My name is Jennifer Robertson and for the last 6 months I have been project managing and helping to deliver the ’Know Your Neighbourhood’ project.
Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust was awarded funding from Historic England as part of the ‘Know Your Neighbourhood’ program, to deliver activities aimed at tackling loneliness and social isolation, building on the work of the Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone project (HSHAZ).
Following on from the work of the Eldon Street HSHAZ to help local people to engage with the historic high street, and the wider town centre, through creative and heritage-led activities, the KYN’s project aim was also to help more people who were unable to engage with the town centre for a range of reasons, including disability,The KYN’s project aim was also to help people who were unable to engage with the town centre for a range of reasons, including disability, mobility, loneliness, social isolation and rural locations feel more connected with Barnsley town centre it’s people and its heritage.
Working on the KYN project has been one of the most rewarding initiatives and personal discovery journeys of my career to date. I’ve enjoyed being part of a team, working with many talented BMBC artists, Digital Curator and hardworking facilitators to not only create and develop activities and events designed to help combat loneliness and isolation in people across Barnsley of all ages, but also something that will have lasting sustainability after the project has ended.
The KYN project also worked alongside third party support groups, students and volunteers who helped support a programme of a variety of free activities. These included Senior Cinema monthly screenings, (Parkway Cinema), on Eldon Street, fortnightly drop-in Natter Cafés on Eldon Street, weekly Art for Wellbeing Activities at The Cooper Gallery and Care Home/Dementia Cafe activities.
The project started in September and ran through the winter months, which in itself posed its own challenges as some of the target audiences were elderly or had mobility issues.
Popcorn At The Ready!
Free senior, (over 50s), Cinema screening events held at the Parkway Cinema kickstarted the project with the aim being to attract 100 attendees to each of the 7 Cinema events. Even though it was winter there were queues right down Eldon Street waiting for the Cinema to open its doors.
The final audience achieved was double the target with just over 1,600 people attending. The Cinema trips included free coach travel for those people living in more rural communities or who had mobility issues.
Some of the attendees had come to the event alone and were greeted with free tea and coffee and welcoming chats by our Barnsley College students and BMBC volunteers. This helped to create a multigenerational event where everyone felt safe, included and welcome. It was so lovely to hear people laughing and reacting to the films.
These hugely popular Cinema events attracted wide media attention, including coverage by the BBC who came along to film and report on the event and the KYN project’s success. One of my proudest moments of the project was seeing the resulting strand featured not only on the BBC’s regional Look North lunch time and evening news but nationally on BBC Breakfast which has an average of 6.5 million viewers. It goes without saying that I was ‘reet chuffed!
Natter Cafes
The next activity that took place was free, fortnightly drop-in Natter Cafes at the Eldon Street cafe, Barnsley Town Centre. This old-style café with its warm friendly staff and welcoming environment was fully accessible for people with mobility problems. The cafe was also dementia friendly. The drop-in sessions included complimentary tea, coffee and scones, and provided a safe environment to help people feel comfortable to chat about feeling lonely with other people and to make new friends. KYN facilitators were on hand to chat and have a cuppa with people who came on their own.
Some of the attendees came from a local homeless shelter and a sheltered housing association in the town centre. Advice and literature were also on hand provided by Barnsley Age UK, U3a and BIADS Dementia charity for people to find out more about their services and what help was available across Barnsley.
Art For Wellbeing
The KYN project then went on to create free ‘Art for Wellbeing’ sessions which took place at The Cooper Gallery with commissioned artists Julia Woodhall and Sally Philburn.
All the sessions were full to the brim attracting people of all ages, disabilities (macular degeneration and hearing loss). Some people were experiencing loneliness due to recent bereavements and mental health issues relating to depression and isolation.
We aimed to help people feel comfortable and safe allowing them to enjoy and express their feelings through a range of different art activities. The group also got the opportunity to experience a poetry masterclass from Barnsley’s Poet Laureate, Eloise Unerman. Eloise helped the group write poems that explored their feelings of loneliness and happiness.
