Down to a fine art – local children join Eye care home for the world’s largest drawing festival

Home news

Nov 15, 2019

Residents at a care home in Eye picked up their pencils and welcomed the Eye Beavers group for The Big Draw Festival 2019.

Care UK’s Hartismere Place, on Castleton Way, joined in the celebrations by creating works of art around this year’s theme, ‘drawn to life’.

The Eye Beavers group spent time reminiscing with residents and taking part in colouring activities. Residents and team members also created drawings centred around what home means to them, which will be displayed around the home.

Launched in 2000 as part of the ‘Campaign for Drawing’, The Big Draw promotes drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention, and has encouraged over four million people to get arty since its inception. This year’s theme celebrates the benefits of creative activities, especially drawing, on health and wellbeing. 2019 also marks the bicentenary of John Ruskin’s birth, founder of the Guild of St George, the charitable education trust behind the initiative.

Abhilash Gopi, home manager at Hartismere Place, said: “Many residents at Hartismere Place have a keen interest in creative activities, so The Big Draw Festival provided a fantastic opportunity to showcase these skills.

“Drawing has many benefits for residents, especially those living with dementia, as it offers an alternative way to communicate and a chance to relive happy memories.

“We’re looking forward to decorating the home with our creations and hope that the Eye Beavers group will visit us again very soon.”

Hartismere Place has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilling lives. The home provides full-time residential and nursing care, as well as short-term respite. Hartismere Place also runs a day club, which offers older people living independently in the community the chance to make new friends and take part in enjoyable activities.

Recognising the importance of artistic activities, Care UK was happy to become one of the lead sponsors for The Big Draw this year alongside organisations such as The Courtauld Institute of Art and the City of Toronto Museum. You can read more about Care UK’s national involvement here: thebigdraw.org/drawn-to-life-care-uk

For more information about the event, please contact senior customer relations manager, Angela Hodge, on 0333 920 2997, or email angela.hodge@careuk.com

For more general information about Hartismere Place, visit careuk.com/hartismere-place

To find out more about The Big Draw Festival, please go to thebigdraw.org