“On Monday we gave our first A Space Between box to a young woman on our acute admission inpatient ward affected by depression with psychotic symptoms. The relentless derogatory and abusive voices made her feel so fragile and suicidal - she said nothing helped. We asked if she liked colouring and she said hadn’t done it for years but she had enjoyed it in her childhood. Later I found her colouring with her A Space Between box in the communal area looking more serene than she had in weeks - she said to say thank you to the kind people who had given her own box. It had made her feel valued and relieved some of her distress. Such a novel and therapeutic way of connecting people together through art.”

Golnar Aref Adib, NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Psychiatry
UCL and Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust

“I have managed to get the art boxes out to 3 wards - Chemo, Coronary Care and Respiratory across Bishop Auckland Hospital and Darlington Memorial - which I hope is OK. What you are doing is totally fabulous and helping to change lives as patients sit trying to fill the hours without support from visitors and limited availability of anything else in our hospitals at this time. More importantly your wonderful boxes were approved by infection control for sharing with the patients which I had great concern about with the change in ward alert status throughout our hospitals. Huge thanks - you've made an amazing difference here - thank you again.”

Pat Chambers, Charity Development Manager
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

"You will be pleased to know that the boxes have brought a lot of joy to all the patients we gave them to, over a very turbulent period in their lives. It strengthened the relationship with some mothers and their children, both doing creative work together at the same time. Quite a few patients have been particularly challenged with isolation and despair. This gave a beacon of light in the darkness somehow."

Dr Jaqueline Filshie, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management MBBS FRCA
Royal Marsden (Cancer Hospital) NHS Foundation Trust

“Not only did they find the art therapeutic, but feeling like they were connected to a ‘normal’ non-medical person in the outside world helped them to feel less trapped and alone.”

Dr Dominic Aubrey-Jones, Psychiatry Trainee
Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust

“One member of staff shared how they have started the ritual of using their colouring book on their commute home, thus unwinding and arriving at home much more relaxed than they have ever done before. It helps to reduce their stress and they don’t feel so overwhelmed by the tasks they have to do at home.

While another staff member has started colouring with her children at the kitchen table. She uses your colouring book, while her children colour or draw. She said that she never realised her children had so much talent. She’s explained that this has changed the whole dynamics in the house - everyone is much calmer and spending more time together. She is so grateful for the book and encouragement to take time for herself.”

Jacqueline Kottler, Art Therapist
Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust

“This patient was experiencing episodes of delirium - also isolating due to possible Covid. The patient was very anxious about where they were/ being in the environment. Utilizing the A Space Between art materials and working through the process of choosing colour / deciding on what is happening in the image gave moments of calmness during my sessions/interactions with the patient and I often noticed that the patient was less focused on their environment/where they are. “

Sophie Geen, Activities Coordinator
St Pancras Rehabilitation Unit