The CUBE in Barry has just received the transformative sum of £500,000 in National Lottery funding to help lay their foundations in the community as well as ensuring they can continue their vital work in and around Barry for the foreseeable future.

Barry Nub News held a number of interviews in the run up to the lottery funding announcement in order to find out a bit more about the fantastic work the team have been doing and their plans for the future.

Community United Barry for Everyone, or CUBE for short, is a new community centre created, namely, to support those dealing with: substance abuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse and isolation and loneliness.

Tammi Owen, who is behind the project, has been working tirelessly on this project for a number of years.

CUBE is a collective of 28 people who are mostly Barry residents. It is unique because all of its services, activities, staff and volunteers have experience of either delivering services to the Barry community and/or have real experiences in accessing local support.

We spoke to three members behind the initiative to gain a greater insight into the community project and you can also find an in-depth discussion with Tammi Owen.

The first CUBE member we spoke to was Zoe Belle.

Zoe discussed her role in the centre with us along with what she believed CUBE was going to do differently to other services of its kind.

She said: ''For me personally, I don't feel like I have a specific role. I've got lots of different skills which I have been able to offer to the CUBE. For example, I can help with cooking, arts and crafts, activities and events. I have played a big role in the Barry community which is where I grew up and have lived all of my life. I know the targets and the hotspots for people that are really in need.

''I have been there from the very beginning with CUBE. When I heard about the idea from Tammi I was just like, yes, I absolutely want to get on board. I think it is fantastic and Barry is in desperate need of a service like this.

''Tammi trained me and helped me to learn about restorative processes for families. But, I know that when people go to these services some might be a bit daunted by the professionals. I think it's really important to have a mix of people and that's what we have here. First and foremost, I am a member of the community.

''The amount of mental health issues locally, from all walks of life, is devastating. Elderly and vulnerable, widows, young people. All of these individuals need help and support.''

''I know from my experience in working with the homeless that they can feel quite isolated and segregated and sometimes all they need is a chat and to feel like they are a part of the community. Loneliness is a big problem for lots of different people and can severely affect their mental health.

''A while ago when I was working with the homeless, my team went to Cardiff Castle to help out. We would take camping cookers and other items to them. One boy, he must have been about 19, was just lost. We made him feel a bit more comfortable and he got chatting about how he had ended up staying in a hostel because he had left his family. We gave him some food and we were there for about six hours. At the end of our visit he told us he was going to go and see his family. It was such a great success story. That type of connection is so important.

''People will be able to turn to us.

Zoe has always put herself at the heart of Barry's community.

She said: ''I have always loved helping out in any way I can.

''I am the secretary of the resident's association in Colcot. I also run a not-for-profit organisation for people who have lost loved ones as well as helping the homeless and the local foodbank."

The pandemic has brought a whole litany of issues with it, which has also impacted the plans for CUBE's opening. Zoe explained how it will likely increase the need for the services they offer.

''When things start opening up again slowly, this service will be even more necessary. There are going to be a lot of problems. Agoraphobia being particularly problematic. Even people without mental health issues are going to be affected by this mentally.

''There is a huge gap in Barry and nothing quite like this in the community. I have two children who suffer with mental health problems (ADHD) and there is nothing in Barry which people can go to locally. Some can't go to Cardiff for appointments and so in that case there is no way of them accessing help.''

We asked Zoe how the lottery money will affect the CUBE.

She explained that: ''The fund is obviously a massive step forward for the CUBE. It will go a long way for the set-up and continuation of our services.

''The lottery money will help us secure a building and do all of our services in a stable, relaxed, non-clinical environment. We want it to be somewhere that they are not scared of. From young people to the elderly and everyone in between.

''The CUBE has such a mix of people. This is vitally important from what I have seen over the years. It is integral that people can come and chat and someone is there for them. I can't stress enough how much Barry needs this service.''

Kathryn Donovan also spoke to us about what inspired her to get involved with CUBE.

She gave us an insight into the importance of focusing on young people's mental health as well as wider family support with their services.

This is a cause that is also close to Tammi's heart and she draws on the importance of encouraging young men to come and talk.

