Malvern’s very own ‘Mr Pebbles’, Brian Graham has been reflecting on the success of the Take Heart Stones programme, which has received funding support from Worcestershire County Council’s Public Health Team.
The team awarded Brian with a micro grant to help him continue with the work that he has been able to achieve in his local community - benefiting the community socially, emotionally and encouraging physical activity!
The team has been running a programme since 2023 which encourages residents to spark new or continue existing initiatives.
From the first covid lockdown, Brian Graham, 67 from Malvern has been painting pebbles and leaving them around Malvern for people in the community to find. Since then, ‘Take Heart Stones’ has grown from strength to strength!
Always discovering new locations to place the stones Brian explains the positive impact the project has made to him both physically and mentally.
Mr Graham said: “If I wasn’t doing this – I don’t know what I would be doing? I am now walking every day to find new spots to put the stones and people recognise me. There is a lot of social interaction I get now that I wouldn’t have before. People recognise me.”
Brian has received positive feedback from the community including poems and cards and is now locally recognised as ‘Mr Pebbles’.
Brian doesn’t drive and the stones are a great reason to get out and about, meet new people and prevent isolation and loneliness on his ‘distribution rounds’. The ‘Take Heart Stones’ Facebook page is a platform Brian set up to bring the community of Malvern together to share spread a little message of positivity.
The Five Ways to Wellbeing; Connect, Keep Active; Notice; Discover & Offer are all golden threads which run through Brians’ hobby. Learn more about the 5 ways to wellbeing and how you can incorporate it into your life by visiting the dedicated NHS webpage.
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