Down to a fine art – local children join Stroud care home for the world’s largest drawing festival

Home news

Oct 18, 2019

Residents at a care home in Stroud picked up their pencils and welcomed children from local nursery and pre-school, Co-operative Childcare Cainscross, for The Big Draw Festival 2019. 

Care UK’s Scarlet House, on Westward Road, joined in the celebrations by creating works of art around this year’s theme, ‘drawn to life’, drawing still life paintings of fruit and vases.

Launched in 2000 as part of the ‘Campaign for Drawing’, The Big Draw promotes drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention, and has encouraged over four million people to get arty since its inception. This year’s theme celebrates the benefits of creative activities, especially drawing, on health and wellbeing. 2019 also marks the bicentenary of John Ruskin’s birth, founder of the Guild of St George, the charitable education trust behind the initiative.

Kate Stevens, home manager at Scarlet House, said: “Here at Scarlet House we firmly believe that activity based care is essential in supporting residents to lead fulfilling lives, so The Big Draw is a fantastic initiative for us to get involved with.
“Drawing is an accessible activity that people of all ages can enjoy together, so we were delighted to welcome youngsters from Co-operative Childcare Cainscross to join us for the occasion. Art, combined with intergenerational relationships, has proven benefits for older people, by offering the chance to tap into happy memories and an alternative way to communicate emotions and thoughts.

“Everyone had a wonderful day, and we can’t wait to display our masterpieces in the home!”

Scarlet House is a state-of-the-art care home provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The care home, which features 86 en-suite bedrooms, has been designed to enable its residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hairdressing salon and café.