In the Autumn of 2013 I got the chance to
work with a very special patient named Jo, which led to a gigantic fundraising
event being held on May 16th 2014. Her mother Angela has written the following to show you how
this all started.
‘While my
daughter Jo was under the care of the hospice last year, she benefitted so very
much from the help of Nell in the Day Service. She was given help with letters, memories and clay modeling.
She made an
adorable model of her pet dachshund Rocky just before she died there, which we
now treasure dearly, in her memory.’
After Jo died in November 2013, her colleagues
wanted to do an event celebrating her life and raise money for Hospice in the
Weald at the same time. The
fundraising department were in deep discussions when someone remembered the
clay model of Rocky Jo had made with myself on our InPatient Unit.
Before I knew it, volunteers, several patients and
myself were elbow deep in plaster of paris making TWELVE larger than life versions
of Rocky. These were going to be hidden around the Weald for the participants to find armed with clues and co-ordinates.
The real fun came when painting them in outrageous
designs and colours. The patients
thoroughly enjoyed the decorating.
We also had two special helpers, Lilly and Charlie.
Lilly and Charlie’s Grandma is currently staying
in our InPatient Unit. Both Lilly
and Charlie have been with their Grandma for a long amount of time in her room
and were grateful to have the time and space to be themselves whilst creating
their own design!
The real Rocky with one of his replicas!
It was an absolute pleasure working with Jo and
this event has brought departments within Hospice in the weald working together
as well as the pleasure and relaxation of modeling and painting that the
patients, and of course Lilly and Charlie, have benefitted from it.
Jo’s firm LDC have also written about the hugely
successful event. Read more about
it here: http://www.ldc.co.uk/blog/community-activity/ldc-the-wondrous-weald/
Nell Mellerick
Creative Artist at Hospice in the Weald
Nell Mellerick
Creative Artist at Hospice in the Weald
My name is Brian I volunteer at the Hospice Day Service on a Wednesday. I’ve been involved with the making of the framework for the Dashunds along with the rest of the artistic team and thoroughly enjoyed it and happy and proud to be involved with such a good cause.
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