Musgrove's Art for Life team are working with staff from Sedgemoor Ward and the local community to make a 'memory quilt' for the ward to enhance the environment and experience for patients with dementia.

Musgrove’s Art for Life team are working with staff from Sedgemoor Ward and the local community to make a ‘memory quilt’ for the ward to enhance the environment and experience for patients with dementia.

The quilting design is part of a prestigious project that Musgrove is undertaking in collaboration with the King’s Fund. The ‘Enhancing the Healing Environment’ programme seeks to create a better environment for elderly patients with dementia. As well as simplifying the layout, improving facilities and making it easier for patients to be more independent, plans also include specially created artworks that will serve to trigger fond memories for those with memory loss.

Bronwen Gwillim, Arts Coordinator at Musgrove, said “The Musgrove Memory Quilt will be made up of 4 panels each representing life in Somerset in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Vintage fabrics, photographs and small items such as old buttons, tickets, cards and buttons will all be added to the quilted panels to add interest and character. The completed quilt will be hung on the corridor leading on to the ward so that it can be enjoyed by patients and visitors alike. This is a wonderful community project that we are inviting anyone that is handy with a needle and thread to get involved by producing a small square piece that can be included in the final design.”

The quilting itself is to be undertaken by award winning local quilter Jenny Dove who recently spent time at Musgrove recovering from a fall. Jenny said, “I was thrilled to be invited to take part in this project. The art in the hospital makes such a difference to patients and it’s lovely to be able to contribute.”

The project is sponsored by new quilting shop Dotty Dolly based in Wellington, Somerset, and they are inviting local textile artists, students, community groups, staff and patients to get involved by producing a 4 inch square piece that can be included in the final design. These squares would need to be completed by April 1st 2011 with the finished quilts going on permanent display in the summer. If you would like to contribute a small square to the memory quilt then please contact Dotty Dolly on 01823 660879 or call into the shop at 13 Fore Street Wellington (opposite the Nat West) where you will be able to pick up your free fabric and information sheet.

For further information, please contact

Mark Wall on 01823 344546 or Lindsay Aitken on 01823 342462.

e-mail: mark.wall@tst.nhs.uk, or lindsay.aitken@tst.nhs.uk