A Creative Escape
Did you know that inner calm is just a four minute walk away from Plymouth’s St Andrews Cross? Join us at the Unitarian Church hall, near Catherine Street, for our NEW women’s art group; a welcoming space to ease anxiety, slow down, and reconnect with yourself. Supported by Devon Community Foundation’s end VAWG fund.
Every Friday at 1.00pm, until 10th October 2025
Tap the link to find more upcoming, free, sessions.
Find Your Way to Mindful Art Club in Just 5 Minutes
As the crisp air of autumn sets in and the leaves begin their colourful transformation, it’s the perfect time to immerse yourself in the calming practice of mindful art. Having a go at mindful art during this season offers a unique opportunity to enhance your mental wellbeing. The act of creating art mindfully allows you to focus on the present moment, reducing stress and anxiety while encouraging a deeper connection with yourself and the world around you.
Autumn, with its vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows, is an inspiring backdrop for creativity. As you create mindful art, you may experience a sense of calm, making it an ideal activity for nurturing mental health. The repetitive and rhythmic nature of colouring can be especially soothing, providing a meditative experience that quiets the mind and rejuvenates the spirit.
To help you begin this creative journey, we’re excited to offer a free autumn leaves colouring page. This downloadable resource invites you to explore the colours of the season while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of mindful art. Whether you’re an experienced artist or a beginner, this colouring page is a simple way to embrace the season’s serenity and enhance your mental wellness.
Download your free autumn leaves colouring page today and enjoy a calmer mind.
We’re excited to announce the launch of the Mindful Art Club YouTube channel—a new space where we’ll share inspiring stories, creative moments, and community highlights.
In our very first video short, co-founder Peggy Melmoth visits The Box Museum in Plymouth and catches up with TV producer and author Matthew Tiller, whose book tells the powerful story of Jack Leslie—a pioneering Black footballer whose legacy is finally being recognised.
Jack Leslie, once denied the chance to play for England because of the colour of his skin, is now being honoured through the amazing work of the Jack Leslie Campaign. Matt Tiller’s book is a heartfelt tribute to a true local legend and a vivid portrait of lower league football in the interwar years.
As a Plymouth-based organisation, this story resonates deeply with us. To help raise awareness in a creative and mindful way, we’ve created a free Jack Leslie colouring page—a relaxing activity for all ages that celebrates this inspirational story.
[Download the colouring page here]
Watch the YouTube Short here
Learn more at the Jack Leslie Campaign website
Subscribe to our channel and join us on this new journey of mindful creativity and community connection!
Due to some recent timetable changes there will be no Mindful Art Clubs at the Sunflower Women’s Centre for the rest of August. Join our mailing list to be first to hear about the free community art sessions starting in September in various Plymouth venues.
ANNOUNCEMENT: This September we are inviting creative and openminded people like you to overcome anxiety and find peace through mindful art. Enter your email above to get your invitation to our next free sessions, both in person and online.
Have you ever wanted to create art without pressure—just for the joy of it? That’s exactly what happened in our recent Mindful Masterpieces online session, where we combined calming meditation with a playful dive into the world of Pablo Picasso.
Hosted by Mindful Art Club founders Peggy and Emma, this unique workshop invited participants to relax, reconnect, and get creative in a safe, supportive space.
The session began with a gentle mindfulness meditation led by Emma. With eyes closed and shoulders dropped, we took a few moments to breathe deeply, notice how we were feeling, and settle into the present moment. It’s amazing how a short pause like this can quiet the mind and open the door to creativity.
Peggy shared a short, engaging talk about Pablo Picasso—his early genius, his bold experimentation, and how he broke all the artistic rules with Cubism. We learned about his Blue and Rose periods, and how he expressed deep emotion and personal transformation through art.
From The Old Guitarist to Guernica, Picasso showed us that art doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be honest.
With this inspiration, we each created a Cubist-style self-portrait, embracing the quirky and abstract. Wonky noses? Misplaced eyes? Multiple angles in one face? Perfect!
This wasn’t about getting it “right”—it was about letting go, expressing ourselves, and having fun with lines, shapes, and colour. Some of us laughed at our strange masterpieces, others felt quietly proud. But all of us felt lighter.
