Coming Soon: Plymouth Wellness Fair

May 25, 2022May 20, 2022

Coming Soon: Plymouth Wellness Fair

Lee and Emma are looking forward to offering a zen doodles workshop at Plymouth Wellness Fair on 18th June 2022. Come along and join in with this free mindful art session to see for yourself how it can really lift your mood. There is no artistic talent required!

You can also hear special guest experts deliver presentations, speak to wellbeing champions and explore the range of stallholders for all things wellness and wellbeing. This is an event for anyone looking to make positive changes to their lives. If you have any questions about mindful art you can chat to Lee and Emma on our stall.

Founder of the Pillars of Wellness and Wellbeing CIC, Lauren Packham, says,

“So many of us have struggled over the last couple of years, and if you work and have children, you will feel this more than most. Mental health services are at breaking point, and if you work chances are you are ‘not sick enough’ to get help, or you are on an extremely long waiting list. But there are many things we can do to help ourselves, and coming to this event could provide you with a valuable piece of information that could really help you and your wellbeing.”

Free tickets are available for those on a low income. £3 (+34p booking fee) to book in advance. Pre-booked ticket holders will be entered into a prize draw. Those who come via public transport or walk will receive an additional prize draw entry, Lunch is included for the first 50 people who book a donation/paid ticket.

Find out more: Plymouth Wellness Fair

Plymouth Wellness Fair | 18 Jun, 09:30 – 17:00 Devonport, Devonport Guildhall, Ker St, Devonport, Plymouth PL1 4EL

May 20, 2022May 20, 2022

Plympton Lamb Feast Returns!

The village of Plympton St Maurice is getting ready for the return of our popular midsummer festival on Saturday 18th June. Peggy, and volunteer Joanna, will be hosting a Mindful Art Club stall at the Lamb Feast, so come along and have a chat, have a go at some art, and see the art that has been created in our weekly groups at The Brook Inn, Plympton. You can also find out about our free art groups, evening courses, retreats and staff wellbeing sessions.

The Lamb Feast has been held for hundreds of years on the Castle Green, beside the ruins of the Norman castle. The village will be decorated with bunting, the green will be busy with food, craft, cake and plant stalls, charity stalls, swing boats, vintage cars, a dog show, a tug of war and dance displays. After two years with no festival we can’t wait for it to return!

Read more about what’s on: Midsummer Festival

Book your place at the Mindful Art Retreat, held in Plympton St Maurice, Sunday 3rd July.

Come to our free weekly art group, 11.00am on Thursday mornings at The Brook Inn, Plympton.

May 16, 2022May 24, 2022

Now Offering NHS Staff Wellbeing

Would you like to try mindfulness in your workplace?

Want your staff to feel valued and listened to?

Want to increase staff productivity and reduce sick leave?

We offer groups on line, one-off sample sessions, and a six week staff wellbeing programme. We also offer an outdoor mindful art retreat as a staff away day.

On 12th May 2022, for Mental Health Awareness Week we hosted a zoom session for NHS staff from Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

I really enjoyed the session, and am feeling very relaxed and creative. I will definitely use this drawing technique in the future. I will also try to take more time out to try and relax, and release tension. Brilliant guidance.
Lisa, NHS staff, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

Mental health difficulties are the biggest cause of sickness absence in this country (Health and Sickness Executive, 2018). So poor mental health costs employers money. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems. But major changes or challenges in life, such as bereavement, relationship problems, having a baby, debt or a workplace restructure may also affect mental health.

“The Mindful Art Club was a great session that I enjoyed participating in. The first five minutes of meditation and breathing exercises were great for me. I could feel all my worries and stresses leaving my body if only for those five minutes.”
Gary Furzeland from Clinical Engineering, and one of the hospital’s People Wellbeing Champions

Fantastic session thank you. Am feeling super chilled.
Jen, NHS staff, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.

If you’d like to offer mindful art to your team contact us today!

May 14, 2022May 14, 2022

Book Now: One Day Retreat

It’s almost summer, and we are excited to announce the return of our outdoor retreats, on Sunday 3rd July. Join us for a day of laughter, conversation, mindfulness and art, surrounded by the peacefulness of nature. If you enjoy our weekly mindful art groups you will love our full day of relaxing activities.

Guided mindfulness with Emma
Qi Gong with Lee
Simple art activities with Peggy
Nature walk with everyone!
Lunch, tea, coffee and cake included

Read more: Mindful Art Retreats

These always sell out, so book soon if you would like a place. If you work in any kind of support services, we also offer these to organisations to improve your clients mental health. Alternatively book a retreat for your staff wellbeing. Contact us to find out more.

