A DOWNTON mum has had her design printed on T-shirt which is being sold by fashion and lifestyle brand White Stuff.

Charlotte Dooley entered a competition to design a T-shirt after White Stuff approached Home-Start UK asking for mums supported by the charity to get involved in the project as part of the brand’s campaign to empower women.

Three mums had their artwork chosen in the competition, which have now been turned into White Stuff T-shirts, with all profits going to the national family support charity.

Charlotte, who supports mums through her work as fundraising manager for Home-Start Hampshire, said: “When I was going through my divorce I took up art as therapy. By focusing on art it gave me a break from the situation I was in and helped to switch my attention, even if just for an hour or so. I entered one piece into a competition where it was highly commended and later sold in a gallery. That inspired me to continue to paint.

Salisbury Journal:

“I want to encourage more people to use art to help improve or manage their own emotional wellbeing. What you produce isn’t important, it’s just the fact you were able to switch off and have a break.

"Painting and drawing uses a part of your brain you don’t usually use. So when I came across the White Stuff competition I thought this was the perfect opportunity to raise funds and awareness for Home-Start, but also to share the value of creating and how it can make you feel. We shared it with the families we support, but when none came forward I decided to enter myself.”

Paula Bonham-Carter, Buying and Design Director at White Stuff, added: “We wanted to make this a fun and creative competition where everyone felt they could have a go.

"The designs we’ve chosen are superb and we hope the T-shirts have given the mums who designed them a big confidence boost, as well as inspiring others to push themselves out their comfort zone and try something new.”

Home-Start Hampshire is one of more than 180 Home-Starts across the UK which supports parents with young children going through difficult times.

It supports families through on a wide range of issues including postnatal depression, bereavement, coping with twins, physical disabilities, isolation, anxiety and financial worries.

Visit: home-starthampshire.org.uk

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