Covid-19

With a heavy heart we had to accept that we have to stop all face-to-face weekly art groups and outreach activities in person for the time being.

We are very concerned about the message for social distancing and social isolating and the impact it is going to have on people’s mental health. The support for people with mental ill health was already patchy, short-term, and inconsistent before Covid-19 and more consideration needs to be given to how social isolation is putting people at risk of self-injury and suicide.

The World Health Organization (WHO) now recognises that the term ‘physical distancing’ would have better described what we need to do to reduce the risk of infection.  Human beings are very sociable and the importance of ‘social connectedness’ should have been stressed from the start. While physical health is taking priority our mental health is reduced to an afterthought.

To provide a social lifeline to our members we are now using the very same technologies that have often been blamed for tearing our social fabric apart. Yes, it’s ironic! But this is the best we’ve got right now and we are urging you to connect online with people you know and care about.

So lets be Apart but Together !

At Arty-Folks we are committed to helping all our members through this crisis and this includes those who do not have the means to go online. We know that the complete absence of human connection takes a psychological toll and we are determined not to let this happen!