With the final stitches in place, The Fabric of Winchester has reached the penultimate stage: displaying the completed memory quilts at The Arc for the public to view.
The exhibition, which is being held in the performance space, runs from Friday, January 12 to Sunday, January 14, and will showcase the more than 120 blocks that were made and donated as part of the initiative.
Launched in September, The Fabric of Winchester has collected and shared dozens of personal stories, helping to shine a light on the St John’s Winchester Dementia Support service and the powerful impact of our individual and collective memories.
With the help of 17 partners, including Shentons Solicitors, Carter Jonas, and The Winchester Bakery, the project’s initial stage centred on several free Community Sewing Days, enabling Wintonians to use one of eight donated Janome sewing machines to sew their unique block.
Since November, dedicated volunteers from the Wessex Quiltmakers have come together at weekly Sewing Bees to complete the quilts, with the final session held on Friday 5 January, less than a week before the exhibition was installed.
In celebrating this next phase of the project, The Arc played host to an exhibition opening event on Thursday 11 January, attended by Councillor Angela Clear, Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Russell Gordon-Smith, Deputy Mayor, and MP Flick Drummond, who participated in the project attending a Community Sewing Day and sewing her own block.
Speaking at the event, Memory Artist, Katy Rundle, and St John’s Winchester CEO Clive Cook confirmed the project’s success in bringing the community together. Each highlighted the immense privilege in collecting meaningful and often deeply moving stories from Wintonians, and participants’ willingness to share their memories with others and the wider community.
Following the closure of the exhibition, the memory quilts will be donated to Winchester Hospice, a gift in recognition of their impactful work in palliative and end-of-life care, and a reflection of the continuing relationship between the Hospice and St John’s Winchester.
The exhibition at The Arc is free to attend and is open from 9.30am until 5pm on Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13, and from 11am until 5pm on Sunday, January 14.
A YEAR IN REVIEW, THE DEMENTIA SUPPORT SERVICE
Since its launch in October 2022, the St John’s Dementia Support service has supported more than 300 dementia-affected individuals within the Winchester district.
Led by two resident Admiral Nurses and a Dementia Support Worker, the service provides a lifeline for families and carers of those living with dementia during difficult and challenging times. The service also facilitates a monthly walking group and a Memory Wellbeing Centre for those who fall outside of the one-to-one support remit, with a second centre launching in early 2024.
Speaking with a carer who benefits from the service, they commented: “We were told about St John’s Admiral Nurses through our GP Surgery as we had no idea about their service or the role of the nurses. The St John’s Dementia Support Service is a breath of fresh air, a lifesaver and they’re now good friends who are always at the end of the telephone to help with any questions that we have.”
A CREAM TEA CELEBRATION FOR THE FABRIC OF WINCHESTER
On Wednesday, December 20, St John’s Winchester treated key members of The Fabric of Winchester to an enjoyable cream tea, as a ‘thank you’ for their invaluable hard work and dedication to the project.
Visiting Audrey’s Tearoom, Winchester, those who joined the afternoon included the project’s Memory Artist, Katy Rundle, who attended all Community Sewing Days to support members of the public with their creative ideas, members of the volunteer Wessex Quiltmakers who sewed the individual blocks together to create the final, completed Memory Quilts, and St John’s staff who supported the public Community Sewing Days.
A staff member of St John’s who joined the afternoon said: “I helped to facilitate several of the Community Sewing Days, and I really enjoyed getting involved and seeing the wonderful blocks that people created and donated. It was such a lovely gesture to be invited to the afternoon cream tea; the scones were delicious, and it was great to catch up with others who I’ve met as part of the project.”
ALMSHOUSES
St John’s Winchester are a proud member of the almshouse movement which boasts 35,000 almshouses across the UK. The charity is unique within the movement as they provide unrivalled levels of care and support to residents who cherish their independence. Helping people maintain their independence remains St John’s Winchester’s driving force today. Their almshouses provide affordable, independent living for older people in Winchester, Hampshire.
HAND IN HAND
St John’s Hand in Hand is a dedicated wellbeing, signposting and befriending service, created to extend support for older people into the local community. It is aimed at making a real difference by improving the wellbeing of local older people, offering access and gateways to new social opportunities and helping scheme members to live full and independent lives for as long as possible.
HOMESHARE
St John’s Homeshare is a mutually beneficial living arrangement where an older householder who has a spare room and would like some help and companionship around the home, is matched with a younger sharer. Through the service, in return for affordable accommodation, the younger person gives 10 hours of companionship and practical help, such as shopping, cleaning, cooking meals together, gardening or pet care.
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