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downsmail.co.uk Patients’ gallery of memories


PATIENTS at the Heart of Kent Hospice have discovered it is never too late to learn a new skill. Terminally-ill patientswhoattend


day care sessions at Magnolia House, part of the hospice complex at Preston Hall, Aylesford, are leav- ing their legacy for the future in a se- ries of paintings. Inspired by nature, and sometimes


their memories, about a dozen pa- tients put paintbrush to paper each week to createwatercolour works as part of their art therapy. The first selection of workwent on display at the Heart of Flavour café bar in King Street, Maidstone to co- incide with Dying Matters week, with other paintings on display in the hospice itself. Now there is a plan to extend the displays even further – with a possi- ble auction of work. Art therapywas introduced to the hospice in January by therapeutic arts facilitator Linda Walker. She said: “The patients find it very relax- ing and by focusing on the art process itself, they are able to lose all sense of time and temporarily forget their cares and discomforts.” Chris Avery from Loose and


Roger Hillier from Bearsted are among those who find it easy to es- cape into watercolour landscapes, Lakeland hills and bluebell woods. Roger (76) was diagnosed with prostate cancer 11 years ago and has been attending Magnolia Place each


Trust open day VISITORS enjoyed a successful open day at the Seekers Trust, Addington, which is a centre for prayer and spiritual healing. They were able to take part in a


range of activities including tai chi and meditation taster sessions, prayer circles, spiritual healing, talks about the power of crystals and an overview of the history and work of the trust. There was also a chance to walk around the extensive garden and enjoy a range of homemade cakes from the tearoom.


Football move KINGS Hill Sports Park will be used by Vanarama National League side Dover Athletic FC as its training ground for the 2015/16 season. Sports park manager Janine Brown said: “It’s fantastic to wel- come the club to the park. I am looking forward to working with them and, as with all the teams that use our facility, I wish them every success next season.”


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10 Malling July 2015


anyone Iwant to be when I paint.” Linda said: “People are surprised,


Patients Chris Avery and Roger Hillier find painting a good way to relax


week for the past year. Hesaid: “I look forward to coming


to the hospice. We are not here to create masterpieces but I do find it very therapeutic and enjoy the ad- venture of using colour in my work.” Chris said: “We usually have a


quiz as well – but that means using our brains, while painting is more relaxing, something you can get ab- sorbed in.” Diagnosed with motor neurone disease nine years ago, Brian Thomas (69), from Bearsted, said: “When you are painting, it allows your mind to wander, instead of thinking about other things – it’s very calming. I have also found out more about my disease by chatting to patients with the same condition.”


Only one of the current artists has


had any professional training and all consider themselves to be “enthusi- astic amateurs”. As well as painting, Linda reads


poetry to some of the patients and discusses art and artists with some of the others who are too poorly to pick up a brush themselves. One of the most inspirational


things is how many of the patients paint memories from their child- hood and places they have visited. Kate Hopper,whowas diagnosed


with leukaemia 10 years ago,was re- ferred to the hospice for community care and support when her condi- tion worsened. She said: “When I paint, I get lost


inmypainting. I go somewhere else and forget my illness. I feel I can be


butwe have a lot of laughter here at the hospice. It is not a sad place. The art in particular is one way we can create something positive out of what could be a negative situation. It’s all about giving the patients the best quality of life they can have. ” Some of her pupils have become


so engrossed in their new hobby, they now paint at home as well as during their weekly hospice visits. Roger said: “I can paint in my con- servatory for hours on end.” Kerry Harrison, the head of out-


reach and deputy director of health services, hopes the hospice can soon start a “creative Saturday” when families can come along and work on projects together. She said: “It is all about prevent-


ing regrets and allowing the patient to remain in control until the end – not taking away their independ- ence.” The hospice will soon be launch-


ing a sunflower garden, where peo- ple can plant a sunflower inmemory of a loved one. It is also hoping to buy a minibus to help convey pa- tients to and from their day care. In the meantime, they wouldwelcome offers of help from drivers who might be able to spare a few hours eachweek.


Road closed


by rubbish A ROAD in West Malling had to be closed after fly-tippers dumped a load of rubbish there. Fartherwell Road was blocked by a large amount of household and garden waste, including tyres, conifer branches, wood and a mattress. Kent Highway Services


Healthy donation to charity


A GROUP of keep fit fans at Tyland Barn have raised £1,400 for the Kent Wildlife Trust. The group of 16 signed up to a


pilotWellness Camp at the San- dling centre, launched by DayOne Wellness. The organisation, which pro-


motes healthy living, donated 70% of profits from the camp to the trust. Pip Lawrence, from DayOne


Wellness, said: “We designed the course with three things in mind. The information we provided had to be easy to consume; the changes we encouraged needed to be sustainable and the programme


had to be fun, because no matter how good something is for us, we won’t do it unless we enjoy it!” The group meets at Tyland Barn


every Thursday for a nutrition/ lifestyle workshop, followed by an outdoor exercise class and a 10- minute relaxation session. Partici- pants are set goals each week and have access to a private Facebook group to ask questions and keep each other motivated. The nextWellness Camp at


Tyland Barn starts in September. To book a place visit www.Day- OneWellness.co.uk/wellness-camp or send an email to pip@day- onewellness.co.uk.


closed a section of the road be- tween Teston Road and Sandy Lane and traffic was diverted while the rubbish was cleared away. The refuse was reported to


police at 10pm and the clear- ance operation was completed by the following afternoon. Kent County Council had


warned the work could take up to two days because of the need to check for asbestos, but none was found. The cost of clearing the road


was estimated at £375 and an investigation had begun to try to track down the culprit. Residents were warned that


they could be held responsible and fined if waste belonging to them was fly-tipped, even if they had paid someone to re- move it.


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