“It’s given me a purpose. I look forward to coming in every week, it’s so uplifting!” Andrew Wills, 58, has been living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) for 10 years and accesses the specialist services at the Bolton Hospice Wellbeing Hub weekly including the MND support group which is held every third Friday of the month.
On Global MND Awareness Day (21st June) an important day to raise awareness about the disease, Bolton Hospice hosted a special event exhibiting a beautiful collection of artwork created by Andrew at the Wellbeing Hub.
Bolton Hospice’s creative therapist, Mary Stubbs, suggested an exhibition to help raise awareness about MND and showcase the fantastic artwork Andrew has created over the past 12 months.
Andrew discovered his passion for art after attending the Wellbeing Hub at Bolton Hospice. He credits the creative therapy sessions for giving him a renewed sense of purpose and uplifting his spirits.
“It’s given me a purpose. I look forward to coming in every week, it’s so uplifting!” shared Andrew.
“The first thing I made was a silk scarf, at first I struggled with it but I had so much support and encouragement it spurred me on to try new things. You pick up ideas and learn quickly, some things you can do and it gives you confidence bit by bit, and that’s how I started developing a passion for creating art at the hub.”
Andrew first attended the Wellbeing Hub at Bolton Hospice in May 2023 and was referred by his physiotherapist.
He said, “Before I came to the Wellbeing Hub, I’d be sat at home most days. I was nervous the first time I came, as I just didn’t know what to expect and wasn’t sure it’d be for me, but they’re such a friendly lot of people. You quickly settle in and feel so comfortable, it’s just like being at home.
I look forward to coming every week now, I get to talk to different people and it gives me something to focus on during the week, so it’s great to turn up on a Tuesday and get going with my latest idea!”
Andrew’s year-long artistic journey culminated in an exhibition that not only showcased his collection but also offered select pieces for sale, with proceeds benefiting MND Association and Bolton Hospice.
“When I first walked into my exhibition I was quite overwhelmed because seeing my art on the wall for the first time was really special and there were a lot of people here to support me. It was filling me up a bit. It was a fantastic day, I’m so grateful to the team at Bolton Hospice and my MND support group for all their help and support.
I’ll have to start my next collection now, it would be great to collaborate with other people living with MND!”
The exhibition also served as a platform to raise awareness about the MND support group offered at Bolton Hospice every third Friday of the month. Sylvia Hinde, who runs the support group, acknowledged the challenges some people face in attending support groups.
“Sometimes people don’t necessarily want to go because they don’t want to see someone further down the line than them,” Sylvia explained, “but when they do come, even though they see different people and different stages in their disease, it’s a positive thing to share experiences and support each other. We’ve seen some lovely friendships grow and it’s nice to be able to facilitate that.”
Andrews’s wife, Sue, added, “We didn’t have the transport at first because we couldn’t get his chair in the car so that was an issue. That’s why we didn’t come at first, but once we got the new adapted car, we decided we’d give it a try and that’s when it opened up for us, just having a different car made all the difference.
Andrea McEntee, area support coordinator at MND association added, “That’s really important, removing these obstacles for people with MND so that they can access support groups and socialise more.”
“One of the really amazing things that Andrew has achieved is that because he is so involved in doing creative work, there are other people in the group who might think oh I’m not really into that you know, especially men, and Andrew has really encouraged other men to get involved in it and that’s sparked that connection and friendship which has been wonderful to see.”
The success of the MND support group at Bolton Hospice has inspired them to expand their reach.
Sylvia explains, “We’d love to offer our support groups more widely in hospices across the North West, we’ve offered our support groups for over 40 years and they’re a safe, confidential space for people to share their worries, socialise and get advice and support. Our support group at Bolton Hospice has flourished over the past 12 months and it’s been so lovely to see it develop. Members now have access to a wider range of hospice services, including complementary and creative therapy, as well as hair and image services. Therapists can offer skincare advice, or the team can let people know about upcoming symptom clinics and wellbeing sessions which all contribute to a more holistic support experience that makes a significant difference in members’ lives.”
And that’s what it’s all about trying to get our support groups better and better, and be able to offer more to our members so they can live well with MND.”
If you’d like to find out more about hosting an MND support group at your hospice, please contact Andrea, Area Support Coordinator at andrea.mcentee@mndassociation.org.
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