Hospital ArtCare charity celebrates 25th anniversary

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, it has organised over 400 projects from temporary exhibitions to workshops and participatory arts activities such as music, storytelling and dance sessions.

It also acquires permanent artwork for the hospital, advises on interior design, working with patients, staff and public to improve the hospital environment and creates the staff arts programme, helping people to destress after work.

And it runs the Elevate Project – monthly tea parties supported by volunteers and musicians with a vintage china tea trolley for the vulnerable and older patients.

With three part time members of staff, ArtCare relies on the help of volunteers and currently has around ten people who help with planning exhibitions, gardening in the courtyards, working on its historical collection and helping with activities.

In February, ArtCare was awarded a £40,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to archive and expand its collection of historical memorabilia and medical equipment.

The collection includes photographs and medical objects that give a distinctive view of Salisbury and the way healthcare has developed from 1700 to the present day.

There are letters by Florence Nightingale, about the welfare of nurses, to scratched graffiti from GIs waiting to deal with D-Day casualties in the 1940s.

Lesley Meaker from ArtCare said: “Some volunteers like to come in on a regular basis at a regular time each week, others like to come in and out as projects come along.

“Our volunteers find a sense of purpose and feel they are giving something back while for the patients, it acts as a distraction and is something more interesting to do.”

The charity runs about ten temporary exhibitions a year with local artists exhibiting their work for free on the corridors while artists also come in and run workshops for patients.

*For more details on volunteering visit artcare.salisbury.nhs.uk/opportunities