Mae sêr y byd cerddoriaeth Gymraeg, Bryn Fôn, Elin Fflur, Brigyn (Ynyr ac Eurig Roberts), Côr Hŷn Glanaethwy a Chôr Eifionydd wedi dod at ei gilydd er mwyn recordio cân er lles Yr Ystafell Fyw Caerdydd, y ganolfan Gymraeg ar gyfer adfer o alcohol a chyffuriau. Mae’r gân, Can y 'Stafell Fyw/The Living Room Song, wedi ei hysgrifennu gan y cyfansoddwr ac aelod o’r Tebot Piws, Alun ‘Sbardun’ Huws, ac wedi ei chynhyrchu gan Bryn Fôn.

Bydd y gân, sydd wedi ei recordio yn Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg yn Stiwdio Sain ger Caernarfon, ar gael i’w lawr lwytho o iTunes a www.sainwales.com o hanner nos 1af Mai. Bydd fideo’r gân hefyd ar gael i’w wylio ar wefan Yr Ystafell Fyw Caerdydd www.thelivingroom-cardiff.com/cymraeg ac ar www.sainwales.com.

Bydd y ganolfan Adferiad cymunedol, sy’n seiliedig yn 58 Richmond Road, Caerdydd, yn darparu man diogel, sydd ddim yn barnu, ac yn cynnig amrywiad o raglenni seico-gymdeithasol i bobl o ardal Caerdydd sydd yn gwella o broblemau camddefnyddio sylweddau dwfn a hirdymor.

Nid yw aelodau yn cael eu trin fel “pobl anffodus â phroblemau cyffuriau ac/neu alcohol hir-dymor” ond yn hytrach fel bodau dynol gweithredol â breuddwydion, gallu creadigol ac yn meddu ar fywyd i’w fyw. Bydd y ganolfan newydd yn cael ei hagor yn swyddogol ar yr 8fed o Fedi ac yn help i 'agor y drws i fywyd newydd' yn rhydd o ddibyniaeth. Mewn amser, bydd y gwasanaeth yn cael ei ymestyn i holl drefi mawr ledled Cymru.

Dywedodd Wynford Ellis Owen, Prif Weithredwr, Cyngor Cymru ar Alcohol a Chyffuriau Eraill, “Rwy’n ddiolchgar dros ben i bawb sydd wedi cymryd rhan yn y prosiect yma. Heb eu hymroddiad a’u brwdfrydedd, ni fyddwn ni wedi cyrraedd lle rydym ni heddiw. Mae cael rhestr mor drawiadol o sêr â’r un sydd gennym ni ar gyfer y record yma yn wych, ac rwy’n siŵr y bydd pobl wrth eu boddau pan fyddent yn clywed y gân ac y bydd hi’n rhoi’r siartiau ar dân!

“Bydd cysyniad y 'Stafell Fyw yn trawsnewid y driniaeth sydd ar gael i bobl sy’n ddibynnol ar alcohol a chyffuriau yng Nghymru. Bydd y pwyslais ar adferiad, yn hytrach na rheoli’r ddibyniaeth yn unig. Mae syniad y 'Stafell Fyw yn deillio o’r ffaith fod dim cymuned adferiad yng Nghymru. O ganlyniad, mae Yr Ystafell Fyw wedi ei sefydlu fel ffordd o roi ‘gwyneb a llais’ i adferiad a rhoi gobaith i’r rheiny sydd dal yn brwydro yn erbyn dibyniaeth. O fy amser yn America, fel rhan o Gymrodoriaeth Winston Churchill, dysgais ei bod hi’n hanfodol sefydlu cymuned adfer gref yn gyntaf, gan mai dyma’r llwybr gorau at lwyddiant i bawb sy’n delio ag adferiad.”

Ychwanegodd Alun ‘Sbardun’ Huws, “Mae 'Stafell Fyw Caerdydd yn achos gwych. Rydw i’n bersonol wedi cael profiad o frwydro yn erbyn dibyniaeth ar alcohol ac wedi bod yn gwella ers pum mlynedd ar hugain ac rwy’n gwybod pa mor anodd y gallai dod o hyd i gyngor a chefnogaeth fod. Rwy’n falch o allu helpu mewn rhyw ffordd."

Dywedodd Bryn Fôn, “Yn gyntaf oll mae hi’n gân wych ac roeddwn i’n fwy na bodlon cynnig fy nghefnogaeth. Mae cael lleisiau a thalentau ffantastig perfformwyr fel Elin Fflur, Brigyn, Côr Hŷn Glanaethwy a Chôr Eifionydd yn gwneud y recordiad hyd yn oed mwy arbennig ac rwy’n gobeithio y bydd yn codi llawer ar ymwybyddiaeth y 'Stafell Fyw Caerdydd.”

Meddai Dafydd Roberts, Prif Weithredwr Sain, “Roedd hi’n bleser cael croesawu cymaint o artistiaid talentog i recordio’r gân yma yn ein stiwdio, er budd yr achos teilwng hwn. Gobeithiwn yn fawr y bydd ymdrechion pawb yn sicrhau fod y gân yn codi ymwybyddiaeth o’r adnodd gwerthfawr hwn yng Nghaerdydd.”

