The Big Draw are thrilled to announce that the UK's largest independent provider of health and social care, Care UK, will host Big Draw Festival events in over 60 of their care homes across the UK this October as part of The Big Draw Festival 2019, this year themed: Drawn To Life: Creativity & Wellbeing.
Activities will embrace this year's Festival theme 'Drawn To Life' by encouraging participants to explore their creative side and the theraputic benefits of drawing. Residents' families, friends and local school children will be invited to draw, craft and create together as part of their nationwide 'Drawn To Life' activities.
How is Care UK getting involved?
Throughout October, more than half of Care UK’s 120 homes are teaming up with schools, nurseries and groups of young people to work with residents to get their creative skills down to a fine art.
Woodland Hall, in Stanmore, and Buchanan Court, in Harrow, are working alongside local schools to create ‘communication cards’ for residents living with dementia, featuring emotions, wishes and life stories, while Winchcombe Place, in Newbury, will welcome a nursery and a local artist for a special workshop.
Meanwhile, in Colchester, Silversprings will be getting some special help from nursery children and visitors to create a timeline of residents’ lives.
Why is Care UK taking part in the Big Draw Festival?
Drawing, combined with the power of intergenerational relationships, can have multiple benefits for older people, especially those living with dementia.
Suzanne Mumford, Care UK’s dementia expert, said:
“We are very proud to be sponsoring The Big Draw Festival 2019, this year themed: Drawn To Life. Arts are an essential part of life in our care homes and I’ve seen first-hand how drawing and painting can bring satisfaction and pride to older people. Using art materials can also be a powerful reminiscence activity for people living with dementia – prompting long forgotten skills and bringing into focus memories of a person’s earlier life.
“The Big Draw initiative really resonates with our activity-based approach to care and provides more fantastic opportunities for us to invite younger people into the home to showcase their artistic skills. Intergenerational relationships have proven to be enriching for both sides – many residents love meeting young people and the events we have planned will offer a chance for children and residents to learn from each other.
“We can’t wait for the Big Draw to kick off – from Aberdeen to Poole, I know our care homes have their pencils at the ready!”
This collaboration is a wonderful celebration that it's never too late to explore your creative side!
The Big Draw believes drawing is an essential human skill important in all walks of life. We believe everyone can draw and everyone should have the opportunity to explore the benefits of a more creative life. Through our global Festival we work to break down the many barriers that prevent people from being actively creative.
THE BIG DRAW NEWS FROM CARE UK HOMES!
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The Big Draw 2019 CareUK event at Sherwood Grange featured in The Carer Published 7 November 2019 | Read Here
'Care home goes the ‘full monty’ with nude life drawing class'
The Big Draw 2019 CareUK event at Sherwood Grange featured in Care Home Professional Published: 7 November 2019 by Lee Peart | Read Here
'Care Home Launches Life Drawing Classes And It's Amazing'
The Big Draw 2019 CareUK event at Sherwood Grange featured in Tyla Published: 4 November 2019 by Ciara Shepphard | Read Here
14 October 2019 - 'Knebworth care home has pencils at the ready ahead of Big Draw Festival'
PUBLISHED in The Comet : 08:22 13 October 2019 by Jacob Savill read here
Care UK are The Big Draw Festival 2019: Drawn To Life lead Sponsor-Partners
Want to find out more about joining The Big Draw Festival 2019 and our theme: #DrawntoLife? Click here or get in touch!
Registration is now open! Find out more about the benefits of becoming an organiser here and other ways to support The Big Draw's mission here.
About Care UK
Care UK is one of the largest providers of residential care for older people. With a talented team of over 10,000 colleagues, Care UK operate 120 care homes with places for around 7,000 mostly older people.
Their homes provide an impressive suite of care services for older people, ranging from short respite stays to high level nursing care. They are particularly skilled at providing specialist care and support for people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Care UK are proud to be building so many brand new, carefully designed care homes - they have opened over 30 new homes since 2011 and expect to open around 15 new homes by the summer of 2021 in locations including Bristol, Bracknell, Chester and Maidstone.
The quality of their services, as rated by the CQC in England and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, compares very favourably with other providers. More of Care UK’s homes are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ than those run by the other four largest UK care home providers.
To find out more about Care UK’s see https://www.careuk.com/care-homes/