“I haven’t drawn since I was a kid, and this felt so freeing.”
“I never thought I could enjoy Picasso so much.”
“The meditation helped me stop overthinking—so I just played with the art!”
We recorded the full session—including the relaxing meditation, art history talk, and guided Cubist drawing activity—and it’s now available to purchase.
Treat yourself to an hour of mindful creativity—no experience needed!
Click here to buy the recording for just £5.00 and enjoy it at your own pace, in your own time.
Because art isn’t just for artists. It’s for anyone who wants to feel a little more calm, connected, and creatively alive.
After Holly took her own life in July 2018, her sister Anna wanted to do something to commemorate her birthday that felt joyful and fun. The sense of despair and sadness across Holly’s community was suffocating and we needed something positive to focus on and work towards. Holly was a very creative person, and often enjoyed crafting with her family, including making pompoms. So Anna came up with the idea of ‘pombombing’ public spaces in order to raise awareness of mental illness, and encouraged others to make pompoms and decorate somewhere for all to see. When it grew a little bigger than we thought it would, Holly’s friend Hettie got involved too, and now she can’t ever imagine not pombombing.
Friends, families and colleagues rallied together and rose to the occasion. By the end of Holly’s birthday month, hundreds of people all over the world had made pompoms, pombombed somewhere or shared a photo. The colourful balls of love were catching strangers attention, encouraging them to reach out to ask for or offer help, starting conversations, sharing messages of hope and acceptance and most importantly of all, talking about Holly.
We hope that the pompoms can bring an awareness of the fragility of life, be a conversation starter and a reminder that help can be sought and given. Prompting people to share their love, pain, grief and stories is a step towards breaking the stigma of mental illness, keeping memories alive and letting others know we care. Opening up to others can be an incredibly hard thing to do but there are always people who want to help and want to listen, whether it be a friend, family member or helpline.
Mindful Art Club are pombombing for Mental Health Awareness Week 2025
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week
Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 will take place from May 12 to May 18, focusing on the theme of community and the importance of supportive connections for mental health. This week aims to highlight how being part of a positive community can enhance well-being and provide a sense of belonging.
Read more: https://hollyspombombs.wixsite.com/hollyspombombs
This is not your typical Paint and Sip event! Mindful Masterpieces is an exclusive and intimate online workshop where you’ll use watercolour to recreate a famous painting – all while embracing mindfulness and creativity in a supportive space.
Guided by Peggy Melmoth and Emma Sprawson, experienced mental health professionals and passionate artists, you’ll enjoy a unique experience that blends art, relaxation, and self-care.
Prioritise yourself and book your ticket now! Spaces are limited—reserve your spot today and let’s create something beautiful together.
Sign up to our mailing list now to be first to hear about the launch date of this new course.
Mindful Art Club is to present an art exhibition at Leadworks, Plymouth, on display 21st – 27th February 2025. This event is free to attend and includes an opening night with entertainment and music on Friday 21st February, 7.00pm – 9.00pm. The artwork on display is a collection of pieces created by Mindful Art Club participants and is a culmination of an 18 month addiction recovery group project. It’s funded by the Peoples Health Trust.
Book your free place here: Art Exhibition 21st – 27th Feb 2025
A former drug dealer from Devonport, who took up mindful art while on probation, is to be featured in a Plymouth art exhibition, at Leadworks, supported by People’s Health Trust, writes the Plymouth Chronicle.
Read more: Plymouth Man’s Journey From Dealer to Artist in Upcoming Exhibition
Friday February 21st at 7.00pm. The exhibition is on display for a week, until February 27. at Leadworks, 170 Rendle Street, Stonehouse, PL1 1TP
Host for the evening – Lee Squires, (poet, playwright, actor, artist, Romany gypsy.)
Poet – Peggy Pegworth (rhymes about narrowboats, addictions and failed love affairs.)
My Story – A Plymouth man, “James,” shares his journey from drug dealer to artist.
Acoustic guitar and vocals with Abi Bee
Poet – Gerry Jones (true tales of and recovery)
Poet – Gerry Featherstone
Time to mingle – an invitation to browse the stalls and art exhibition.
