi’s Community Facilitator, has asked her for several delicious recipes for the Piclo sessions, as Rachel is very experienced in the kitchen! She has been making jams and chutneys since she left home, so Rachel shared some of her most interesting recipes with Sion. They made her rhubarb chutney, and it was a hit! Rachel has also attended kimchi and kombucha making sessions at the Pantri.
Rachel also used to help in the wild garden in Penygroes, but now helps in the vegetable garden behind the Yr Orsaf building. She has a lot of experience in gardening and growing vegetables so she has a very positive effect on the garden.
There is now a new greenhouse polytunnel, and Rachel recently planted a variety of seeds. They are growing very well and everything is progressing nicely, and Rachel makes sure they are watered thoroughly.
Rachel said:
“It gets very warm in the tunnel! But it’s great – the seeds grow beautifully. I pull out the dandelions and weeds when I see them, and make sure everything is kept neat and healthy.
Sion is an inspiration and he does a great job. How fruitful the garden is is very encouraging. They also have a huge compost heap, which I add more weeds to.”
Rachel volunteers at Yr Orsaf garden every Wednesday, and is very grateful to Yr Orsaf and GwyrddNi for the work they do in the community, and enjoys being part of the work and helping in the garden.
What is Rachel proud to see as a volunteer?
Rachel is proud to see the rise in awareness about the importance of creating local produce, keeping the soil clean and looking after local biodiversity:
“Everything is very encouraging and I am very proud. I am proud to be able to make a contribution, and that has a ripple effect (domino effect) on the wider community – people realize how essential it is to grow food and take care of the soil. I am happy to contribute to the work of GwyrddNi and the local group in Nantlle.”
What are Rachel’s hopes for the future?
Locally, Rachel would like people to be much more aware of the need to reduce the amount of meat we eat and live in a more sustainable way. But, above all, this was Rachel’s main hope for a better future:
“I would like people to be more open and foster friendships and make friends without worrying about discrimination, be it in terms of age, language or race. By being more open to each other, we can create a better world, a stronger economy and more happiness for everyone.”
If you would like to meet Rachel, or want to try volunteering in Nantlle, head over to Yr Orsaf, Penygroes on Wednesday mornings to say hello and give it a go!