Art at the heart of the community
HOW ONE LOCAL ART GROUP HAS BEEN HELPING PEOPLE TO COMBAT LONELINESS AND ISOLATION
PEOPLE in one Derbyshire village have been getting together to combat isolation and unleash their creativity, thanks to a group run by Junction Arts. The Creswell Gets Creative sessions are funded by money raised by Health Lottery East Midlands, and the group of regulars who attend have formed bonds so close that they were able to support each other throughout the pandemic.
Junction Arts, based in Chesterfield, was founded in 1976 to offer creative activities that would bring people in the area together, and over the past year it’s proved invaluable in helping them stay connected.
The group of 18, who are mainly in their sixties and seventies, call themselves the Arty Ladies (even though they do have one man in the group, Derek.) Project co-ordinator Jane Wells has seen their friendships blossom, and when the sessions were interrupted by lockdown she offered them the chance to get together over Zoom. They declined because they felt it would exclude people who hadn’t got to grips with technology, but they kept in touch via a Whatsapp group and now their community is stronger than ever.
“That was just one example of how the group really look after each other,” says Jane. “Unless everybody could be included, nobody would do it. They were very supportive of each other over lockdown and were constantly in touch over Whatsapp, offering advice and support or just making each other feel a bit better. People also offered help with practical things like shopping, and it’s been so rewarding to see.” With the return of faceto-face events, Jane has found a new venue with more space to socially distance. “The investment from People’s Health Trust with money raised through The Health Lottery has reaped so many rewards,” she says. “We wouldn’t have been able to deliver this project without it.
“It’s fantastic for us, because it’s not just a one-off intervention, and that means it allows us to develop relationships with people and make more of a difference. The staff here have creative backgrounds, but now we can afford to bring in some really highly skilled artists.
“I’m putting together another programme with ten new workshops. I’ve got some exciting activities lined up including pottery, marbling and making mosaics.”
Junction Arts is just one of the 3,180 grassroots projects supported by funds raised through The Health Lottery – 259 of them in the East Midlands. By buying just one £1 ticket you’re helping to raise money for good causes – and, of course, you’re in with a chance of winning a cash prize. A whopping £156 million has been won so far, with over £120 million raised. And the people of Creswell are reaping the benefits. “When you’re in the same room, you get to know people really well and you can see how much they benefit,” says Jane. “You also watch their relationships developing. People have made friends for life and they’ll never lose touch even if the project finishes. You can’t put a price on that.”
You can see how much people benefit from the group – they have made friends for life and they’ll never lose touch
Jane Wells