Essex Freemasons support charity to get children creative in hospitals

Get Started Art, a registered charity gets support from Essex Freemasons to assist children in Hospital

A charity supporting disadvantaged children, vulnerable adults, and people of all ages with learning disabilities or special needs in the Thurrock area, has spread its wings and has been active helping children's wards at hospitals throughout Essex such as Basildon, Southend and Broomfield.

'Get Started Art' is a charity supported by Essex Freemasons and has recently been working with the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, to provide thousands of free activity pages and colouring pencils to young patients.

Essex Freemason, Dave Barton (Henry de Gray Lodge No. 6627), founder of the Charity said: "Sometimes children or young people find aspects of their hospital visits challenging, uncomfortable or distressing, so art and creativity can provide comfort, enjoyment and distraction”.

The fun activity sheets have been designed not only to keep children occupied during visits to paediatric outpatient units, but also to encourage children to engage on their own and look for a solution on their own.

They can help develop logic in the children and can teach children how to think. Their logic builds up as they try to figure out solutions and answers by themselves.

Puzzle Games and Word searches are proven to work to enhance children's overall brain power, whether that's their memory or their problem-solving skills. Children tend to enjoy Art and puzzles, and this can keep them focused, improving their concentration. They are also ideal for small moments of time as they can easily be stopped and started.

Dave added: "The support we have received from Lodges throughout Thurrock has helped us immeasurably to support more people in Essex. We understand that a visit to the Hospital can be a demanding and distressing time for both children and their parents, so we really hope these seasonal activity sheets will not only be a bit of fun and distraction for the children but also allow a little peace for Mum and Dad.”

You can find out more about the outstanding work that 'Get Started Art' is doing here: https://www.getstartedart.com/