Some of the artwork created during the sessions was displayed in an exhibition at the Cooper Gallery, in the Sadler Room.
The group also worked on creating their own postcards around the ‘KYN’ theme. These were then sent to people the participants knew, who they felt were also experiencing loneliness with a message of hope and encouragement. It was so rewarding to witness the attendees building confidence and self-esteem as the weekly art sessions unfolded.
Memory Boxes & Care Homes
Finally, as the project’s aim was to try and reach as many people as possible who were feeling lonely and isolated, we were aware that some of this target audience may not be able to physically re-engage with Barnsley Town Centre. On this basis, we created an activity that would reach out to Care Homes and Dementia Cafes across Barnsley.
This involved the creation of a collection of Memory Boxes designed and built by various Barnsley support groups – Age UK, Barnsley Butterflies Dementia group and Barnardo’s Young Carers. The remaining boxes were designed and created by Barnsley College Fine Art Students, Kings Oak Junior School and artist and Barnsley Museums’ Visitor Services Assistant Amanda Stoner.
The Memory Boxes, filled with 1950/60s artefacts were taken into Care Homes and Dementia Cafes and brought to life by character performance artists Lisa Difford and Julia Woodall who were dressed as 1950’s housewives. The entertaining pair delivered a fun and interactive story telling routine to help engage with the residents and the Dementia Cafe attendees.
As some of the Care Home residents had sight problems, memory loss and found it hard to communicate, it was so rewarding to see the residents engage with the performers and interact with the artefacts inside the boxes. It was truly heartwarming listening to the residents telling their stories about growing up in Barnsley and singing songs from the old days. When the activity was over the Care Homes and Dementia Cafes were full of laughter and happy faces.
People’s Experiences of Loneliness & Isolation
During the project we have recorded people’s thoughts and feelings of their experiences of loneliness and collected them in this YouTube playlist (you might find some of these stories upsetting)
Project Feeback
All the project’s activities and events were very well received and well attended. The Cinema events attracted over 1,600 attendees with queues stretching down Eldon Street, each ‘Art For Wellbeing’ activity was full to capacity and the Care Home and the Dementia Cafe visits were enjoyed by nearly 250 people, including residents, carers and family members.
Here is some of the feedback the project has received:
‘Our residents loved the Memory Box activity, we’ve had such lovely feedback. All the staff that saw the activity said how great it was and how our residents got involved wanting to look, hold and smell the items in the box. Some family members who were also at the activity said how much their relative loved the Memory Boxes, bringing back wonderful memories and even the costumes on the two ladies made them smile as that’s how they remembered those days. Our residents loved having a natter with the activity ladies about the past, talking about growing up and how things have changed.’
Micheala Jagger, Lifestyle Co-ordinator, Maria Mallaband Care Group Countrywide
‘On the 18th of October we came to the free Cinema session which included a free tea and coffee. The film was ‘The Full Monty’ – it was so good to see so many other single seniors getting out. So many people are lonely and not well off, so this was a miracle for them to have somewhere to come and socialise and make new friends. I can’t wait for the next session, as are so many others that I have spoken to who have also attended, so keep up the good work’!
Suzanne, aged 80, Barnsley
‘A fantastic idea to get people out and about! The ‘Art for Wellbeing’ room is ideal, spacious and airy and lots of craft ideas available. I thoroughly enjoyed the classes and I have made some lovely friends.’
Jean, aged 63, Barnsley
‘It’s really lovely to meet people at the Natter Cafe who also have feelings of isolation. It gave me a feeling of belonging and it was like having new friends and family all at once.’
Rosalind, aged 68, Barnsley
‘Lovely setting for an art class. Good friendly company, lots of ideas and exchange of information about other groups. It was my first dip into this sort of group and I will be attending lots more.’
Marge, aged 57, Mapplewell
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