Young people help patients’ road to recovery
Date of release: 16 August 2024
Get well soon cards created by talented young people as part of a craft activity should prove a real pick me up for oncology patients at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s Charity’s Arts and Heritage Group attended the #WvSameDifference festival earlier this month to focus on the theme of “Creative Kindness.”
Working with artist Sam McCracken at the event co-ordinated by Wolverhampton CEP (Cultural Education Partnership), the group offered two activities. The first was to create cards for young people receiving treatment on oncology wards while the second saw participants create Mind Medicine – uplifting messages rolled up inside pill capsules and put into a small pot.
Elinor Cole, Arts and Heritage Co-ordinator at the Trust, said: “This is the second year running we have attended #WvSameDifference and it was once again a valuable opportunity for us to talk to and work with young people who have a wealth of ideas and talent to share.
“Both craft activities were popular with children and young people popping by our stand throughout the day to offer encouraging and hopeful words, and to draw rainbows, hot-air balloons, and teddies emblazoned with the words ‘get well soon’
“This year, we really wanted our activities to promote the importance of showing kindness, to others and to yourself. Young people are capable of such extraordinary empathy, and this was really clear in the meaningful messages we heard and saw
throughout the day.”
The festival, at West Park was aimed at 11-18 year olds.
Sam added: “The Same Difference Festival is always full of joy and excitement, it's something I look forward to working on each year.
“Our activities this year went down a treat with people of all ages and it was lovely to see so many people getting involved. I hope that the Mind Medicine works in the way it was intended, bringing uplifting messages from strangers to those who may need them. This year had the largest turnout yet, which I hope is a sign of things to come!”
The cards will be distributed throughout September – Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
