{"id":262,"date":"2025-08-27T09:47:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T09:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/patchworkpeople.org\/?page_id=262"},"modified":"2026-02-17T16:03:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:03:24","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/patchworkpeople.org\/?page_id=262","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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About Patchwork People\n

\n\n\nCreativity. Community. Connection<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Who We Are<\/h2>

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Patchwork People is a community interest company supporting women in rural communities through creativity, community, and connection.<\/p>

We offer creative wellbeing spaces that are gentle, accessible, and rooted in community. Whether through painting, photography, or sewing, our sessions help women slow down, feel seen, and rebuild confidence in their own time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What Makes Us Different?<\/h2>

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Patchwork People isn\u2019t therapy, and it\u2019s not just a craft group.<\/p>

It\u2019s a space that sits between, rooted in creative practice, but designed with care, emotional safety, and mental wellbeing at its heart.<\/p>

We work with women who may not feel \u201cunwell\u201d enough to access services, but know they need something.<\/p>

With Patchwork People, women are met where they are. No diagnosis, no pressure. Just gentle support, creative expression, and the chance to feel connected again.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Directors Edel and Dearbhla at the Social Enterprise NI Awards 2025, where Patchwork People were nominated for Best New Rural Start Up<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Our Approach<\/h2><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Creativity<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Community<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Connnection<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We use gentle, accessible activities to support mental wellbeing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We listen first and build with women<\/b>, not for them<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Our spaces offer more than activities. They help women feel seen, supported, and part of something.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Our Personal Story<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I know first-hand the power of creativity to support mental health, and my lived experience gives me deep understanding of the barriers women face, especially in rural communities.\n
\nWhen I was a full-time carer for my father, creativity was my lifeline. I spent up to six days a week with him in hospital at various appointments, always carrying my knitting or stitching to keep myself from unravelling. After he passed away, creativity brought me comfort and gave me purpose when life felt hopeless. Later, during Covid, when I was isolated and living alone, building a community through creativity carried me through. It helped me get out of my head and into my hands.\n
\nI have seen that same transformation in others. Craft groups I have taught over the years showed me the power of connecting, creating, and sharing stories. But I also saw the gap. Traditional craft classes give people skills and companionship, yet they are not structured to support women who need early, guided access to mental health support.\n
\nThat is why I retrained as a Holistic Creative Therapist. My training allows me to connect the gentle encouragement of craft groups with the structured guidance of mental health support before difficulties reach a crisis point.\n
\nI also carry personal motivation. In 2025, I learned of the death of someone I went to school with. Although we had not seen each other in many years, the news stopped me in my tracks. It made me reflect deeply on how much support for women\u2019s mental health is still missing, especially in rural communities. That reflection was one of the sparks that led me to create Patchwork People, a space where women can connect, create, and support one another. <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Edel Gribbin<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Director<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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