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<\/a><\/p>\nThe eight-bed in patient hospice with day care facilities provides unparalleled care for those with life-threatening and terminal illness, but has to rely on 80 per cent of its income from the generous donations of the public.<\/p>\n
Bernard, 70, has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which causes severe difficulties in breathing, due to the narrowing of their airways.<\/p>\n
Symptoms include increasing breathlessness when active, a persistent cough, and frequent chest infections.<\/p>\n
The grandfather-of-three, who worked as the general manager of a lighting firm, said: \u201cIt\u2019s brought on by smoking. When you smoke for all these years your lungs start to clog up. Eventually the lungs will collapse. Every few weeks I get chest infections, which is very tough because you can\u2019t breathe virtually.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m on antibiotics constantly, and steroids, and it doesn\u2019t get rid of it. It\u2019s always there, and it\u2019s only going to get worse. Three months ago I could walk 50 feet. I can only walk 25 feet now.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Bernard, the art group at St Kentigern Hospice has given him a renewed purpose.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cAt the beginning I thought it\u2019s not for me, because I\u2019m not an arty person. But when I got into it I really started to enjoy it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019m working on is going to be at St Asaph Cathedral in The Pilgrimage Art Exhibition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to going with my wife and showing her my work. It\u2019s an achievement I\u2019m proud of.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing at the art class gives you something to aim for. It\u2019s fantastic. I can\u2019t praise it enough.”<\/p>\n
The atmosphere at the art class at St Kentigern Hospice is far from sedate. The likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis can be heard rocking in the background as patients work on their masterpieces.<\/p>\n According to fellow group member, Alan Cockburn, 75, from Holywell, who has the same condition as Bernard, the art class at St Kentigern hospice has had a positive impact on his life.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThe art class makes a world of difference. It\u2019s relaxed laid back. It takes you mind off things. You just switch off totally.\u201d<\/p>\n Ex-welder Alan has even started painting at home.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI paint at night, so the art\u00a0 classes at St Kentigern have started something. It got me back into it, and I discovered a rather large amount of paint brushes and paint at home.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m more used to doing window sills and things like that but I\u2019m getting used to this now. Rachel is teaching me things like how to mix colours. She\u2019s brilliant.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t just do art here. We get talks on things like exercising, and diet.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone\u2019s so nice and so helpful. It\u2019s a pleasure to come.\u201d<\/p>\n The atmosphere at the art class at St Kentigern Hospice is far from sedate. The likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis can be heard rocking in the background as patients work on their masterpieces.<\/p>\n Bernard added: \u201cIt\u2019s nice to have a day out and I\u2019m sure everyone else would say the same thing. You get out for the day, get out of the house, see people and have a laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cThe volunteers are fantastic. You come here and have a cup of tea and a biscuit. They just look after you. It\u2019s like a five star hotel. It\u2019s fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n Rachel Roberts, spoke movingly of the difference the arts class makes to the patients.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cWe do notice that when people do start coming here their morale might be quite low, and the next time you notice that they\u2019re a bit more cheerful, and generally we notice morale climbs quite dramatically. They look forward to coming here. They absolutely love it.<\/p>\n \u201cThey talk about things that they\u2019re experiencing, and talk about their art. They\u2019re incredibly brave. They\u2019re not dwelling. They talk about their treatment in a very matter of fact way, and they appreciate every single day.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes I work with them one to one and sometimes in a group, and sometimes they like to discuss things with everybody, and other times they\u2019ll just talk to me.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019ve got the group in the room we tend to have collaborative work. For example there is a large painting which is based on the St Kentigern symbol. It\u2019s very large, vibrant and full of joy.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we also have the very large mosaic to be produced again based on the St Kentigern logo.<\/p>\n \u201cThe big work at the moment has been the work for the cathedral based on the theme of pilgrimage because it\u2019s the year of the pilgrimage this year.<\/p>\n \u201cThe chaplain from the cathedral asked if we would consider producing a series of work to exhibit at the Cathedral.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve produced again is a series of large collaborative paintings that represent a journey. They\u2019re separate canvases. They\u2019re going to be joined together.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of thought goes into it. Everything has been planned out by the team. The patients have come up with inspirational ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n For more information about the hospice and how to make a donation go to www.stkentigernhospice.org.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n