Hospital Family Room To Get Revamp Courtesy of Wrexham Artist and Patients

A local artist has picked up her brushes to revamp a family room for patients at Wrexham Maelor hospital.

Ann Williams from Hope, is working with patients at the Heddfan mental health unit to create a warm and welcoming place where families can meet, chat and relax.

The animal-themed murals in the family room will be painted by Ann, who also works four days a week with the mental health services team for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

The artworks at the unit, which has beds for 44 patients, have been sponsored by Wrexham-based social enterprise, THIS Project.

Speaking about the project, Ann said: “I’m looking forward to helping transform the family room into a warm, welcoming and safe environment where patients and their families can meet and spend quality time together.

“After talking to patients, staff and families I have decided to use families of animals of all different sizes, gorillas to chicks and exotic animals as well as those from a domestic and farmyard setting.”

Ann, who trained as an artist in Wrexham added: “I’ve actually taken some annual leave in order to complete the mural, which I’m doing independently to my day to day mental health services work. I’m excited about the project and looking forward to seeing it complete.”

BCUHB adult locality manager Sean Clarke said the new family room will be a big improvement for the ward.

He said: “I’m delighted we are now at the point of transforming the family room, which I know will make a huge difference to the welfare of our patients and their families when they visit.

“Patients need a place where they can spend quality time with their families including, in some cases, young children, in a quiet, safe and pleasant environment.”

He worked with Hannah Luhde-Thompson of development agency Unllais and Denise Charles of mental health charity Hafal to look at the best ways of revamping the family rooms.

They are also planning to carry out work on family rooms at the Ablett Unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and the Hergest Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd, to also make them more welcoming and user friendly.

BCUHB vice chair Margaret Hanson said the new family room will be a major improvement for patients and families.

She said: “The new, and much improved, family rooms will make a huge difference to our patients by ensuring families, particularly those with young children, have somewhere private, welcoming and safe to meet in.

“I’m grateful to Ann Williams for volunteering to paint the murals and our partner agencies, Unllais and Hafal, for their support in bringing this project to fruition.

“I am also grateful to Wrexham’s This Project for sponsoring the scheme.”