PATIENTS at a North Wales mental health service joined together with staff and loved ones to enjoy Cygnet Delfryn Lodge’s summer festival.
Cygnet Delfryn Lodge, on Argoed Hall Lane, Mold in Flintshire is a 24-bed hospital run by Cygnet Health Care which is a high-dependency inpatient rehabilitation service for women who have severe and enduring mental illness.
It held its summer festival last week where service users were able to enjoy music, karaoke, glitter tattoos, face paint, a photo booth, fish and chips, a mocktail bar and an ice cream stand.
Joe Morgan, Cygnet Health Care’s Therapy Coordinator, said the event was first held two years ago and it keeps getting bigger and better.
He added: “We like to include normal everyday things to our service users’ lives. It adds meaning to their day. We always try and put ourselves in the service users’ shoes and think about what we would enjoy if we were living in services.
“This is one of many parties we hold throughout the year but it is definitely our most popular. We also used this as an opportunity to strengthen our community links such as with Cyfle Cymru who came to do face paints and glitter tattoos and also gifted workshops.
“All departments in Delfryn Lodge got their hands stuck in from the kitchen who made us lovely fish and chips and all staff who made the effort to dress in our hippy dress code.”
Service users worked hard all week helping prepare for the event by making posters, signs and decorations.
READ MORE: Wrexham maelor surgeon performs first 'hot stone' surgery
Joe added: “The best bit of the event was staff and service user interaction and the atmosphere it created.
"All staff on shift made the effort to dress up and service users helped prepare for this by tie dying their own t-shirts for the festival, they made banners and other decorations, which gave them a meaningful activity and team work opportunities.
“The day really brought everyone together to enjoy the music which we feel has a hugely positive impact on mental health. It boosted morale and was the uplift everyone needed. They all had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves and this is something our ladies look forward to annually.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here