Arts activities
A stimulating and enjoyable creative programme for our patients.
Providing fun and uplifting activities for patients
We have a wonderful team of friendly and enthusiastic Ward Activities Volunteers who go out onto wards across the Trust every day of the week to chat with patients and help them to engage with a variety of arts activities, games and puzzles at their bedsides.
Volunteers also help patients access our Things to Do pages where they can enjoy a whole host of interesting and entertaining online content including • drawing workshops • puzzles • singalongs • paint by numbers • stories and poems • comedy • local places to visit • games • Sheffield history • virtual gallery tours, and much more!
Our volunteers receive regular training and support from the Arts Activities Officer and Voluntary Services team to ensure they can carry out their role with confidence and enjoy a rewarding experience volunteering with us at the Trust.
They also collect valuable patient, staff and visitor feedback which helps us to continually monitor and improve what we do.
We also run a varied, stimulating and enjoyable weekly programme of volunteer-led group patient arts activity sessions in the dayrooms on some of our wards. Sessions are tailored to each patient group and may include arts & crafts, shared poetry reading, games, quizzes, or a fun singalong.
Not only does this enhance the overall patient experience, it has been shown that moving patients away from their bedsides into dayrooms (where possible), engaging them in conversation, and encouraging participation in arts and crafts activities, helps relieve boredom, improve mood, increase social interaction, and reduce stress and anxiety.
Sheffield Hospitals Charity has generously funded our arts activity boxes which are filled to the brim with a range of interesting and engaging arts materials.
'Really nice to come away from the bay – to forget the reason why we are in hospital and to have a laugh and enjoy the hour. Wonderful and a much-needed break. Loved it!!!'
Wayne Smart, patient, L2 arts & crafts session.
Pick Me Up Pages
We recently created our own activity booklet – the 'Pick Me Up Pages' – for patient use at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. This bright and engaging booklet keeps patients entertained for hours and contains adult colouring-in, poems, games, dot-to-dot, drawing activities and more.
Our Ward Activities Volunteers regularly use these with patients at their bedsides. They are also available to order. If you would like to order copies for patients on your ward at a cost of £1.50 each (including pencil crayons and pens funded by Sheffield Hospitals Charity), please contact us at sth.arts@nhs.net
'Bright and cheerful. Patients absolutely loved it (Pick Me Up Pages). Loved the layout and the easy-to-read font.'
Julie Tipple, Ward Support Facilitator, Chesterman 1.
The Arts in Health team relies on the goodwill of our dedicated team of volunteers. We also regularly work with professional artists and musicians on a variety of creative projects across the Trust.