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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
A healthy donation
A GROUP of keep-fit fans have raised £1,400 for KentWildlife Trust. The group of 16, whomeet at Ty-
land Barn, Sandling, signed up to a pilotWellness Camp, launched by DayOneWellness. The organisation, which pro-
motes healthy living, donated 70% of profits from the camp to the trust. Pip Lawrence, from DayOneWell-
ness, said: “The course had three aims: information had to be easy to consume; the changes we encour- aged needed to be sustainable and the programme had to be fun.”
JOHN The group meets every Thursday
for a nutrition/lifestyle workshop, followed by an outdoor exercise class and a 10-minute relaxation session. Participants are set goals each week and have access to a pri- vate Facebook group to ask ques-
MUNSON SHOW TIME
Betty Blue Eyes Valley Park School, Hazlitt Theatre
THERE will not be a better musi- cal at The Hazlitt this year – there is just a chance it could be equalled, but never bettered. The opening number of Betty
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Blue Eyes, “Fair Shares for All”, set the standards of energy, singing vi- tality, team work and acting that ran strongly through the whole performance. Catherine Butler as the ambitious
wife, Benjamin Anderton as the sensitive chiropodist husband and Josephine Biggs as the convinc- ingly-awkward grannywere all ter- rific as the Chilvers family. James Goodbody was outstand-
ing as the evil doctor. Ryan Clark always convinces and Samuel Mur- ray's farmyard dance with Ben-
Maidstone East September 2015
tions and keep each other moti- vated. The nextWellness Camp at
Tyland Barn starts in September. To book a place visit www.Day-
OneWellness.co.uk/wellness-camp or email
pip@dayonewellness.co.uk.
jamin Anderton was a memory to treasure. The whole cast and en- semble had brilliance and ability in depth. However, the scenery took too
long to change. Could the cast have helped? Could we have watched? But the orchestra was wonderful and played well during scene changes. Costumes and hairstyles were perfect and the programme waswell designed. Next February there is another
Valley Park production at the school. Make a note in your diary.
Patients Chris Avery and Roger Hillier find painting a good way to relax
been attending Magnolia Place each 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 anyone Iwant to be when I paint.”
Linda said: “People are surprised,
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.
Solar success
for council MAIDSTONE Council’s cost sav- ings from solar panels have proved so successful that the scheme is to be extended. Renewable energy technology
was installed at the council’s Park Wood depot as a trial in March and has exceeded all expectations in terms of projected energy savings. The council has agreed to install further panels at Lockmeadow Market Hall, Vinters Park Crema- torium and Magnolia House in Cripple Street, at a cost of about £125,000. The council would also like to see
solar panels on Maidstone House and the Gateway building in King Street – but these are owned by Capital and Regional. If installed on these buildings the council would buy the electricity gener- ated, not only reducing the coun-
cil’s costs but also delivering CO2 emission reductions. A council spokesman said: “It’s appropriate to invest in improving those assets that we do own while also generating savings, but alter- natives need to be looked at for buildings that we don’t own, but wherewe stillwant to achieve sav- ings and CO2
tions.”
emissions reduc-
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