FINE Art students from Oldham College have unveiled some fantastic artwork created especially for the children’s ward at The Royal Oldham Hospital as part of a community project between the college and the hospital.
There were big smiles on the faces of both patients and staff as the students revealed the bright, colourful artwork in the corridors leading to the children’s ward.
The artwork was officially unveiled and given a seal of approval by Alun Francis, Principal at Oldham College, and Nicola Firth, Chief Officer and Director of Nursing at The Royal Oldham.
The artwork is the result of months of hard work by the students, who have been regular visitors to the Ward.
The project started in October when students had to pitch their ideas to the children’s ward team and since then they have worked closely with ward staff.
The end result is fantastic, uplifting artwork that catches the eye as soon as you enter the ward.
Mark Smith, Ward Manager on the Children’s Ward, said: “Working with the students has been a fantastic opportunity for the hospital to build relationships with our local community.
“Our new entrance is so uplifting, colourful and most importantly, child focused.
“Thank you so much to all the Oldham College students and staff who have been involved with this project. You have all truly made a difference and we couldn’t be happier.”
Nicola Firth, Chief Officer and Director of Nursing at The Royal Oldham, said: “The students have done a phenomenal job creating some brilliant designs and transforming plain, magnolia walls into something inspiring for our youngest patients.
“For us, it’s really important that we bring the local community into the hospital and work closely with local partners like the college.
“Not only are the students our potential service users, they are also our potential employees of the future and projects like this give them a good insight into how our hospitals operate on a daily basis.
“We hope they’ve enjoyed the project as much as we’ve loved having them in the hospital every week.”
The project was given with the perfect ending when the children’s ward team was presented with a cheque for £1,100 by Mr Francis on behalf of the college.
Thanks to the students’ fundraising efforts at their Christmas Fayre, they were able to hand over the donation to help support young patients.