Ms Donovan walked us through the part she wanted to play with the CUBE.

She said: ''I am a board member and volunteer.

''I wanted to get involved with the community because children and young people's mental health is very important to me and there aren't enough services for entire families which the CUBE addresses.

''I currently run Wellbeing South Wales, so I have experience in providing much needed support in the community, but the CUBE opens up a free service which I believe everyone has the right to.

''My focus will be working with children and young people. I will be aiming to provide bereavement support, emotional wellbeing classes, mindfulness, meditation. I'll also be providing support to parents who are struggling with their mental health and forming strong relationships with their children.

''I believe this will support much needed gaps in the community where either there are no services or services are very limited.

Sally Burris discussed CUBE's journey and how they have arrived at this point. She describes Tammi's unwavering passion for its growth and success throughout the past few years.

She said: ''I am one of the directors of the CUBE. I was asked to come on board around two years ago. I'm a trained therapist but I've run businesses and projects for over 20 years. One of the elements that the CUBE benefited from was my experience in strategic planning, bringing people together, policies and putting procedures in place. I have been there as a mentor from the very beginning.

''My experience has been with drug and alcohol, child protection and housing. I am trained in psychotherapy and restorative practices. I was previously the owner of Steps which delivered support to individuals and families who were experiencing challenges in their lives. Because of this experience, my knowledge stretches across the whole spectrum that Tammi wanted to build in the CUBE.

''Before this, I was the founder and director of a family domestic abuse service – this is how I met Tammi. Currently, I am doing the second year of my journalism degree.

''Mental health support is required in significant amounts in th area. This motivated us to push it in this particular way. While I am not in Barry, I have been supporting people in the area for many years. From what I can see, there is a massive gap in mental health services that incorporates families as a whole.

''A large proportion of people go to GP services for family issues. The CUBE incorporating this is unique. It will be a service for the whole community.

''Tammi consulted heavily with the community. I have never known someone to design a whole service in the way she did it. She incorporated the whole of Barry. Visibly it's been two years of building it up, but it's been in the works for longer.

''We know as practitioners and service deliverers that in reality we are not all working together. The third sector is more cutthroat than any other sector I have worked with. It is extremely competitive. You have to understand everyone's needs. Tammi is tenacious. She has pulled everyone together and has driven this forward tirelessly.

''My mum got very sick and then my brother died in 2017, that is why I gave up my organisations. This project has brought me back to it again.

''There are four characters who are the directors behind Heroes Rights (the company behind the CUBE) – Tammi, Jo, Max and me. We understand the world and are driven by frontline services for frontline needs.

"The CUBE project needs specialist services as well as volunteers. Everyone will need expertise. We want the community involved. Those who will deliver will get paid. Without the lottery money, they wouldn't be able to set up a project of professional people. They will equip volunteers to help at a certain level. The volunteers will be equipped with a level of skills to be peer mentors. They are designed not to create dependency. Max's groups, for example, help people to become independent and give them coping mechanisms to live their own autonomous life.

"Without the lottery funding she wouldn't be able to have the specialists, bring in the community, partnerships with other charities – It makes the CUBE an actual HUB.

''The building is in Barry and Tammi knew it was right in the hub of the community. With money from the lottery that building will cope with hot-desking and can help ensure the longevity of the CUBE. The funding helps get the staff that are highly trained. It will create a HUB and will enable the CUBE to deliver expert-level services.

''The central point of them being there is mental health and wellbeing. The NHS cuts mean that in Barry none of the GPs has a central point for these services. Here it will have direct access – and you don't need to be referred like the NHS. You won't find that anywhere else.

''Tammi's dogged determination and having confidence in what she knows has pushed past any resilience that she's faced.

"This service is a first and is perfect for Barry.''

Tammi Spoke to Barry Nub News all about the CUBE earlier this year. She discussed her story and the journey that's led her to the launch of this service in the local area. The detailed interview explains the project and what she plans to create. Her key message has continued to be that the CUBE will be ''a centre by the community and for the community of Barry.''

Please view that here.