No surprises that the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 changed the way we worked overnight, and with all our clubs and classes cancelled we had to find a new way to reach our clients. For most of us, the lockdowns that started in March were our first experience of isolation. But for many Pink House clients they were just a more extreme version of normal life. Loneliness was sadly something most of them were all too familiar with.
Home delivery
Most of the people who attended our classes and clubs weren’t online and many didn’t have smartphones, so the idea they would be able to use Zoom etc. was a non-starter. We had to find a way to keep in touch that would work for everyone and, after a lot of discussion, we came up with a really simple way to reach out to people who were housebound or shielding – Activity Bags.
Each month we’d make up bags of crafts and activities, tailor-made for individual participants, and deliver these to people at their homes. So, from running several craft clubs in different locations we’d run one craft club, delivering our service to their door.
Of course we first talked to our clients, who all thought the idea was exciting. So then we approached local libraries, churches and sheltered housing schemes to gauge their interest too. Everyone was very positive and, armed with this feedback, we set about looking for funding.
Funding support
Pink House initially secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and we delivered our first Activity Bags in August 2020. It wasn’t all plain sailing and we made adjustments along the way, but from the beginning the feedback we received was amazing. People said the bags really lifted their spirits during a very difficult time.
As the lockdowns continued and our list grew, we received funding from Central Co-operative England, Northamptonshire Community Foundation and Persimmon Homes – Community Champions. Later, when more restrictions were imposed, funding from Northamptonshire Community Foundation’s Constance Travis Endowment Fund allowed us to continue to deliver Activity Bags from November 2021 until the end of February 2022. The National Lottery Community Fund stepped in again after Covid and provided us with funds to start craft classes for the people who’d received Activity Bags.
Without the support of these organisations, our Activity Bag Project would never have got off the ground.
Spreading the word
As well as our own contacts, we also worked with North Northamptonshire Libraries to reach out to people who were housebound. Libraries already delivered books to many of their housebound customers so they could ask if any would be interested to join.
Surprise!
When people joined, they completed a form and selected the crafts and activities they were interested in doing from a list. We offered choices from things like knitting, crochet and painting, to jigsaw puzzles and crosswords, because we wanted the Activity Bags to have broad appeal. Participants never had any idea what they would be sent, only that it would be something from their list. Everyone loved this element of surprise.
Important to talk
We spoke to participants on a regular basis to find out how they were getting on. It was important to understand what people enjoyed doing, and to find out what craft supplies they had already (if anything). We also needed to learn whether they had any physical issues/conditions, such as arthritis or poor eyesight, which might make some crafts difficult for them to manage.
These chats also played a vital role in helping people deal with the loneliness of the lockdowns and over the weeks we also got to know other family members – the sons, daughters or grandchildren who would sometimes send us pictures of what people were making.
Sharing stories
We soon realised people were longing to hear about what everyone else was doing, so we started to include a two-page newsletter in the Activity Bags, sharing stories and pictures (when we had them). We were amazed how quickly the newsletter was able to inspire people to try different things and how much they enjoyed being able to showcase their own creations.
In numbers
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic we could never have dreamed how busy we would be. But our Activity Bag project was a great success, and by the time it finished in February 2022 we were delivering 70+ tailor-made Activity Bags every month, to more than 15 towns and villages across North Northamptonshire.
Final thoughts
We learned so much from the Activity Bag project, not least that we could react quickly and adapt the way we worked. The pandemic was an awful time, but we loved the buzz of what we were doing and, despite the stress and loneliness people were experiencing, the creativity and positivity shown by our clients was inspiring.