Care home residents in Windsor picked up their pencils and went back to the drawing board when they took part in the Big Draw Festival 2020.
The residents at Mountbatten Grange, Helston Lane, created art works based around the theme ‘a climate of change’ as they swapped ideas and memories with another team based at Buchanan Care Home in Harrow.
Teams at both homes had the opportunity to chat virtually about the art they created, based on their knowledge of the other team's area.
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This gave one resident at Mountbatten Grange James Watters the perfect opportunity to share his memories of Harrow where he worked as a senior air craftsman after being drafted.
He reminisced about his experiences there, operating radar and being paid just £2.50 a week. James drew what Harrow looked like when he was younger, and chatted online to the residents there about his memories and the invaluable life skills he learnt while in the RAF.
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The Big Draw Festival was launched in 2000 and has encouraged over four million people to get arty since its inception.
Debbie Winwood, home manager at Mountbatten Grange, said: “Drawing is great for everyone, but especially for older people, including those living with dementia. On top of physical benefits from increased motor skills to improved coordination, creative activities such as drawing can truly boost cognitive function and even reduce the rate of development for a range of memory conditions.
“It was a fantastic drawing session, and everyone left with a smile on their face – we’re all looking forward to getting our pencils out again very soon.”
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