Healthcare mural
PROJECT STORY
St. andrews hospital courtyards
june 2022
St Andrew’s Healthcare is a charity providing specialist mental healthcare for patients with some of the most complex, challenging mental health needs in the UK. Many of it’s 600 patients are referred by NHS and some can spend considerable time in the hospital. With that in mind, CQC visited at the beginning of 2022 and suggested that the outside areas for some of the wards could be improved. Many of the wards have enclosed courtyards, with plain brick walls and are very soulless, stark areas.
So the facilities team embarked on a programme to improve the courtyards on 10 of the wards. Hannah Cooper asked Charlotte Designs to come up with some ideas for three of the courtyards, based on ideas from the residents. The first, jungle themed mural was painted in May 2022, followed by a graffiti themed wall and a Lamborghini themed wall in June. The designs were colourful and large at 9m x 3m, and because they were painted directly onto the bricks, gave a pratical, hard wearing solution that would last or many years.
The first three were so well received that Charlotte Designs were asked to paint a fourth on one of the ladies wards and they chose an undersea theme.
The Outcome
When asked why thy had chosen Charlotte Designs, ” We needed someone who wasn’t just a talented artist, but who could listen to and develop ideas from our remit. As well as providing a calming environment and creating interest, one of the intentions behind the mural, was for the design to not only stimulate conversation but through the chosen images, to provide opportunity for the speech and language therapists to carry out an informal speech assessment.” said Department lead Angela Watson. “Children aren’t always as talkative once they get into the smaller meeting rooms.”
The mural has been a resounding success as is as popular with the staff as it is with the children. “It far exceeds our expectations, it’s a showstopper!” added Angela.
The mural was finished with 2 coats of Coo-Var’s anti-bacterial glaze, which will protect it against little hands. This was applied by the hospital’s own staff and therefore not an added expense.
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