Art, nature and a good, comfy bed

In this story, we visited Emma who has applied for and received a number of grants from Barnwood Trust and we spoke to her about what the grants have meant for her, her hobbies and her wellbeing.  

“I think the first thing was a new mattress because I have really bad back problems, and I have to spend a lot of time on the floor, again with my back, they got me the rug that is beneath our feet. It’s like a massive jump for just making me comfortable in my own home.”

Watch the video here:

“I got burgled in December and straight away after that I applied for a grant and they helped me immediately with the things that I needed the most at home, with making me feel safe like the blinds. And then I really felt the need to get away and have a holiday, which again I haven’t been away in five years anywhere other than the odd weekend trip. So they have arranged for me to go on holiday to Cornwall, which I am going on next week, with my new friend my camera.”

“I am mad for the camera, I love taking pictures mainly of the natural world – birds and flowers and yeah landscapes. I take a camera with me everywhere and it’s really a kind of a diary of my life as well, and I do lots of art and I need to take lots of photos of the art. So the combination of the blackout blind and the camera I’ve now got myself like a mini studio.

I find it very difficult to sit at a table or a computer for a long amount of time, but I found a piece of software that you can talk into it and it will talk to text, it types up what you’re writing.”

“I’m quite overwhelmed actually by the help that they’ve given me, it’s really made a massive difference, and all the things combined together with hobbies and what I’m hoping to do – I want to be self-employed and making art, and writing, and perhaps poetry, and so all these things are going to be really helpful, useful tools including just getting a good nights sleep on that bed.

They’re small things to some people but it’s a month’s worth of rent to raise the money for these things, and sometimes you do need these things all at once, or you need them at a certain time, and Barnwood Trust have been there for me, just at the right time. Very non-judgemental, and very understanding, and really very generous.”

About our grants programmes

Barnwood Trust enables belonging through building relationships and sharing experience and ideas. But sometimes money is needed too.

We have a range of grants that provide more support to activities across all our programmes. Some grants are for individuals. Some for organisations. Some for groups of people living near each other. What all our grants have in common is that they help to build belonging in Gloucestershire.

To view the grants that are available, visit our grants pages here