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New Art Group: Greenbank [Free]

We are pleased to be offering a new weekly mindful art group that offers peer support for mental health and teaches participants how to use mindfulness and art as coping strategies.

Wednesdays 10.30am – 12.00pm

Onward House Community Centre

55 Greenbank Road

Plymouth PL4 8PE

Places are free thanks to funding from Plymouth Octopus Project Cost of Living Community Fund.

The format of this group will be a check-in at the beginning where people can talk about how the cost of living is affecting them, 10 minutes of guided mindfulness and a simple art project that anyone can do. We will offer practical solutions to the problems that people are going through such as sign-posting to other mental health organisations, help with form filling, advice about financial help, stress management, healthy eating on a budget and sign-posting to food banks. It is the peer support that makes all the difference at Mindful Art Club.

Click here to book your free place at this mindful art session.

Places are limited and it will be “first come first served.”

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Book Now: Free Online Course

Want to learn to practice relaxation exercises, and art for self-care?

We are looking forward to working with Devon Recovery Learning Community again in May to deliver another six week course, on Zoom.

This recovery college is provided by Devon Partnership NHS Trust to support mental health and wellbeing. Their students are people with experience of mental health difficulties, their family and friends, and the professionals who support them.

Each session of our new course 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’ gives people the opportunity to share their feelings, practice mindfulness, create art, relax and chat. This course:

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

We start with a ‘check in’ to see how everyone is feeling. There is no obligation to speak if you don’t want to. This is followed by some guided mindfulness, then a simple art project e.g. drawing a mandala or making a collage. This course is very similar to our ‘Doodle Your Recovery’ course, but consists of different art projects.

We end the group with a ‘check out’ to share how everyone is feeling after practicing mindfulness and making art.

This six week, online course starts at 10am on Monday 15th May 2023

Bookings close on 11th May 2023 at 9am

Places are limited. Book early to avoid disappointment: Create Your Recovery

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Become a Supporter! It Doesn’t Cost You a Thing!

EasyFundraising

This clever fundraising system donates funds to Mindful Art Club CIC every time you shop – but it doesn’t cost you a thing! Over 7,000 brands including John Lewis & Partners, Argos, Uswitch, eBay and M&S are ready to give a free donation every time you shop online.

Plus, once you’ve signed up and raised £5 in donations, easyfundraising will match it with a bonus £5 bonus donation.

Just visit: Mindful Art Club at EasyFundraising.

Your donations will continue to help us offer free mental health support groups in Plympton and Plymouth, that also combat social isolation.

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Devon Mental Health Alliance Supports Art Club

New funding from Devon Mental Health Alliance will support Peggy and Emma to continue delivering a popular weekly Mindful Art Club group at Moments Cafe in Plymouth city centre, every Friday from 1pm to 3pm, for the next six months. This group is open to anyone who is looking for support for their mental health and/or suffering from social isolation. Read more:

We’re supporting Mindful Art Club to run more groups with the Innovation Fund

Book your place at the Friday group: Moments Cafe

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Arygle Community Enjoy Mindful Art

Did you know you can boost mental health and wellbeing in your organisation by booking a one off mindful art session or a six week course for your employees or service users?

We recently hosted a lively art session for Plymouth Argyle Football Club Community Trust, where everyone enjoyed a lot of talking and laughter, while creating art inspired by The Jack Leslie Campaign. The campaign recently raised funds for a statue to honour the Argyle footballer denied an England cap in 1925, just because he was black. Pictures in a souvenir match day programme brought Jack’s story to life (programme available here), and then we drew zen doodles inside a football, and coloured in an image of Jack Leslie.

We used a visual mood scale to evaluate our impact, and 98% of the participants said they felt happier after the session.

David said, “I have enjoyed the meeting with the Mindful Art Club and they have shown a great deal of empathy in their conversations.”

Rose said, “I found this session enjoyable and relaxing . The colouring in reminded me of my years as a teaching assistant. It was well lead.”

