Exmouth artists fundraise to buy 'community craft bus'

A group of Exmouth artists are crowdfunding for a 'community craft bus' to bring creative workshops to people in their neighbourhoods.

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, the group set up a movement called Isolation Community Creations, and distributed art and craft packs through charities and other organisations. People have been encouraged to share photos of their work on the Isolation Creation Facebook page.

The group are now also providing resources to children who are having to learn from home during lockdown, and say they have been 'inundated' with requests from families.

They want to raise the funding for a bus that they can take to people who would normally be isolated, and give them a range of art and craft kits to choose from.

The group say they would show the people how to make their art, while maintaining social distancing, and this would be a therapeutic activity for those they visit, improving their health and wellbeing.

The group say they've got experience of delivering workshops to elderly people, vulnerable children, mental health groups, youth groups and schools. They have been working with Friends in Need and the Open Arms mental health charity.

Where the idea for the bus came from

Hayley Watson from the group said her inspiration for the community craft bus arose from the art activities she helped her mother to take part in after she became ill with Parkinson's Disease.

She said: "My mum was a vibrant, outgoing woman who would regularly attend events in the community.

"When she got ill and became immobile it was devastating for her as she was lonely, isolated and bored with life.

"I was thankfully able to do therapeutic art sessions from her armchair at home, even into the later stages of her illness. It gave her real joy and purpose in a time when there was not a lot of joy or purpose to her life.

"It would give me so much pleasure to see the same difference made to others in the community, as it did my mum before she finally passed away."

To donate to the community bus fund, visit