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

Home news

Nov 26, 2020

Residents at three care homes in Suffolk picked up their pencils and went back to the drawing board for The Big Draw Festival 2020.

Care UK’s Glastonbury Court and Davers Court, in Bury St Edmunds, and Mildenhall Lodge, in Mildenhall, celebrated all things nature by creating works of art around this year’s theme, ‘a Climate of Change’.  

As part of their events, residents at Mildenhall Lodge took part in some nature themed crafts, while team members and residents at Glastonbury Court and Davers Court homes joined forces with youngsters at the Haverhill Beavers and Great Conard Beavers for virtual art sessions, where they created drawings around the theme of environmental change.

Residents also joined illustrator and author, Gary Andrews, for an exclusive live drawing workshop centred around endangered animals, organised virtually in partnership with The Big Draw.

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. ‘A Climate of Change’, this year’s theme, focuses on the relationship between people and their environment, and offers a great opportunity for older people to reminisce about their favourite nature spots, as well as trips to the great outdoors in their younger years, and how our focus looking after our planet has changed in recent years. 

Melissa Cuevas, Home Manager at Glastonbury Court, commented: “We loved taking part in The Big Draw Festival for a second year – and although things were a bit different this year, everyone loved celebrating all things nature.

“Here at Glastonbury Court, we believe in the power of activity-based care, and drawing is the perfect example of how we can put this into practice, as it is an incredibly accessible activity that people of all ages can enjoy.

Sharlene Van Tonder, Home Manager at Davers Court, said: “Although current circumstances mean we were unable to welcome local people into Davers Court, we wanted to connect with the younger members of our community virtually to take part in the festival this year to do something positive, and The Big Draw offered the perfect chance for us to do just that.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Haverhill Beavers for taking part. We’re looking forward to decorating our home with our new creations, and look forward to showcasing our new artwork in the home and on social media for the people of Bury St Edmunds to see.”

Katy Hughes, Home Manager at Mildenhall Lodge, added: “This year’s theme gave us a lot to think about, and it was great to hear residents’ favourite nature-related anecdotes and views on how things have changed since they were young.

“We had some fantastic art sessions, and everyone had a smile on their face – we’re all looking forward to getting our pencils out again very soon!”

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’.

Glastonbury Court, Davers Court and Mildenhall Lodge are modern care homes that provide full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, both care homes have their very own cinema and hair salon, and there is plenty of space both in and outdoors for relaxation and recreation.

For more information about Glastonbury Court, or Davers Court, please call customer relations manager, Chantal Sencier on 01284 844668 for Glastonbury Court, or 01284 844640 for Davers Court, or email Chantal.sencier@careuk.com

For more information on Mildenhall Lodge, please call home manager, Katy Hughes on 01638 779190 or email katy.hughes@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