Neuro-disability Charity Raises Record Amount At The Affordable Art Fair

with eight paintings painted by RHN residents

The Royal Hospital of Neuro-disability (RHN) raised over £10,000 at the Affordable Art Fair last week. The record amount was generated through the charity’s opening night fundraiser and the sale of tickets to a special private viewing of the fair along with a series of generous donations made over the course of the event.

The charity also sold eight works of art painted by RHN residents themselves, several of whom were in attendance to see thousands of art connoisseurs viewing their work with interest.

The art fair, which selected the RHN as the beneficiary charity for this October’s event, was held in Battersea Park. Opened by Olivier Award winning actor and BBC Radio 2 presenter Michael Ball in aid of the RHN, the fair attracted a record 25,000 visitors and generated £4m in sales – the third highest sales total since its inception in 1999.


A special workshop (pictured left) designed to simulate a range of disabilities allowed the general public to gain a rare insight into the daily lives of RHN residents. It also helped to highlight how much can be achieved with the right level of care and support, aptly demonstrated by each of the residents whose work was on display.

Art carries proven benefits for people with neuro-disability such as improvement of cognition, motor skills and self-expression.

Katrina Collins, whose daughter Sara sold a painting at the fair, said:
“Apart from the obvious physical benefits of holding a brush or pencil, for Sara, art enabled her to create something to give to her family. She still finds it too painful to have photographs of her children around, too much of a reminder of what she has lost, but therapeutic art acts as a contact with "normal" life for Sara and her children.”

For Sara and others like her, art is not just a joyous pastime, but also an integral part of their rehabilitation. A regular feature of the care provided by the RHN, ‘Room for Art’, to give the programme its full name, uses pottery, painting, modelling and drawing as forms of cognitive assessment and rehabilitation.

Andy Tuthill, another resident whose work was on display last week, was a physical training instructor in the Army before suffering a stroke and being cared for by the RHN. He said:
“Art has helped my concentration and memory – it helps me remember the good times, like my grandfather and family history.  My art project focuses on Native Americans and spirituality.  It is based on the Navajo tribe, where my grandfather was from.”

The Affordable Art Fair opened on Thursday, 22nd October after the RHN held a special private viewing and charity event on the evening of Wednesday 21st, and closed on Sunday, 25th October.

October 28, 2009