Creative Kernow
Ruth Purdy tells us about Mitber’s project creating craft packs and activities throughout Lockdown.
It has been our pleasure this year to provide access to creativity for people in Redruth, Pool, Illogan and Camborne. The pandemic has closed off many resources for improved wellbeing that people often reach out to, and many have struggled in the face of being stuck indoors, particularly isolated individuals and those with young families. Without the ability to run in-person sessions throughout much of 2020, we made an effort to bring the materials to people in their homes.
In light of social distancing guidelines, we opened up our forum of activity sheets for free, which have a variety of activities accessible by people of all age groups and abilities, largely involving materials that can be found around the house. They offer ways to engage with your surroundings as well as ways to introspect and be mindful. Not only this, but with help from FEAST we sent out 960 craft packs over the first lockdown and received lots of positive feedback.
We collaborated with frontline organisations including Camborne, Pool and Redruth (CPR) Foodbank, Carn Brea and Redruth Foyer, Chi Winder Homeless Service, Miners Court extra care scheme, St. Euny Open Café and Heartlands intergenerational project to distribute our craft activity packs in Cornwall to vulnerable people.
The grant has been extremely valuable for us in providing help to those living with mental health problems, giving people a source of positive focus and restoring an important sense of connection and belonging that many are lacking at this time. It was amazing to see such joyful responses from those who received activity packs.
“Many of the parents, new mothers particularly and older people who are isolated and vulnerable, have delighted in receiving a craft pack.” -Terry Reynolds, Heartlands Intergenerational project
“Thank you so much for your packs they are beautifully put together and I love the creative ideas.” -Julie Buccieri, Support worker, Live West Housing
“Clients are unable to afford the materials or the shops were closed during lockdown so to have good quality and such a varied assortment was amazing. It gave people a creative outlet that they could explore thus increasing their wellbeing. It made them feel part of something bigger than themselves. It got people to take their minds off stressful things in their lives. Started a talking point for clients to interact with staff and other clients. It got people thinking about their own creative projects. It opened up people’s mind to different types of art such as using clay, fabric pens and weaving. It gave people a sense of achievement to produce the art” -Polly, Chi Winder homeless service
We continue to produce creativity activity packs through the Kruthyl project. Check it out at https://mitber.com/kruthyl-colours/ and please get in touch if you would like to get involved.
Mitber – Make it Better is not for profit company developed by an experienced team of health arts professionals. They provide an innovative wrap around service of direct and distant support to improve participants’ wellbeing. They offer a mix of direct sessions, a library of physical resource boxes, online training and online support for activity providers.