Ready, set, draw – Maidstone care home residents take part in worldwide art festival

Home news

Nov 24, 2020

Residents at a care home in Maidstone picked up their pencils and went back to the drawing board for The Big Draw Festival 2020.

Care UK’s Invicta Court, on Gidd’s Pond Way, celebrated all things arty by teaming up with pupils at Bearsted Primary School.

Pupils and residents joined forces virtually to create artwork which was brought together to form a ‘tree of hopes and wishes’ – with artwork and stories which have inspired the pupils and residents hung from the branches. Residents wrote a story from their childhood and their hopes for children the children of today. Pupils enjoyed reading the resident’s stories and learning more about them through their artwork.

The care home also participated in an exclusive live drawing session, hosted by illustrator and Big Draw Ambassador Gary Andrews. Gary shared his tried and tested drawing techniques, and showed residents how to draw some of the world’s endangered animals, including sea turtles, tigers and puffins.

Launched in 2000 as part of the ‘Campaign for Drawing’, the month-long Big Draw Festival promotes drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention, and has encouraged over four million people to get arty since its inception.

Jacqui Pompeus, Home Manager at Invicta Court, said: “We had a great time taking part in The Big Draw this year, and it was a wonderful opportunity to put our creativity to the test.

“Art and intergenerational activities are a huge part of life here at Invicta Court and even though we were unable to meet in person, it was fantastic to partner with Bearsted Primary School pupils to create our ‘tree of hope’. As well as being a great way to develop our artistic skills, intergenerational activities are a wonderful way to improve wellbeing and provide older people with a sense of purpose.

“We’d like to thank Bearsted Primary School for taking part, and we can’t wait to join forces again soon for some arty fun!”

After a successful participation in the Big Draw Festival last year, Care UK renewed its partnership in 2020, becoming the main health and social care partner and leading the way in changing perceptions of life in a care home by promoting activity-based care and encouraging other care homes to follow suit. Across the country, more than 70 homes have been getting arty and working with their local communities virtually to create works of art around the theme ‘A Climate of Change’.

The new care home offers a full range of older people’s care services in hotel-style surroundings, including a café, hair and beauty salon, bar and cinema. The highly trained, professional team delivers permanent and short-term nursing and residential care, as well as specialist dementia care.

For more information on Invicta Court please call Customer Relations Manager, Jaime Jukes, 01622 807994, or email jaime.jukes@careuk.com

To find out more about Care UK’s partnership with the Big Draw, and for more top tips on how you and your loved ones can get involved at home, visit careuk.com/care-homes/bigdraw

To find out more about the Big Draw festival, please go to thebigdraw.org