Positive meeting today –Dementia and caring through Art Project

Hi

I had a really positive and encouraging meeting today with Samantha Flowers Area AHP/Rehabilitation Manager - Mental Health Services with regards to my dementia and caring through Art exhibition based on my life stories we discussed many options and will be meeting together early in the new year to take the next steps and feel much closer to getting started on this project of positive awareness and involvement. A big thanks to Samantha for today and to Jill Carson who set today’s meeting up after we had disused this idea a few months back .Samantha works on a few positive projects in fact there is one taking place tomorrow that I hope to pop over too if time permits

  
WANDERING MINSTRELS BRING CHRISTMAS

TO GARTNAVEL HOSPITAL CAMPUS

Sleigh bells, carols and fireworks will bring in Christmas for patients and staff on the Gartanvel Hospital site on Wednesday, December 19.

Members of Garnavillo’s “Art in the Gart” group of arts and therapy organisations, made up of mental health service users and artists, are becoming wandering minstrels for the day, calling at various wards and offices bringing festive cheer by singing standards such as “Jingle Bells”, “O Come All Ye Faithfull” and “Winter Wonderland” accompanied by bells, guitars, accordion and drums.

Wearing Santa hats and dressed in swathes of colorful fabric, the minstrels will also be carrying LED lit lanterns and their tour will end at 4.15pm with a festive red and white coloured firework display based on a12ft by 6ft frame outside NHSGGC headquarters, JB Russell House, which will pick out the words “Art in the Gart”.

Colin McCormack, Head of Mental Health, Glasgow City Community Health Partnership (CHP), said:  “The idea is to bring a Christmas atmosphere to the Gartanvel campus for both staff and patients and ‘Art in the Gart’ is a perfect vehicle to spread festive cheer for everyone here and promote health and wellbeing.

“Gartanvel Royal Hospital has a long history of using creative activities as part of therapeutic treatment programmes for service users.

“To achieve this we have worked for many years in partnership with third sector providers to ensure that we are utilizing experts in the arts and creative media to work with patients building their self esteem and confidence.