April 25, 2022April 29, 2022

Five Senses Grounding Exercise

Feeling stressed or unfocussed?
No time for mindfulness?
But you need a quick break?

Try this 3 minute recording now.

Easily tune into your five senses

Focus on the environment around you

Let go of unwanted thoughts

Bring yourself back to the present moment

I woke up one morning feeling very disconnected from life. I looked at my emails and found Emma’s recording of the five steps of mindfulness. After playing it I felt much better and able to do things with the day.
Mindful Art Club participant

This guided mindfulness recording features Emma Sprawson, (voiceover) and Lee Squires playing the tongue drum, a steel instrument with a soft meditative sound quality.

Buy Now

Only 99p!

Every purchase helps to support our social enterprise, so that we can offer our service to the people who need it most.

April 22, 2022April 22, 2022

Marbles Lost and Found

On Tuesday 10th May 2022 at 2.00pm we will be talking about our art club at Marbles Lost and Found support group at Moments Cafe and Memories Matter Hub in New George Street, Plymouth. Come along for a friendly chat about how to boost your mental health.

Marbles Support group is so different then any other support group out there! Founder, Nicky Nurrish says,

“It not only gives you mental health support, awareness and wellbeing tips and tools, you will also meet and make friends with fellow warriors, meet experts in the field of mental health, in a non judgemental, safe space where you are listened to and heard. Each month we have a guest speaker join us to tell us and show us what support they offer, what they do and more and this upcoming group session we have the wonderful Mindful Art Club coming in to work with us. Remember if you are nervous about attending don’t be, it’s a warm and friendly environment, I can meet you beforehand. The group is a mix of disorders, mental health issues.. we have mix and mingle time, group check in time, marble news and upcoming events, guest speaker, break (with free cake and drinkies) and last part of the session we discuss together what we want to do as a group to help each other and plan a social event together. So come join us for what’s going to be a educational, supportive and most of all fun session, we are more than our mental illness remember.”

You may also like the Marbles Together Facebook group.

April 12, 2022April 10, 2022

Luke Pollard MP Supports Our Funding Bid

We recently met with Luke Pollard, Labour and Co-operative MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, who was very supportive of the work we are doing in the Plymouth community. He was kind enough to write this supporting letter which may help us to receive further funding.

Mindful Art Club is a professional, and well-known organisation that has developed many minds for the better. I have complete faith that any grant money requested will be well utilised for the benefit of the area and assisting greatly in personal development and
wellbeing.
Luke Pollard, MP

It was a pleasure to meet with Luke, who shared his thoughts on how we could best secure more funding and continue to serve the Plymouth community.

April 9, 2022April 2, 2022

Last Chance: Evening Wellbeing Course

Do you suffer from stress or worry?

Want to practice art for self-care?

Looking for a fun and easy way to learn mindfulness?

Limited tickets still available for our next eight-week Mindful Art Wellbeing Course.

The next course begins on Monday 9th May 2022 and will be at The Unitarian Church Hall in Notte Street, Plymouth city centre. Places are limited so it will be first-come, first-served.

This wellbeing course will be hosted by Emma Sprawson and Lee Squires. Lee will be offering ten minutes of Qi Gong at the beginning of the session.

April 4, 2022April 2, 2022

New Course: Devon Mind

Learn to practice relaxation exercises and art for self-care in May at Devon Mind’s new offices in Plymouth city centre. This free, six week course is starting on 23rd May 2022 but places are limited.

Each session includes five minutes of guided mindfulness, five minutes of mindful drawing, a simple art project, and the opportunity to chat and relax.

Create Your Recovery is a six week course giving people the opportunity to share their feelings, practice mindfulness, create art, relax and chat, it also:

Improves mental health
Improves social connection
Teaches new skills (relaxation exercises and art for self care).

We are Devon Mind, your local mental health charity. We’ve been fighting for mental health in Devon for over 35 years with our campaigning and support services.
DevonMind.com

Like all local Minds, they are an independent charity affiliated with the national Mind association.

Devon Mind’s recovery courses and workshops are all designed to support you to develop positive lifestyles and choices. Visit their website for details on how to book your place on Create Your Recovery

To get a reminder about this course and other Mindful Art Club events in the future sign up to our mailing list.

March 21, 2022April 3, 2022

Art Without Self-Judgement

We recently received this great feedback via LinkedIn.

Well done on setting up such an amazing project. I’ve been to a couple of sessions and found them to be really friendly, fun, informative and relaxing and it really helped me deal with my anxiety. The way you run them allowed me to have a go at art and leave behind the self criticism that so often affects me. The great thing about it is you’re giving people ideas that they can take away with them and continue at home. A big thank you Peggy and Emma, I wish you every success in the future.
Mel

Author: Peggy Melmoth