Hannah Elton-Wall, Manager of Artspace, a charity based in Cinderford, was invited to give a presentation at the AONB National Conference on how the Wye Valley AONB project Mindscape is using the beautiful countryside in the Wye Valley to enable people living with dementia and their carers (both family and professional), to reconnect with the landscape in a sociable and creative way.

Andrew Blake, the Wye Valley AONB Manager and Ross-on-Wye Councillor Phil Cutter, the Chair of the Wye Valley AONB both attended the conference. They are keen to see the project being extended further into Herefordshire and to other AONBs across the country.

Mindscape is a programme of creative workshops designed to improve the physical and mental well-being of people living with dementia, and their carers, offering them creative opportunities to access the countryside and reconnect to the landscape. Sessions are based in the Forest of Dean, delivered by Artspace practitioners and volunteers, and are inspired by the natural environment. When the weather has been bad the sessions have taken place in Bishopswood Village Hall.

Sessions are held fortnightly and include a creative activity and lunch, giving participants and carers a chance to chat and socialise. Participants have taken part in a wide variety of activities including natural sculpture in a woodland log circle setting, using natural materials to create small and large scale pieces of art. Landscape painting, willow weaving, wood carving, working with leather, making festive wreaths at Christmas time and making a stunning tree mosaic out of tile pieces have also been enjoyed, along with many more and varied activities. As the project has developed, so has the confidence of participants, to such an extent in one instance that a participant suffering from dementia delivered his own activity around his passion for model railways, building some of the countryside features associated with his models.

The importance of the natural environment and landscape in people’s health and wellbeing is becoming more widely recognised. Mindscape is seen as a good example of how the landscape and art can be used to benefit those suffering from health problems. Current participants enjoy the activities provided and spending time in beautiful countryside; they are creating meaningful relationships with other people living with dementia and their carers, to such an extent that they now meet outside of Mindscape, and carers continue to attend sessions when the person they care for is no longer able.

Councillor Phil Cutter told the Ross Gazette that he is very proud that something which began in this area could be taken up in many different areas and help lots of people all over the country.