Am ragor o wybodaeth cysylltwch â Rhodri Ellis Owen, Cambrensis Communications ar 029 2025 7075 neu rhodri@cambrensis.uk.com neu ewch i www.welshcouncil.org.uk.

Welsh supergroup bid for chart success in aid of recovery centre

Welsh music stars Bryn Fôn, Elin Fflur, Brigyn (Ynyr and Eurig Roberts), Côr Hŷn Glanaethwy and Côr Eifionydd have come together to record a song in aid of The Living Room Cardiff, the Welsh alcohol and drug recovery centre. The track, cân y ‘Stafell Fyw/The Living Room Song, was written by songwriter and Tebot Piws member Alun ‘Sbardun’ Huws and produced by Bryn Fôn.

Recorded in both Welsh and English at Sain Studios near Caernarfon, the song will be available to download from iTunes and www.sainwales.com on midnight 1st May. A music video will also be available to view on the Living Room Cardiff’s own website www.thelivingroom-cardiff.com and on www.sainwales.com

The community based Recovery Centre, based at 58 Richmond Road, Cardiff, will provide a safe, non-judgmental space offering a range of psycho-social programmes (including peer-based recovery support) for people from the Cardiff area that are in recovery from longstanding, entrenched substance misuse problems.

Members are treated not as “unfortunate people with longstanding drug and/or alcohol problems” but as functioning human beings with dreams, capabilities, creativity and in possession of a life to be lived’. The new centre will be officially opened on 8th September and will offer support and help PIRs ‘open the door to a new life’ free from addiction.

Wynford Ellis Owen, Chief Executive, Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs who sponsor the new centre, said, ”I am so grateful to everyone involved with this project as without their time and enthusiasm we would not be where we are today. To have a roll call of stars as we have managed to amass for this record is great and I’m sure people are going to love the song when they hear it and that it sets the charts alight!

“The Living Room Cardiff concept will revolutionize the treatment of alcohol and drug dependent people in Wales. The emphasis will be on recovery rather than simple addiction management. The idea for the Living Room stems from the fact there is no recognisable recovery community in Wales as such. The Living Room Cardiff has been established as a way to put a ‘face and a voice’ to recovery and to give hope to those still struggling with addiction. From my time in America, as part of the Winston Churchill Fellowship, it is crucial to establish a strong recovery community first as this is the best route to success for all concerned with recovery.”

Alun ‘Sbardun’ Huws, added, “The Living Room Cardiff is a great cause. I’ve personally had experience of battling with alcohol addiction and have been in recovery for twenty five years and know how difficult it can be to find advice and support. I’m proud to be able to help in some way."

Bryn Fôn, said, “First and foremost it’s a great song and I was only too happy to lend my support. The fantastic voices and talents of performers such as Elin Fflur, Brigyn, Côr Hŷn Glanaethwy and Côr Eifionydd makes this track extra special and I hope it raises a lot of awareness for the Living Room Cardiff.”

Dafydd Roberts, Chief Executive of Sain Records said, “It was a pleasure to host the recording of this song and to welcome such talented artists to the studios here, in aid of such a worthy cause. We hope everyone’s efforts will ensure the song succeeds in raising the awareness of this much needed resource”

For further information please contact Rhodri Ellis Owen at Cambrensis Communications on 029 2025 7075 or rhodri@cambrensis.uk.com or go to www.welshcouncil.org.uk.

GWEDDI AR GYFER Y PASG oddi wrth Cyngor Cymru ar Alcohol a Chyffuriau Eraill

Dduw pob gobaith,
Molwn di am hanes y Pasg.
Rhannwn gyda’r disgyblion
a thyrfa’r ymdeithio buddugoliaethus i mewn i Jerwsalem -
gan floeddio ‘Haleliwia i Fab Dafydd’.
Yn eu cwmni hwy, helpa ni i glywed gobeithion pobl heddiw
yn arbennig y tlawd a’r methedig,
y di-waith a’r sawl sydd anobeithio ar bererindod bywyd.
Boed iddynt hwythau brofi gwefr gobaith y Pasg hwn.

Dduw pob barn a chyfiawnder
Cyfaddefwn i ninnau droi addoldai’n ffydd
I fod yn ogofau twyll ac yn llefydd i frolio ein hunain.
Edrych arnom yn dy drugaredd
wrth i ninnau gyfaddef ein gwendid a’n pechod.
Maddau i ni am fod mor dawedog
wrth i ni glywed cri'r anghenus a griddfan y difreintiedig.
Glanha staen y byd oddi arnom y Pasg hwn.

Dduw'r cariad dyfnaf,
Diolchwn i ti am ein caru ninnau yn dy ras.
Diolchwn dy fod yn parhau i olchi traed y blinedig
ac estyn ohonot dy hun fodd i wasanaethu heb gyfrif y gost.
Pa fodd y gallwn sylweddoli grym gwyleidd-dra a gogoniant gwasanaeth
yn Iesu Grist?
Meithrin ynom awydd i weithio dros eraill
heb roi unrhyw ystyriaeth i ni ein hunain.

