L4A

We work with older people receiving care across Leicester and Leicestershire

Fiona Smith

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‘Painting by Numbers’ Workshop proves great success for L4A volunteer

Experience met imagination recently with beautiful results – all thanks to retired architect and L4A volunteer Nigel King.

Below is Nigel’s watercolour painting, capturing the faded charm of Evington Park House, in Leicester. This was the inspiration behind the ‘Painting by Numbers’ workshop he organised and expertly led at a ‘Keep Calm and Get Creative!’ Wellbeing Day, held at Evington Park House itself.

Nigel has been participating in L4A’s Social Prescribing project since June 2017 – first exhibiting his artwork at our patient-led community events within the Evington area.

Coming from an architectural design background much of his work is naturally influenced by buildings in both urban and rural settings, including pencil drawings and paintings of local landmarks.

On viewing his work, L4A’s Social Prescribing project coordinator Anita Barrand had a ‘light bulb moment’ and suggested to Nigel a ‘Paint by Numbers’ activity which would recreate the image of the Park House. Anita says she was aware it was ambitious – “but given Nigel’s consummate skill, both as draughtsman and artist, I instinctively knew this could work!”

Nigel commented “There are no rules in art and the concept of deconstructing and recreating something new appealed to me. Also, painting doesn’t have to be a lonely, solo exercise. This workshop was devised to be inclusive, enabling people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to work together.

I was originally reluctant to get involved in the workshop because of the time commitment but although it did involve a lot of work I found myself looking at the historic building with new eyes and in more detail.

I enlarged the original artwork, re-drew and gridded it up then divided it into individual pieces so everyone could paint a square in their own way. Combined together, this produced a completely new, colourful work of art. It was a very sociable day and great to work with old friends and new acquaintances in a relaxed and happy atmosphere.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves; many said they would like to do this again. It felt very satisfying to be a part of such innovative activity with successful outcomes. Feedback during and after the session was extremely positive, with over 25 local people contributing to this collective community painting. Seeing my artwork make the front cover of the Evington Echo was an added bonus and a very pleasant surprise too! My thanks to all.”

This special event was run by a partnership between L4A’s Social Prescribing project, WEA and Friends of Evington, and was part of the wider Leicester Ageing Together festival ‘Celebrating Older People in Leicester 2017’. It provided an ideal opportunity to showcase the invaluable contribution older people can make to the life of their local community – something which is at the heart of L4A’s Social Prescribing project.

To find out more please contact Anita Barrand on 07964 091693 or email: anita.barrand@l4a.org.uk .

 

 

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Special Movie Matinee spreads that glorious feeling!

‘Grand as owt!’ – a lovely comment made by an audience member after the movie matinee of Singing in the Rain’ – a unique event organised as part of our Social Prescribing project by L4A and Friends of Evington.

Fun and fond memories were shared by 40 delighted film lovers enjoying this ‘feel good’ classic at Evington Park House, and in all of its technicolour glory! With a mobile film unit hired from the Phoenix Theatre- a huge 10 foot screen, high definition film stock and quality ‘surround sound’ the Panel Room was transformed into a comfy cinema for the afternoon.

The idea for this special screening was inspired by Lionel Oakley, a participant on L4A’s Social Prescribing Project whose love of film he shared with his dear late wife Joyce.  Lionel recalls “ ‘Whilst courting we regularly went to the pictures (or ‘the flicks’ as we sometimes called them) because back in our day that’s how we entertained ourselves. Once, after watching ‘Singing in the Rain’ at the Odeon in town we walked home up the High Street. It had been raining heavily that evening so with careless abandon we splashed in the puddles, dancing and laughing all the way at our own, funny renditions of songs from the film. It was a beautiful moment and one that I still cherish to this day.’

 

‘It’s been an honour to share my love of film with friends and neighbours, bringing the cinema to our doorstep for everyone in the local community to enjoy. I was pleased as punch with the turnout and I’d love to do this again. I’m sure with Anita’s help we’ll be able to make this happen. ‘What a Glorious Feeling’ that would be!’

 

And we will! L4A’s Social Prescribing Project hopes to work in partnership with the Downing Drive Patient Group to plan another exciting social event soon.

To find out more please contact L4A Project Coordinator Anita Barrand on 07964 091693 or email Anita.Barrand@l4a.org.

 

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Continuing Impact of ‘The Power of Stories’

Following the success of our ‘The Power of Stories’ project, which took storytelling into care homes and trained staff in techniques of storytelling, it’s been wonderful to hear about a developing legacy from the project.

Karen Faver from West View care home has written and illustrated her first book, which she designed especially for use in the care home!

Karen undertook the training and mentoring offered by ‘The Power of Stories’ project and by the time it ended she was using storytelling regularly with residents at West View. Inspired by the impact this was having, Karen combined her 21 years experience of working in care with both her love of drawing and her wire-haired fox terrier Herb – and ‘Herb’s Perfect Bone’ was born.

The book tells the story of Herb as he travels around the world in search of his perfect bone. Discussing the story and seeing iconic images from the different countries Herb visits has given residents the opportunity to tell stories of their own – where they have been and what they got up to.

Residents love it, as do their families and other staff in the home, as it helps enable recall and gives them something to talk about.

“It’s about going on a journey with them, bringing back memories that have been long forgotten – it’s all positive!” says Karen; “and the repetition engages people – residents pick the words up and say them with me as we go through the book.”

Karen is delighted with the impact ‘The Power of Stories’ has had on her own life too.

“Doing the storytelling project was quite out of my comfort zone and I didn’t know if I would be able to carry on with it, but with the help and support from the project I began to grow in confidence. Because I enjoyed drawing I was encouraged to do a storyboard – then I took things further and decided to do a book that I thought would be good with people with dementia.”

Plans are already underway for the next story, with residents fully involved and eager to think up new adventures for Herb.

 

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Tactile Textiles Update

Since November 2015 we have been working with residents of Pilgrim Home Evington on ‘Tactile Textiles’, a project within Leicester Ageing Together, funded by the Big Lottery.

Each week small groups of pupils from Linden Primary School have been visiting a group of residents from Pilgrim Home. The combination of 9 and 90 year olds sharing creative activity has been a wonderful success, providing constant opportunities for young and old to share skills, ideas and experiences. Whilst they were choosing fabrics, threading needles and learning how to finger knit, children have also heard about what daily life was like long before they were born and the older people have learned all about the latest playground crazes. The different ages have happily shared their stories and thoroughly enjoyed each others company – “I didn’t think the elderly liked being around children but as soon as we came here I realised that we have a lot in common – the elderly are very interesting” commented one of the children.

One of many highlights of the project has been celebrating the achievement of making three collaborative textile wall hangings, each depicting a verse from ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’. Over the weeks these were stitched from scratch to designs created by the group, each hanging made up of six background pieces made by a younger person/older person partnership. Everyone had such fun in the making of all the elements for these and now the hangings are proudly displayed in the hallway of Pilgrim Home.