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News 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


Travel agent


wins prize THE Baldwins Travel Group is celebrating after being voted Travel Agent of the Year for London and South East of Eng- land for the ninth consecutive year. The group, which has a store


in Maidstone, picked up the title at the Agent Achievement Awards, which are recognised as the travel industry's top ac- colade.


Baldwins travel director Nick


Marks said the agency's success could be put down to the hard work of its experienced and knowledgeable staff. He added: "We are delighted


for all our managers and travel consultants who work so hard all year round. Winning the award is a spectacular achieve- ment and being recognised by our peers in the travel industry is a real honour.”


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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.


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.


Crackdown on


blue badges DRIVERS misusing the blue badges issued to those with dis- abilities were spoken to during an enforcement day in Maidstone. Six people were advised for dis- playing another person’s badge when the badge holder was not present, displaying another per- son’s badge to collect them at a later point, using a disabled bay to collect someone when they did not have a badge and for parking in a prohibited loading bay. The enforcement day was co-or- dinated by KCC’s internal audit team and Maidstone Council’s civil enforcement team Last year, the county council re-


ceived more than 25,000 requests for blue badges, issuing 24,590. KCC’s cabinet member for adult


social care, Graham Gibbens, said: “The exercise was as much about awareness as itwas enforcement.A number of expired badgeswere re- moved from circulation where the legitimate badge-holder had kept hold of one after receiving a new badge.” Last year, KCC confiscated five


blue badges for misuse and cau- tions were issued to two people using the badges illegally.


Maidstone Town August 2015 27


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