Yorkshire Housing is partnering with Pioneer Projects, a community-based arts and health charity, to deliver adult mental health and wellbeing support sessions at its Greatwood & Horseclose community space in Skipton.
The Wellbeing Hub & Café, which runs from 1-3pm every Wednesday until October 2023, uses arts and crafts to promote wellbeing in a safe, peaceful space where people can socialise with others from the local community. The sessions are led by Pioneer Projects’ mental health specialists, with the support of guest artists and an independent living officer from Yorkshire Housing’s Help and Hand team.
Creative sessions so far have included Chinese brush painting, paper flower making, and vision boards that involve lots of cutting and sticking, a bit like the art activities they used to do on the TV show Blue Peter! But it’s not just about having fun; there’s plenty of evidence to show that health and creativity are connected.
The UK is facing significant public health challenges. According to the mental health charity Mind, in England 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year, and 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem like anxiety or depression in any given week. And art has been shown to have a really important role to play in helping people deal with things like anxiety, depression, loneliness and isolation.
Karen McIntyre, community independence officer at Yorkshire Housing said:
“There’s lots of research that shows that engaging in the arts in a social setting can help to boost confidence, and make us feel happier and more engaged, and we’ve certainly heard that from the people who’ve come along to our sessions.
“The sessions are open to everyone, not just Yorkshire Housing customers and we’d encourage anyone in the local community to pop in and see what it’s all about. Lots of people are scared of trying things like this but don’t worry, you don’t have to be good at art. You’ll enjoy the company and once you get going, you might be surprised at how much you enjoy getting creative too.”
As well as the art sessions, there’s lots of additional wraparound support on offer including light refreshments, access to computers and Wifi, and digital support for people who might be struggling with their mobile phone, tablet or laptop.
Carol, who’s a regular at the sessions added
“I really enjoy popping into the wellbeing hub, it’s something I look forward to every week. My favourite was the Chinese brush painting session with guest artist Chris Newson. I found it very relaxing, but it’s also inspired me to get my paints and brushes out again after some time away from using them.”
Greatwood & Horseclose is one of six wellbeing hubs across Bradford. They are a collaboration between the local NHS, Bradford council, and the voluntary and community sector.
If you’d like to find out more about the Yorkshire Housing Pioneer Project sessions or other ways our community independence team can help, you can drop us a message or fill in our online form.