Sharing Stories for wellbeing project snapshot

Project title: Sharing Stories for Wellbeing

Where and when the project happened
Watford’s Peace Hospice Care, May – June 2015 (and since 2011)

Describe your project briefly
Sharing Stories for Wellbeing is a group activity for individuals with limited life expectancy run as part of the programme of creative therapeutic activities at Watford’s Peace Hospice Care. Each session is facilitated by a StoryMaker who encourages participants to share their individual life stories. The stories are then transcribed and presented back to participants at the final workshop.

What were the aims of your project?
The central objectives of Sharing Stories for Wellbeing are
a) to recount and record own life stories;
b) provide opportunities to reflect, accept and understand;
c) provide opportunities to acknowledge the value of life and the contribution made;
d) provide opportunities to make sense of experiences, express emotions and be able to move on.

What happened as a result of your project?
Informal patient feedback from Sharing Stories for Wellbeing sessions found improved self-esteem, the feeling of being valued, the positive impact of being listened to at a time of great personal distress. In addition, patients have referred to the story sharing and recording process as one which has helped them to resume control over their lives and rebuild their self-confidence, and self-esteem. This process creates attitudes towards the self which are favourable and develop positive feelings of self-worth.
The beneficial effects of the programme have been recognised by both Hospice UK and Dementia Care. It ready to be shared with a wider audience.

What evidence did you produce to show your project’s impact?
The programme has been evaluated by Northampton University, Institute of Health and
Wellbeing. The evaluation was based on a five weekly programme run at Peace Hospice
Care in May-June 2015. The report will be available to be downloaded in November from the website www.sharingstoriesforwellbeing.co.uk.
For information about how to run your own programme and details of future training courses, please log on or contact Miranda direct.

Your contact details to help people find more information
Miranda Quinney
Tel: 07729 064483 Email: mirandaquinney@yahoo.co.uk
www.sharingstoriesforwellbeing.co.uk

If you have an Arts and Health project that you would like to share through Creative Hertfordshire, please go to http://www.creativehertfordshire.com/the-art-of-wellbeing/call-for-hertfordshire-arts-and-health-projects-to-showcase/

For more information visit http://www.sharingstoriesforwellbeing.co.uk/