We have previously delivered a mindful art session to some premiership match officials. Dr Liam Slack, Chartered Sport Psychologist at PGMOL said,

“Peggy and Emma at Mindful Art were really pleasant and made everyone on the mindfulness session feel comfortable. They delivered a session that was really easy to take part and was enjoyable for all. I believe mindfulness art has a positive impact in promoting good mental health.“

Contact us now to book a wellbeing session for your organisation.

Get your free printable: Jack Leslie colouring page.

Matt Tiller, co-founder of The Jack Leslie Campaign, pictured with Peggy and Emma.
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Book Now: Free Online Course

Bookings close on 12th Jan 2023 at 9am

Want to learn to practice relaxation exercises, and art for self-care?

We are looking forward to working with Devon Recovery Learning Community in 2023 to deliver a six week course, on Zoom.

This recovery college is provided by Devon Partnership NHS Trust to support mental health and wellbeing. Their students are people with experience of mental health difficulties, their family and friends, and the professionals who support them.

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

‘Doodle Your Recovery’ gives people the opportunity to share their feelings, practice mindfulness, create art, relax and chat. This course:

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

We start with a ‘check in’ to see how everyone is feeling. There is no obligation to speak if you don’t want to. This is followed by some guided mindfulness, then a simple art project e.g. drawing Zentangles or paisley, or making a greetings card.

We end the group with a ‘check out’ to share how everyone is feeling after practicing mindfulness and making art.

This 6 week, online course starts on Monday 16th January 2023

Bookings close on 12th Jan 2023 at 9am

Places are limited. Book early to avoid disappointment: Doodle Your Recovery Online.

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Art Makes a Big Difference in Plymouth

We regularly collect feedback from our art club participants to check that we are making a difference in our community. We are also working with a research team at Plymouth University to measure the difference we make.

“Mindful art group is a safe place to come. You can offload and are not judged, you can enter feeling down and alone, and leave knowing you have the groups support and empathy” – Karen.

“On my first visit to the group, I felt it was very welcoming. I found the groups activities interesting and will be coming regularly to your meetings. I have a big problem with large groups of people. I would normally say nothing as I would feel stupid. But not in this case. Thanks.” – Carole.

“It’s great that we meet regularly and check in with how we are all feeling. I feel like we are all responsible for each other – a space where we can talk, release, cry, laugh and our emotions are held by each other. I feel like ‘It’s OK, these people are here for me’. Whether you are a sociable person with lots of friends or alone in the world, there’s a group of people every week ready to listen and support me. It’s a great balance of mindfulness and creativity, for everyone, no matter what your experience is – we’re not artists by any means – just people coming together to be creative and peaceful.” – Erica.

If you’d like to boost mental health in your treatment service, support service, workplace or residential home we offer groups on line, one-off sample sessions, and a six week wellbeing programme. We also offer an outdoor mindful art retreat as a staff away day.

Read more: Why is Staff Wellbeing So Important?

While watching the FIFA World Cup recently you may have realised how stressful it is to be a football referee. That’s why we were happy to provide an online session for a group of premiership referees.

Peggy and Emma at Mindful Art were really pleasant and made everyone on the mindfulness session feel comfortable. They delivered a session that was really easy to take part and was enjoyable for all. I believe Mindfulness Art has a positive impact in promoting good Mental Health.

 Dr Liam Slack, Chartered Sport Psychologist, PGMOL

Find out more about booking a session.

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How to Get News From the Devon Mental Health Alliance

We were pleased to meet with Tom Cox from the Devon Mental Health Alliance recently, to find out about the work that they do, and share with him our own work at Mindful Art Club.

The Devon Mental Health Alliance (DMHA) is a partnership between six organisations dedicated to providing support for people experiencing challenges with their mental health. The goal of the Alliance is to improve access to services and identify new opportunities to support people across all of Devon’s communities, using a collaborative approach that reaches across and brings together partners from the statutory, voluntary and community sectors.

The Devon Mental Health Alliance blog features regular articles about organisations working in Devon who are supporting mental health. Did you see the one about Nicky from Marbles Lost and Found CIC? Sign up to their newsletter today and you will soon see an article appearing about Mindful Art Club! Sign up now.

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