Friends of Fulbourn Hospital and Community
“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
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 organising social contacts and arts work, providing financial resources, supporting carers and informing the public about mental health issues.
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."
The other major project run by the Friends of Fulbourn 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 the 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, and 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 complement 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 Friends have a long history of assisting and supporting the important role that gardens play in aiding patients’ recovery and providing a peaceful environment for the ward staff. A gardening group was one of the Millennium Arts Projects started by the Friends funding a professional gardener as artist-in-residence, with help from the late Bronwen Loder, a member of the management committee of the Friends. They led a small group of male young-onset dementia patients who met weekly. The group have improved several of the garden spaces across various sites transforming one site into a sensory/mindfullness garden, and growing fruit and vegetables on other sites. These spaces are beneficial not only to the patients but also to the staff who now have somewhere peaceful to sit.
Created 18th December 2012. Updated 2021
The Friends of Fulbourn Hospital and Community benefit from Attend membership, which includes comprehensive charity insurance cover. For more information, or to join, please click here.
