Erskine Hospital

I have been working in Erskine Hospital’s Recreational Department and Dementia Unit as a Volunteer for a good while now, helping with activities, the organisation of the residents and assisting during lunch service.

This gave me great periods of close time with the veterans, keeping them company and letting them discuss stories when they had moments of clarity throughout their day. The connection between staff and residents is like a massive family, it is so lovely to be part of.

Working with the other volunteers and the full time staff has be an amazing experience, they have all such a resilience when the job can get a little bit tough. I have learnt so much about creating activities and recreational days that can be enjoyed and alter for many individuals, which can be hard at times.

Erskine has also kept me on my toes with doing art, not in the way I have been the past four years but in a way that I hope pleases the people I worked with and that will be viewing it. At Burns day and Christmas I created big posters to be displayed within the main recreational hall, it was nice to create something that was for others rather than myself and it also inspired some residents to do their own wee art works for these occasions, like paper plate thistles.