Over sips of hot chocolate from Seasons Café, Art in Mind veterans, Eileen and daughter Kath, recall some of their fondest moments spent at The Lightbox.

Before Eileen was in a wheelchair, she and daughter Kath would go on long walks almost every day. They’d nip into cafés all over, on their out-and-about adventures. Now that Eileen is unable to do that, it’s so important to the pair that they still have something they can do together.

Kath and Eileen have been coming to Art in Mind since 2017, before Eileen moved into a nearby care home. “We were looking for an activity, rather than just a coffee morning,” Kath recalls, “and this seemed perfect because it was for the carer as well as the person with dementia, which you don’t get often.”

“Mum just loved it so much, even though she had never really done any art before. There are lots of things she doesn’t really enjoy or like to get involved in – like bingo or watching films. But this is the one thing that we go to that she always remembers.”

“She loves the friendliness,” Kath smiles, “and talks about the sessions even after we’ve been, which she doesn’t do about anything else. It really is an exceptional thing, as far as we’re concerned.”

Your Membership, ticket purchases and donations help to fund our Art and Wellbeing programme, which includes Art in Mind, so people just like Kath and just like Eileen can continue to create, enjoy art and spend time together.