Karbon Homes Silver Friends held Art sessions across the Derwent Valley area with residents taking part at Glenroyd House, Delight Court, Magdalene Court, Dipton Jubilee Centre, Delves Lane Village Hall and The Grove Primary School.
The art sessions were for people over 50 and encouraged them to find their creative side with an art project called ‘The Power of Friendship’.
Led by artists Sally Southern and Nicola Lynch, the Silver Friends Group created a large display of felt flowers and pebbles spelling out the word ‘FRIENDS’.
They were supported by 15 children from The Grove Primary School in Consett who were involved in making felt from raw wool for the project alongside Silver Friends Volunteers.
The work was displayed in Consett Library from 7 – 12 October to celebrate World Mental Health Awareness Week and National Library Week. The artwork will be on display at The Grove Primary School from Friday 18 October.
“We’re so proud of our amazing Silver Friends artwork. It was a fantastic intergenerational session with our group mixing with the children from Grove Primary School. We had some lovely conversations about friendship and how being kind and using big smiles are important when meeting friends.
Leanne Murray, Silver Friends Community Volunteer Coordinator
“Silver Friends is here to get older people out of the house and help them to open up. It’s great for their mental health; they can meet new people, interact and, in the case of this project, discover hidden artistic talents.”
Silver Friends is part of social housing provider Karbon Homes services for people aged 50+. Set up thanks to funding from UK Government’s Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, this community group hosts face-to-face social events and activities in the north of County Durham.
To find out more about Silver Friends, visit www.karbonhomes.co.uk/silvertalk.
The project was made possible thanks to Derwent Valley Area Action partnership, Karbon Homes, artists Sally Southern and Nicola Lynch, Delves Lane Jubilee Hall, Delves Lane Village Hall and The Grove Primary School.
