The Quilt of Hope
When Southampton City Council put out a request for innovative projects that addressed the isolation experienced by people during the Pandemic lockdowns, the WEA responded with the Quilt of Hope Project, recognising the special role crafting has in bringing people together with a purpose and improving well-being and mental health for those that participate.
There were six sessions held in various locations in Southampton, where individuals from all walks of life and backgrounds came together to be creative, to get out of the house, to feel part of the community and to find a sense of purpose that would help bring hope.
Tutor, Margarita Waller Guitierrez, said how enriching and inspiring the course was for her as well as the students. “I learned so much, people brought wonderful skills and shared them – the quilt was pure collaboration. If someone struggled with anything another person helped them out –it was not always me as the tutor. Stories were heard – from Windrush, or of being a refugee or of finding life a struggle. People listened, asked questions – it was amazing that people who would never have met or connected through any other means because their lives were so different, came together for the quilt.
The Quilt of Hope Makers:
Alexandra Decea, Asif Yaqub, Beverly Dowdell, Eleanor Saxby, Eman Ibrahim, Isabelle Vergeron, Josephine Dunne, Kerry Maclean, Mandy Matlock, Moly Gupta, Moumita Barman, Nazma Sultan, Parwana Sultan, Priyanka Mukherjee, Sheila Arnatt, Susan McLain, Susan Saxby, Surya Maroof.
