Friends of Fulbourn Hospital and Community

The Forum Lunch Club and Millennium Arts Project

Established in 1952, this group supports the care, welfare and rehabilitation of people suffering from mental illness, in both the hospital and the related community. They aim to increase the understanding of mental illness, and the needs and problems of patients and their carers, amongst people outside the Hospital. The Friends is run by a 15-strong Management Committee, with the regular support of around 40 volunteers, and a group of subscribing members. There are no paid staff, and with administration costs of around only 3% most of the income goes into direct patient care.

Within the hospital, the Friends provide extra facilities to enhance the quality of life and help decrease the boredom that patients in an institutional setting often feel. In the community, they support the rehabilitation and integration of people with mental health problems by organizing social contacts and arts work, providing financial resources, supporting carers and informing the public about mental health issues.

In addition to this work, two major projects are run.

Forum Lunch Club

One of these projects is the Forum Lunch Club for older people with a professional background who now have, or are in danger of developing, a mental health problem which has resulted in social and intellectual isolation. Since 1994, the Forum has provided a monthly home-cooked-lunch followed by talks, discussion or music. The Mental Health Trust's medical director described Forum as fantastic "a combination of appetising food and interesting talks, which has engaged and entertained a range of patients over the years."

Members of this monthly club can look forward to a home-cooked lunch followed by a seminar-style talk, discussion or music. Subjects for discussion have included:

• Victorian Poetry Reading
• Symbolism of the Recorder in Art and Music
• Storytelling and Singing
• Music and Food
• Historical Dance
• Promoting Citizenship with Young People

The organisation notes that "Talks lead to lively discussion and many questions. Subjects may be proposed by members, and members can also contribute.
"Music usually tends to be top of members' stated interests, followed by literature, poetry, art and art history, gardening, travel, languages, politics, history, wildlife, religion, theatre and films. The subjects of the seminar-style talks which follow lunch, and are given by visiting speakers, cover these and many other topics, including current health issues of both local and national importance. There is also an occasional consultation with members by local Health Trusts."
The biggest achievement of the Forum Lunch Club has been its 10th birthday concert held at Downing College, attended by members, the Mayor, the City MP and other distinguished guests. The first performance of a piece of music specially commissioned by the Friends was dedicated to two Forum musician-members.

Millennium Arts Project

The other major project run by the Friends of Folbourn is the Millennium Arts Project (MAP). The Friends' award-winning (MAP) places Artists-in-Residence in wards, day centres and related community settings, to provide a range of arts workshops offering a wide range of meaningful activities and intellectual stimulation. Their highly-rated work with young-onset dementia patients is being incorporated into regular day-care across the whole Mental Health Trust.
MAP has also led to the setting up of a new Cambridgeshire Foundation for the Arts & Mental Health. Independent, charitable and fund-raising, it will be working within the Trust area to ensure that all patients have access to similar arts workshops.

As part of the Millennium Arts Project MAP work, and to combat social exclusion, the Friends also collaborate regularly on arts workshops with Cambridge-based arts charity Escape Artists. Recently, patients have been working with professional musicians on a piece of sound and music celebrating Cambridge city, a Cambridge Cantata. This was performed at the end of September in King's College Chapel with the King's choir, as part of an exciting concert attended by 600 people together with the Mayor and MPs. All proceeds will go towards further pioneering workshops in 2006. MAP has also led to the setting up of a new Cambridgeshire Foundation for the Arts & Mental Health. Independent, charitable, and fund-raising, it will be working within the Trust area to ensure that all patients have access to similar arts workshops.

Quotes

“According to one of the story-tellers, who worked for MAP in its very early days, ‘a story can be an anecdote, a joke, a chance glimpse of our often hidden selves. The listener has an opportunity to find their own meanings’. But creative work is not just about escape, it's also about connection. One patient, hospitalised for over 20 years, rarely seen to smile and showing little interest in any other activity, became ‘involved heart and soul’ with the story-telling sesssions.” — Friends of Fulbourn Website

“Some effects are observable, others more subtle. There's a sense of camaraderie shared by group members, they compliment each other's work and provide emotional support. It gives the creators an opportunity to feel valued and appreciated. The benefits are incalculable. No one ever wants to stop attending.” — A staff member commenting on the Millennium Arts Project older peoples’ pottery group.

“The young-onset dementia arts work has highlighted a new approach for these patients. Emotional depression through informal arts activities can help address problems of dementia by providing activity, occupation and absorption. Service users gain in self-esteem and feel valued and appreciated through their creativity.” — From the 2004 “Good Practice Recognition” Awards

Contact details

Fulbourn Hospital Reception
info@fofhc.org.uk
01223 218529
FoFHC.co.uk