Information stalls: Cocaine Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous.
Book Signing – Local author Paul Tristram. Poetry and fiction books, featuring themes of addiction and mental health struggles.
Market stall – Handmade jewellery, and Mindful Art Club merchandise!
We’re Mindful Art Club. As you may know, we offer creative support for mental health, without a waiting list. Clients can self-refer, or they may be signposted to us by NHS social prescribers and other local community services.
Although you may have seen us consistently around Plymouth for five years, funding our work is actually an ongoing challenge. We were recently chatting, and realised that you may not know, that you can support our work AT NO COST TO YOURSELF!
To refresh your memory: Mindful Art Club is a community interest company dedicated to supporting people across Plymouth who are struggling with stress, social isolation, physical health problems, or living with common mental health challenges. We fund and deliver our support groups independently, and none of it would be possible without your generous support, and the support of charitable grants.
Whether you choose to make a one-time donation, contribute a small monthly donation, or start a fundraiser to encourage others, any support you provide helps us reach more people in need of peer support, social connection and signposting to other services. We are deeply grateful for any contribution you can make to Mindful Art Club. However, we also know we are in the middle of a cost of living crisis, so here are just a few ways you can help, without even spending any money!
Got some Christmas shopping to do? Click through Easyfundraising and choose from over 8,000 shops and you could raise money for Mindful Art Club at the same time — without spending a penny more!
There are many ways you can turn your regular daily social media activity into donations and support for Mindful Art Club, from simply donating your birthday, to regularly liking, commenting on and sharing our posts. Leave us a positive review on Facebook, comment on our videos, or connect with Peggy on Linked In.
Following us on social media is a fantastic way to stay updated, help spread our message, and even boost our impact.
Links to our socials are in the top left corner, and we’d love for you to follow us!
Requesting donations from friends and family in place of gifts is a meaningful and personal way to support a cause you care about. It’s easy to share on your timeline, and you can even include your own story! Instead of your birthday you could fundraise for your anniversary, another special occasion, or just as a way to say thank you, for what we do.
Simply copy and paste the following text:
Want to join me in supporting a good cause? I’m raising money for Mindful Art Club and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate a lot, or a little. Anything helps. Thank you for your support. Mindful Art Club is a small, independent, not-for-profit organisation, offering much needed front-line mental health support in Plymouth, Devon.
Has someone you know been helped by Mindful Art Club? Whether you run a marathon, host a bake sale, take on a gaming challenge, or organise a crafternoon for Mindful Art Club, every pound you raise makes a meaningful difference in the lives of people across Plymouth!
Don’t read the next three suggestions if you don’t have any money!
We rely on the incredible support of our community to raise essential funds that allow us to continue our work — we truly couldn’t do it without you! Making a donation is the simplest way to directly support our mission.
Sign up to support Mindful Art Club with a chosen amount every month, payments will be made automatically without you having to do anything.
Remembering Mindful Art Club in your will provides valuable funds which will help enable us to continue our vital services. Make your mark on mental health support in Plymouth by leaving a legacy for mental health.
If you are able to make a donation to Mindful Art Club, no matter how small, you will be helping us to support more people across Plymouth living with mental health problems. We just can’t do it without you. Thank you for your support.
As always, thank you for reading, sharing, commenting, and being a part of our community! Which of the above suggestions could you do today?
All these questions and more are answered in a new documentary. We Tell Your Story is a documentary series funded by the Plymouth Octopus Project, culminating in a major feature that premiered at Plymouth Arts Cinema on June 17, 2024. Directed by Drew Graves, this 36-minute film is a The Hundred Hands production, dedicated to highlighting Plymouth’s vibrant community stories.
The video production spanned two years and involved numerous local creators, from filmmakers to animators. Over 70 individuals were interviewed, capturing a diverse array of stories from across Plymouth. This initiative aims to elevate the profiles of various organisations through high-quality video formats, enabling them to reach new audiences.
The segment about Mindful Art Club CIC is about eight minutes long.
Watch now and let us know what you think in the comments.
