Down to a fine art - Purley care home takes part in the world's largest drawing festival

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Dec 06, 2019

Residents at a care home in Purley picked up their pencils for The Big Draw Festival 2019.

Care UK’s Amberley Lodge, on Downloads Road, joined in the celebrations by creating works of art around this year’s theme, ‘drawn to life’.

The residents created drawings centred around local life, with residents testing their artistic skills and drawing.

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.

Azalea Moses, home manager at Amberley Lodge, said: “Many residents at Amberley Lodge 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. It was great to see residents’ creativity and the hard work that went into creating some beautiful pieces of art.”

Amberley Lodge is a comfortable care home in a beautiful and quiet area that provides personalised nursing and respite care for older people, as well as residential and nursing care for those living with dementia.

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 on Amberley Lodge, call 03702 185 424 or email Azalea Moses, home manager, at azaleaveronica.moses@careuk.com

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/amberley-lodge