With Christmas just around the corner, February feels like a blot in the distant future. But a new year often brings a sense of franticness for some.

Those long, cold nights will soon come around again, without the Christmas lights, and so it’s even more important to have things to look forward to.

Peace and joy can be found any time of year, with the right tools and help. That’s where ‘Peace in a Frantic World’ comes in – a month-long exhibition at our Cheriton Community Network, curated by United Response volunteer Oliver Neely:

February can be a bit of a miserable time of year for people.

We wanted to create an open space where people can come and go freely, and share and discover together.

Oliver hopes the events will give people time to take stock of things and reflect, and explains how this is really important for our mental health.

We don’t get the chance to do that in the busy, complicated world we live in, and we don’t really realise how much things can affect us.

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Events for everyone

The month-long events programme is bursting with variety and includes events especially suited to those with sensory needs, such as a sound bath and aromatherapy. There’s also tai chi, talks, singalongs and more.

Oliver said:

I wanted to offer variety so that there’s something that might benefit everyone. For example, someone might struggle with mindfulness but could find the sound bath relaxing. I think there’s something to be said for all of these activities.

You can find out more about ‘Peace in a Frantic World’ on their website at: https://peaceinafrantic.world/

The exhibition will focus on peace: members of the local community will be invited to share their ideas about how we find peace in the often frantic world we live in.

This event is a chance to connect the Cheriton and United Response communities. People supported by United Response and local residents are encouraged to submit poetry, ideas and photographs for the exhibition. If you would like to get involved, you can get in touch with Oliver here.

We want everyone to feel comfortable coming here. The event has a real community feel.

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Why volunteer?

As a volunteer at The Community Network, Oliver enjoys getting stuck into lots of different tasks. As well as running Peace in a Frantic World, he often helps out at coffee mornings, doing bits and bobs around the network, and of course, volunteering at The Local Larder.

The Larder is one of the most important services offered by The Community Network.

Volunteers and staff collect donations from supermarkets and local residents. Local people can then pop by the Larder anytime, grab the food and toiletries they need for free, with no questions asked.

The service is open for food/toiletry drop offs or collections Monday – Friday (not Wednesdays) and can be found at The Community Network on Cheriton High Street.

The team are currently running an appeal to raise funds to help them continue to supply The Local Larder over the Winter months. Please donate if you’re able to show them your support.

From left: Oliver and Community Network Coordinator, Rachael Stickells, at The Local Larder

When asked about why he volunteers at The Community Network, Oliver said:

It’s extremely rewarding, and it makes a real difference to people in the local area.

There’s so much that we do here for the betterment of the community, it’s a brilliant place. I really enjoy it.

Want to find out more about volunteering opportunities at The Community Network in Cheriton? Get in touch with Senet or pop in for a chat to find out more.

  • Ali Mills is Communications and Engagement Officer at United Response