The art of friendship – the brush strokes of new beginnings at Brunswick Gardens

(left to right) Ruth, Leo and Caitlin with their beloved art supplies

Life doesn’t always follow a straight path.

For many of the people who call Brunswick Gardens home, the journey here has been shaped by struggle… long periods in hospital, unstable living conditions, and the weight of mental health challenges.

But at Brunswick, something special is happening – with art at the heart of it all.

People are rebuilding their lives, forging friendships, and finding a sense of belonging they never thought possible.

It’s a place where Lifeways team members and the people we support come together as a community. Cheering each other on and celebrating everyone’s success as if it were their own.

And what this means is the people who live here aren’t just receiving care, they’re shaping the service through art, social gatherings, friendship and care.

This is the story of new beginnings. It’s the story of Ruth, Leo, Caitlin, and many others who have found stability, purpose, and hope at Brunswick Gardens.

I’ve found my safe space by Ruth

I’ve been living at Brunswick Gardens for the past six months after living in a hostel for 15 months, suffering from both poor mental and physical health problems.

My life before moving to Brunswick was chaotic, unstable, very unhappy and I did not have any independence.

But since living at Brunswick I have gained independence, confidence, boundaries and self-esteem and have found a friendship group and the ability to trust staff.

I love it here; I found my safe space here at Brunswick!

For the first time, I feel I have a future by Leo

I have been living at Brunswick for the past four months. I moved here from hospital.

Life before moving into Brunswick was sad. I never felt safe anywhere, I was incredibly poorly with my mental health.

But since moving into Brunswick I can’t believe how much my life has changed! I have friends here and the staff are amazing! For the first time I feel like I have a future to look forward to!

I have my independence, but also the safety of staff if I need it by Caitlin

I have lived at Brunswick since 2023. I moved here from living with my mam. Life before Brunswick I was always running away and ending up in hospital.

I was really sad and felt like my future would be too.

But since living here, my life is so much better. I’m happy, I don’t run away, and I have my independence - but also the safety of the staff if I need it!

In the summer last year, a new manager and new staff started at Brunswick. The manager met with all the tenants and asked us what we wanted from her and the service and encouraged us to make the service our own!

We wanted to make Brunswick ours and we were encouraged to do this by being allowed to decorate the walls of the service with our individual art, letting visitors know that this was our home.

From there, the manager and staff encouraged us to become more involved in our support, listening to us and supporting us to be as independent as possible. This is good when you come from a background where you aren’t allowed to do anything for yourself!

We were nervous and unsure at first but once we started to get involved in the tenants’ meetings, we all realised we had something in common - we all loved art and we were all looking for our place in the world and seeking friends!

Mental health can be very lonely when no one understands what it is or how it affects us!

Our group has just keeps growing after that seed was planted. There’s no stopping us!

Art in action by Caitlin

In December 2024, we entered the Homelife fund competition and won £150 to spend on art supplies. We spent the money on materials like art pens, paints, glitter, and canvases, all to start our own art group.

Art is a way for us to express our emotions, build confidence, and connect with others and we wanted to create a space where everyone could feel safe and supported, and perhaps, through art, gain the courage to join other groups in the future.

For many of us, art helps with mental health struggles, like self-harming or isolation. It means we can express thoughts and feelings without words.  

Through our art group, we are also making new friends and can overcome our personal challenges like loneliness and trust issues. We now display our artwork around the building, adding colour to the walls to create a sense of belonging for everyone.

Our success didn’t stop there, by the way. We took part in more competitions, winning the Lifeways Christmas card, poster, poem, and carol singing contests. With the prize money, we bought more art supplies, held a New Year's Eve party, and celebrated together for the first time.

It was also the first birthday I ever celebrated with friends when we went bowling for my 40th. These shared experiences have helped us build lasting connections and strengthened our sense of community.

Now, we're more involved than ever. We regularly attend and help organise tenant meetings, and we’ve even volunteered to become quality checkers for our area.

Our art group has grown into something bigger, with new activities like swimming, walks, and coffee meetups, all fostering friendships and mutual support.

We're excited for the future and the adventures ahead!