Creative Family Saturdays

Creative Family Saturday’s happen every 4 weeks at the Hospice, run by Nell Mellerick our Creative Artist, Julie Annis our Activities Coordinator and a team of Creative Arts volunteers.  It is a two hour session for patients to come along with their families and carers and be creative!  It empowers our patients to be able to complete a project with their families and carers and promote wellbeing through creative expression. 

 ‘It was so nice to have that time with my daughter.  I think it really changed her perception of what the Hospice is, it gave me a reason to bring her here.’ Kate

 Patients are also learning new skills giving much needed self esteem and sense of achievement.  IT also offers an option for Hospice patients to access Creative Arts outside of the unusual working week.  A lot of patients find this means they don’t have to take their children/ grandchildren out of school to access the session. 

 ‘Lottie (6) and Georgia (2) enjoyed a morning felting at the Hospice. Being able to spend time with their granddad doing something fun gave the girls something positive to tell people and beautiful moments to keep in their memories.’ – A patient’s daughter who attended the session with her Dad and her children.

We have created many things in our previous sessions including: pottery painting; mask making; easter trees; felting and many more crafts besides. 

 ‘I recently spent a night offering nightcare to a patient, Andy, who was at end of life and has sadly now died.  But I sat up all night with Andy chatting and watching tv and we talked about lots of things.  Andy spoke a lot about his family and he told me that he had been very close to his eldest grand-daughter, now 11, but when he became poorly and she was told he had cancer, she stopped going to see him as she found it too difficult.  This obviously was very sad for Andy but he completely understood.  

On the next Creative Family Saturday session, Andy's daughter took Andy and other members of their family, including all the grandchildren, along.  Andy said that they all enjoyed their day and had fun together, and from that day his eldest grand-daughter started to see him at home again and was a constant visitor.  Andy was so grateful to the Hospice for getting the family together on that day and this enabled him to resume his relationship with his grand-daughter, which gave him a lot of comfort. This showed to me just how important the family Saturday sessions are and how they can make such a big difference to families.’ – Becky, Health Care Assistant.

 

 At the next Creative Family Saturday we are getting ready for Christmas and making cards!  So if you are a Hospice in the Weald patient come and join us!