"This collaborative artwork is more than just a visual piece, it’s a living metaphor for what it means to be part of a community"

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, residents and staff at our Mount Lodge community in Eastbourne reflect on how art can be a catalyst for building relationships and facilitating self-expression.

This collaborative artwork is more than just a visual piece - it’s a living metaphor for what it means to be part of a community. Each brushstroke, each idea shared, represents the unique voices and experiences that make up the residential therapeutic environment at Mount Lodge.

Coming together to create this piece gave residents and staff the space to express our thoughts and feelings, not only about therapeutic recovery but about belonging, growth, and being seen.

Just like in the community, the process wasn’t about perfection - it was about showing up and being present. It was about listening to one another, making space for each contribution, and building something meaningful together.

In the same way that this artwork emerged from collaboration, trust, and shared purpose, so too does our community.

This piece stands as a symbol of how, even in our differences, we can come together to create something whole - something hopeful.

This is our community.

Our finished art piece.