Creative Kindness

Post some love to those not on the Internet

Some #CreativeKindness messages children have sent to those self-isolating

The BHC Corona Response Team has received a number of enquiries from children and families asking how they can be part of our community’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak. We have been very heartened to know that our young people have understood the need to help those in our community who may be experiencing difficulties because of the current restrictions on our daily lives.

Kids – now is your time to help!

Our Response Team’s work over the past few weeks has identified a need within our local community that we would like to invite children and families to help us with.  The internet has made it much easier to stay in contact with a large number of the older adults who are known to us through the work of our Older Person’s Ministry Team.  However, there are a significant number of older adults in our community who do not use the internet.

We are maintaining contact by telephone where we can, but this isn’t always easy as some of our older friends find it challenging using the telephone – if, for example, they are hard of hearing.  We would like to brighten the day for these people by arranging for them to receive things through the post. 

And this is where children and families can help – by creating items that we can send out to the older adults known to us.

I’d like my child to take part in this – what do we need to do?

If you know that your child likes drawing or painting – could you set aside an hour or two to create a special picture or message for an older person?

Artwork, poetry, prayers, paintings, collages.  Any size, any shape.  Please feel free to use whatever materials you happen to have at home.

Some Ideas

We do appreciate that some children would prefer more guidance, so please read on for some further ideas. (With grateful thanks to our friends at Befriended in Burgess Hill, West Sussex for sharing these top tips).

Choose a topic
Your child(ren) could choose a topic that interests them, or a new one to learn about and share what they find out with an older person. Having a real audience can make all the difference to a child’s enthusiasm.

For example, if your child is interested in bugs, they could go on a bug hunt in the garden or out on their daily walk. When they get back inside , they can then do further research on line and you can help them to decide what they are going to do next. They could:

•             Draw or paint a picture

•             Make a booklet or a scrap book

•             Create a cartoon

•             Write a story

•             Write an encyclopedia entry

•         Do a bug embroidery

•             Write a poem or play

•             Make paper bugs, cut them out

Of course, bugs may not be your child’s thing at all, but you can go with whatever it is that they are interested in. Here are some of our ideas: space, football, gymnastics, the rainforest, cars/trains, lifeboats, windmills, famous explorers,  my village/town/city, ballet, my pet…

These are just a few ideas, we’re sure you can think of loads more.

Masterpiece complete! – What to do next:

1. Name it: first name and initial. If your child would like to write their name on their work, please ask them to do so on the back of the paper.  We would love to add the creations to our website, but for Safeguarding reasons we will be unable to do so if there is a name visible on the front. Please ask your child to use only their first name and the initial of their surname – again this will ensure that we are complying with Safeguarding guidance. If you are concerned that your child may still be identifiable, they can just use their initials or you are welcome to leave it anonymous.

2. Ask your child to write a short message for the older person which explains what they have been learning about. You might want to help them with this.

3. Send to us:

By Hand to the Old Rectory. You are welcome to drop your child’s creation in at the Old Rectory while you are out on a walk if that is convenient.  (Due to the current lock-down, the Old Rectory is not being staffed, but there is a large plastic box outside the front door that you can leave your child’s masterpiece in so that it doesn’t get crumpled in the letterbox). 

By Post. You can also post your child’s work to us at the Old Rectory, Old Rectory Gardens, Godalming GU7 1XB.  Please mark the envelope for the attention of Penny Naylor.  Please include a note in the envelope stating a parent’s name and email address.  These are only needed in order that we can contact you to ask for consent that your child’s work may be included in this initiative.  No details will be forwarded to the older person, only the artwork and child’s message.

By Email. We can print out photos and work that has been scanned.  If you would like to submit your child’s creation electronically, please email it to: penny.naylor@bhcgodalming.org

Once we have received your child’s work and we have your consent, Penny will post it on to one of our older friends.

Some folk may be able to send a reply via Penny, which will be great, and some won’t be able to do this, but you can be sure that the connection with your child will bring some sunshine into their lives at this difficult time, as well as providing a real learning experience for your child.

We will make sure that we take all the right steps to comply with infection control before passing the creations on.