Taking the mountain bus

Joan's clients can remember a very different country to the modern Wales.  In some areas of Montgomeryshire, it was customary to send children to live with relatives on the tops of mountains from when they were weaned until they were 5 or 6 years old.  Some users are the products of this wild-sounding upbringing by a dispersed family. 

Many others, especially women, came to Wales as part of the Land Army during the Second World War.  But now these capable people are immobilised by old age, and often isolated in the remote districts where they live.  Many either never learned to drive or are no longer able to do so.  One former member of the Land Army says 'I had a bit of a prang in my early 80s, it was nobody's fault, but I realised it was time to stop driving.  For about six months afterwards I felt like someone had chopped off my arm.  I still find the loss of freedom very hard.'

On Mondays, Joan's minibus brings a group of people to scenic Llangynog.  Above the centre, a chilly hill collapses into a pile of granite scree.  Inside there's warmth and practical services like a post office. A member of the Red Cross offers massage and manicure.  There are activities from films to talks to jewellery making.  But the main therapy offered here is company.  Some people are referred to Age Concern by social services, worried that a user is becoming isolated, especially after the death of a spouse.  But word of mouth is also important - people who have enjoyed a session will frequently bring a neighbour or friend.

The service is made possible by over fifty volunteers who help a small number of paid staff deliver services to different centres every day of the week.  Some volunteer once a month, others weekly.

The project's overall organiser is Andy McVicar who juggles the job with a private passion for rearing rare sheep.  He says 'this is a generation that never had much to do with fast food - where would you get it around here? -and they still know how to cook'.  The centre sells very cheap fruit and vegetables to users, much of it locally grown.  It comes from the local Community Food Co-op, who also sell veg to villagers, helping them to cope in an area with no shop.

Difficulties for older people who live in remote areas are likely to remain an issue - with many still regarding old people's homes as a last resort to be avoided for as long as possible.  Age Concern's work in rural Wales allows people to retain a measure of freedom and avoid abandonment in the landscape that has been their home for so long.