Rest, Reflect, Relax....

We were approached in early 2022 by Caroline Barnes, Arts & Design Co ordinator for Yeovil District Hospital.....

Caroline writes….

“I was contacted by Yeovil Town Council about a year ago, we were still in one of the lockdowns and Council members were keen to present the hospital with a commemorative bench. It was principally to mark the extraordinary effort staff had made during the pandemic, a bench being a useful piece of furniture.

I was given a few, rather urban looking suggestions, which I just didn’t think would work in our grounds, so I set about searching for something more bespoke. As an Arts Coordinator, working in a hospital, I rarely get to commission work so this was a really generous opportunity from the council.

I knew about Sitting Spiritually, largely through the image of the swing seat on the Cobb near to where I live in Dorset!

With a bit of to-ing and fro-ing we settled on a design and some wording for our wonderful new oak bench. I wanted to include some wording and chose: Rest, Relax, Reflect, which have been beautifully carved into the seat. Taking time out of the hustle and bustle of a busy ward, clinic or office is crucial to staff well-being and so many are on their feet all day – so taking a moment to sit and just begin to reflect felt important.

The bench was delivered recently and is currently in our dementia friendly courtyard. This garden space is accessible to patients, staff and visitors to take a time out of the clinical or waiting areas of the hospital.  In time the bench will be part of our new Breast Cancer Unit which is currently under construction.

Thank you Sitting Spiritually, the bench is a great addition to our hospital environment!

If you would like to contribute a guest blog, please contact Siobhan at siobhan@sittingspiritually.co.uk