An artist who uses his expert skills to help people with dementia rediscover their creative talents has been honoured with a prestigious award.
Jason Bennion, a creative arts consultant at the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham, won a silver prize in this year’s Wales Care Awards.
Held at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff, the awards ceremony paid tribute to the frontline heroes of social care.
Jason was a finalist in The Sir Bryn Terfel Foundation Wales Care Award for Promoting the Arts in Social Care category.
He was shortlisted for an award after impressed colleagues said his artistic flair and expertise was helping people with in Pendine Park’s care homes unlock their long-forgotten creative skills.
Cindy Clutton, manager at Pendine’s Hillbury Care Home in Wrexham, said Jason’s art classes were hugely popular with residents – and the difference he had made to enriching their lives was “amazing”.
Jason, an award-winning international illustrator, formally joined Pendine Park’s enrichment activities team last year after initially volunteering to give his partner, the care company’s Artist in Residence Sarah Edwards, an extra pair of hands to deliver arts and crafts projects.
According to Jason, it was a privilege to have the role with the organisation and to help reignite people’s passion for the arts.
He said: “The beauty of creativity is that once you break down those barriers, and once they realise there’s no pressure and they can just enjoy it, it does something magical.
“It’s magic to me, it’s absolutely magical.
“And some of the work the residents create is incredible, the standards and levels of their work have improved massively.
“And what is great is about how much the residents enjoy it, how it is giving them such purpose.
“I am very privileged to be able to do this and what really gives me joy is when a resident says to me they’re proud of the artwork they’ve created, that’s such a rewarding thing to hear.”
Cindy said: “Jason’s sessions are always so calming, it makes the residents relax and enjoy being creative.
“When you look at their paintings for example when Jason started 18 months ago to the work they create now, you can really see the progression in their artwork.
“Jason is helping our residents bring back the creative skills they may have had many years ago that they have since forgotten or have been unable to enjoy.
“As care staff, you don’t always know the residents had those skills in the past, so it’s lovely to see those skills coming through again, especially this late in life.
“And it’s great when the families get involved as well with the art sessions, not just the residents.
“It’s sometimes hard for the families to know what to talk about with some of the residents, so the workshops engage everybody and it’s something for them to talk about.”
The Wales Care Awards is organised by Care Forum Wales, with the support of this year’s overall sponsor Meddyg Care.
Mario Kreft MBE, Chair of Care Forum Wales, said the Wales Care Awards once again shone a light on the “unsung heroes and heroines” who make a vital difference to the lives of vulnerable people across the nation.
He said: “For more than 30 years, Care Forum Wales has worked tirelessly to champion the social care sector.
“The Wales Care Awards underlines the importance of the sector – it’s the glue that binds our communities together, both socially and economically.
“Our mission has always been to be the voice of social care in Wales to stand up for the workforce and ensure their dedication is properly recognised.”
A special moment in the evening was when Mair Elis Thomas, widow of the late Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas, took to the stage to present one of the awards.
According to Mr Kreft it was a touching gesture that reflected Lord Elis Thomas’s long standing support for the Wales Care Award and for social care more broadly.
“Dafydd was a passionate believer in the power of the arts to enrich lives and support wellbeing and mental health,” said Mr Kreft.
“He is greatly missed, but his legacy lives on – not only through his contribution to public life as a Presiding Officer, but also through the positive impact he had on so many communities.”