Dduw'r aberth mwyaf un,
Diolchwn i ti am Iesu Grist, a’i ufudd-dod i ti,
hyd yn oed wrth wynebu artaith y croeshoelio.
Wrth iddo edrych ar draws Golgotha,
credwn iddo weld pob dioddefaint,
ac estyn i drigolion daear rym rhyfeddol ei ras.

Dduw'r atgyfodiad,
Rhyfeddwn dy fod yn ein gwahodd
i rannu'r bywyd newydd sydd yn dy fuddugoliaeth di dros bob angau.
Ti yw’r hwn sy’n rhyddhau'r caethion o rwymau’r byd,
Gweddïwn y byddi’n datgloi cadwynau pobl o’r newydd -
y sawl sy’n glwm i alcoholiaeth a chamddefnydd o gyffuriau;
y sawl sy’n gaeth i’w hunanoldeb ac i drais;
y sawl sy’n cael eu cam-drin a’u hamharchu
y sawl sy’n dyheu am fywyd a rhyddid.

Helpa ni i brofi grym y Pasg ym mhrofiadau Golgotha ein byd.
ac i glywed yr Haleliwia yn ein heneidiau’n wastadol. Amen.

Y Parch Denzil I. John

A PRAYER FOR EASTER from the Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs

A PRAYER FOR EASTER


Lord of all hope,
We praise you for the Easter narrative.
We join with the disciples
And the crowds walking into Jerusalem –
Shouting ‘Halleluiah to the Son of David’.
In their company, help us to hear the hopes of people today,
especially the poor and the disabled,
the unemployed and those who have despaired along life’s pilgrimage.
May they experience the excitement of hope this Easter.

God of all judgement and justice,
we confess that we have turned places of worship,
into dark caves, where we can boast ourselves.
Look upon us in your mercy
as we confess our weaknesses and sin.
Forgive us for being silent
when we hear the cries of the needy and the wailing of the under-privileged.
Cleanse the worldly stains from us this Easter, Lord.

God of the deepest love,
we praise you for loving us with your grace.
We thank you for washing the feet of the weary
giving of yourself, the means to serve without counting the cost.
How can we realise the power of humility and the glory of service
in Jesus Christ?
Nurture within us the willingness to serve others
without considering ourselves.

God of the greatest ever sacrifice,
we thank you for Jesus Christ, and his loyalty to you,
even while facing the torture of the cross.
As Jesus surveyed across Golgotha, we believe that he saw all suffering
and extended to human beings world wide, the wondrous power of his grace.

God of the resurrection
we marvel that you have invited us
to share the new life in your victory over death.
You, who can free the captives from worldly shackles,
we pray that you loosen the chains of people anew

those who are bound to alcoholism and the mis-use of other drugs,
those who are captive to selfishness and violence,
those who are ill treated and suffer disrespect,
those who yearn for life and freedom.

Help us to experience the power of Easter in the Golgotha experiences of our world
and to hear the Halleluiah constantly in our souls. Amen.

The Rev. Denzil I. John

A new approach that will take away the power of addiction

The recent statistics published in the Western Mail regarding the epidemic levels of obesity and alcoholism in Wales suggest strongly that the current model of treatment has proven to be as effective as medieval remedies for ‘bad humours’. (“Obesity and alcohol cost Welsh NHS £150m a year”, March 30).

The fact that the medical establishment has been so unwilling to adopt alternate strategies for so long, even in the face of such damning statistics, tends to suggest that there is a deep intransigence right at the heart of the institutions that are supposed to be offering the most support.

The reason why there has been so little progress in treating the ever growing problem of addiction in our society is due to the fact that the model for treatment used is inappropriate.

The prevailing philosophy is that of ‘acute care’, unsuited to dealing with a chronic condition. This is why many treatment facilities for alcoholism operate a near revolving door policy, seeing the unfortunate addict back in the ward sometimes days after they have been discharged.

Many such units offer a patch-up service, sending the problem drinker back out to deal with the world after some rest, but without any of the tools he or she needs to achieve sobriety.

If we are to have any success at all, if we are to save countless lives each year, we must bring about a fundamental change in thinking as to how we support alcoholics. We must move away from the idea of treatment, with all the connotations it brings with it, the helpless patient and the omnipotent doctor, all wise and all knowing.

The most successful treatments for addiction are those that are peer based, and whilst this fact may run contrary to our society’s prevalent notions of how medical science works, it is none the less true and is born out by increasing statistical evidence.

There is actually no mystery as to why this is so. Addicts respond very well to other addicts who they can relate to, and who they can share experience and hope with. Recovery in Wales must be a shared experience, a community of individuals committed to mutual help and not another series of interventions by well meaning professionals.

It will now require a new attitude towards the addict from the rest of society as well. The days in which addiction was a shameful secret must be consigned to the past, given the scope of society’s addiction problems, it surely will be, one way or another.

We can bring that day forward by supporting recovering addicts to speak out, share their truth with all of us, to show how they found recovery and to give hope to all those still struggling with addiction. It is now time to give a face and a voice to recovery, and in doing so, to take away much of addiction’s power.