Charity paint workshop for Teens Unite
Upcycling Workshop for Teens Unite
Last week, I spent a very inspiring, heart-warming and fulfilling day, running an Upcycling Workshop for teenage cancer charity Teens Unite, as part of their annual Reunion Stay.
Each year, Teens Unite organise a Reunion Stay; an opportunity for teenage cancer patients to get together, share more experiences and spend valuable time with others their age in similar situations.
I was privileged and proud to be asked to take part in this year’s Reunion Stay, by holding an Upcycling Workshop.
The purpose of the workshop was to teach the teenagers a new skill that they can use daily; whether they have old, dated furniture that needs a bit of sprucing up or manage to find some treasures in a charity shop that can be upcycled and then given a new home. Ultimately, we wanted to enable the young people to continue creating beautiful, personalised products at home – whether they want to transform something old or simply would like something different to do in between school, college, work or treatment.
It was truly inspiring to see the young people get involved and demonstrate their creativity. Two boys transformed wooden trays using the decoupage technique, with beautiful results, while one of the girls chose to hand paint a mirror with fine detail. Each finished piece was beautifully unique.
The feedback we received was so uplifting, not only did the young people feel that they had the opportunity to explore the creative side some of them didn’t even know they had, they all found the workshop therapeutic and enjoyable.
It’s days like these that make me appreciate my day job even more – to do what I love, work in an industry where I can pass on my knowledge and skills, and bring out the creativity in others is a real blessing.
Today, seven teenagers in the UK will hear the words ‘you have cancer’. Seven more will hear them tomorrow and seven more the day after that. At a time of fear, isolation and loneliness, Teens Unite bring 13-24 year olds who have been diagnosed with cancer, together. Through workshops, activity days and residential stays, Teens Unite provides the ongoing social, emotional and physical support needed by these young people, which medical experts can’t. You find out more about the amazing work Teens Unite do here.
If you fancy learning how to upcycle your existing furniture and give it a new lease of life, you can come along to one of our Annie Sloan paint workshops held in our Cuffley studio. Whether you’d prefer to attend a group workshop, or a one-to-one, each workshop is led by me, and designed to be informative, professional, relaxed and fun. Find out more here.
Jane x
