Cotman’s Resident Writers Publish A Book Of Their Inspired Work
When residents at Cotman House started meeting each month to get their creative juices flowing, it was the beginning of a regular get together which had a surprising end result.
Writing Club Formed to Share Ideas and Creativity
Fiona, the Wellbeing Co-ordinator at Cotman House Care Home is always looking for new activities that will benefit residents both physically and mentally, as well as providing enjoyment and encouraging camaraderie. She thought it might be a nice idea to form a writing group – a reason for residents to gather socially, and a way of getting their minds and imaginations working together.
The Cotman House Writing Club was duly formed, with the idea being that Fiona and the residents in the group would choose a theme each month to inspire either poetry, or creative writing, then composition would begin! At the start of each meeting, Fiona set up a white board so ideas could be suggested and discussed before the group decided on the theme, and residents often found it helpful to look at the previous month’s writing to help with ideas for the current session.
Monthly Themes Spark Free Flowing Writing
Subject matter so far has included spookiness in October, remembrance and poppies in November, Christmas in December, winter in January, residents’ names in February and limericks in March! The group also finds inspiration from community activities or notable events, for example, the King’s Coronation, or ‘national’ days, with National Ice Cream Day being a popular example. Seasonal and nature related themes have worked, too, as well as simple colours.
Resident Cherry loves the Writing Club and is Cotman’s very own poet in residence. She’s always written poetry and been compiling her own book of poems for years. Cherry inspires the other residents and is also an artist so creativity is in her bones!
Book of Poems Delights Resident Poet Cherry
Residents Gene and Mary H. and Margaret are also keen members of the Writing Group and such was the level of enthusiasm and the quality of writing from the club members as a whole, Home Manager Kirsty decided to take things to the next level. Gathering a selection of great material, Kirsty used the magic of the internet to design and create a book of poetry, which was bound and printed for the care home. Cherry was thrilled and explained, “I absolutely adore poetry. It is in my soul. I get very emotional with words. It’s been wonderful to have your thoughts and ideas put into a book to share with friends and family.”
An Achievement Shared by the Whole Home
Now, a copy sits proudly on reception and another one lives in the home’s activity room, The Oasis. Relatives and visitors have loved reading it. All the Cotman House residents have been involved in some way – whether writing or finding pleasure in reading and sharing their feedback. New residents love to read the book and it has inspired them to get involved, with one resident recently saying she felt it really helped her brain. Fiona and the team have also found that residents living with dementia feel confident to shout out different words, depending on the theme.
Reflecting on the success of the Reading Club, Fiona said, “When we first started, our residents were quite shy in coming forward and expressing their creativity. Now they are more confident in voicing ideas and words and know that no words are wrong. They were thrilled to see their achievement published.”
Poetry is surely food for the brain – and with the Cotman House Writing Club still going strong, next year’s book is definitely on the cards!
Welcome to Cotman House Care Home
Choosing a care home for your loved one is never easy, especially when you're seeking more than just support with day-to-day needs. At Cotman House Care Home in Felixstowe, we understand that you're looking for a place where your loved one will feel respected, valued and truly at home.
We provide residential, dementia and end-of-life care, but we offer more than professional support, we offer a compassionate home.
Working hand-in-hand with local healthcare professionals, we offer personalised care that promotes dignity, independence and connection. If your loved one has been feeling lonely or isolated, they’ll find friendship, comfort and reassurance in the warmth of our home.
Want to know more? Call us on 01394 334 389 to book your personal tour.
