Old Esthameians Lodge gets creative in the community with Get Started Art
Old Esthameians embrace supporting Get Started Art and encourage others to take up the opportunity to join in
The Old Esthameians Lodge No. 7693 that meet at Upminster Masonic Centre have delivered 1,000 ‘Get Started Art’ Colouring books into the local community to support the Ravenscourt Nursing Home in Hornchurch, the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University NHS Trust and the King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity.
The Lodge identified the Ravenscourt Nursing Home, through knowing people that have used their services and, as a result, contact was made to introduce the ‘Get Started Art’ scheme. The Nursing Home described how they were one of nine care homes within the Ravenscourt portfolio and were absolutely delighted with the donation made to them on 12 July 2024. The Lodge looks forward to possible future engagement with them in support of their work.
Old Esthameians had recently made a donation of £500 to the King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity, and being a larger entity, wanted to see if they could assist further with the great work they do there.
After speaking to the team, led by Lynda Head, members of the Lodge visited the Charity on 19 July 2024 and spoke to all involved. It became increasingly clear that the extent of their work far exceeded any understanding, with in excess of 78,000 youngsters passing through their respective areas of responsibility annually. This was a staggering number, but also brought a cold hard reality to the situations of why care was needed and the extent of some of the work they carry out in support of it.
Cancer units for adults and children, and the myriad of support required sobers one’s mind. The many things the Units provide were discussed, including portable devices that include music, puzzle, film and other stimuli not only for the patients but for those family and relatives who find themselves in the supporting role, and often spend hours sitting alongside the patients receiving the care.
They are in need of further support as each of these Units can cost up to £4,000 and they are woefully short on being able to spread them to where they are needed.
With Get Started Art’s support, Old Esthameians Lodge were able to donate 1,000 Art Therapy Colouring books and pencils by way of support to the patients and families and were left with a humbling experience that challenged the Lodge to see what more could be done.
Old Esthameians noted just how impactful the delivery of these colouring books would become, and from a small step, the Lodge has started to embrace the difference that these can make to a person’s well-being and experiences under often difficult situations, especially for young people. It envigored the Lodge, and the focus on delivering further support via Get Started Art, could be so much bigger if more Lodges were to take up the opportunity, or were directly exposed to this kind of outcome.
Get Started Art is a charity in its own right for which funding is constantly required in order to continue to provide support in this way. So, for the future, when considering general giving, Get Started Art has been placed firmly on the Lodge’s radar.
The ability to source these colouring books at very low cost per unit is outstanding value for money and means that hundreds of adults and youngsters can benefit from just a small amount donated to the charity.
Old Esthameians are now actively re-engaging within its local community to see if any other organisations could benefit from the colouring books.
It has also started exciting dialogue among the members to unite in the pursuit, which was a wonderful by-product from the above experience.
Photos
Top (L-R): Ravenscourt’s Lisa Dickenson, Old Esthameians Lodge Almoner, Andy Jones and Ravenscourt’s Constance Seddoh receiving their colouring books.
Bottom (L-R): King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity - Deepeka Khosla, Daisy Evans, Old Esthameians Lodge Almoner - Andy Jones, King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity lead Lynda Head and team member Michelle Fox
