PATIENTS, their families and health board staff have teamed up to create a colourful Christmas tree from recycled wood, bringing a welcome dose of festive spirit to a Gwent hospital.
The tree - comprising 15 panels topped by a gold star - began life at The Wood Shed, a project based at St Cadoc's Hospital in Caerleon, which aims to encourage users of mental health services to learn new skills and gain confidence to help reintegration into the community.
And the decoration of those 15 panels has been very much a community effort, with service users, their families, and staff from several mental health wards and units across Gwent getting their creative juices flowing to come up with fantastic Christmas designs.
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Newport-based mental health charity Growing Space has also been closely involved with the project, and among those taking part have been Pillmawr, Belle Vue and Adferiad wards at St Cadoc's, Ty Skirrid at Maindiff Court Hospital near Abergavenny, Talygarn Unit at County Hospital in Griffithstown, Cedar Parc ward at Ysbty'r Tri Chwm in Ebbw Vale, Sycamore ward at St Woolos Hospital in Newport, and the Older Adult Psychiatric Liaison team at the Royal Gwent hospital.
The tree is flanked by two smaller wooden Christmas trees also made as part of the project, painted white and decorated with lights.
The Wood Shed, which opened earlier this year, encourages people with mental health issues to develop woodworking skills. Products made there include bird boxes, garden planters, benches, rabbit hutches and upcycled furniture.
Staff and service users busy making branches for the Christmas tree that is now at St Cadoc's Hospital. Picture - Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
As well as providing furniture for service users on discharge from hospital, they can be sold to members of the public with funds going back to Pillmawr Ward - which runs The Wood Shed - to keep the project going.
"The tree is a lovely example of the great work The Wood Shed is doing," said health board chief executive Judith Paget, who with health board vice-chairman Emrys Elias, decorated one of the tree's panels.
"It shows that there are some very creative people around, and the tree is a great idea that has involved lots of people across the health board area.
"The Wood Shed is a great project, and I'm very proud of what everyone has done with the tree."
The tree has been set up in a space at the intersection of corridors in the main building at St Cadoc's, providing a welcome festive focal point.
The Wood Shed initially ran on one day a week, but healthcare support worker Nathan Harris, who helps run the project, said it is now up to three days a week, and the aim is to expand to five days a week from next April.
For more information about The Wood Shed, email Nathan.Harris@wales.nhs.uk or telephone 01633 436855.
For more information on Growing Space, visit www.growingspace.org.uk
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