Creating a Tree of Hope for Richmond Royal Wellbeing Centre
Moving into Richmond Royal Wellbeing Centre
This spring, Richmond Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) moved into the newly refurbished Richmond Royal Wellbeing Centre, a bright and welcoming space designed for young people, their families and staff.
Since opening, Dr Annie Townshend, Clinical Psychologist and Patient Participation Lead, and Sara Morawetz, Assistant Psychologist, at Richmond CAMHS, have been working closely with young people to make the centre feel like their own. Young people were already involved in shaping the new environment, helping to choose paint colours and artwork for corridors and therapy across the building. However, feedback from the participation group suggested they wanted to go a step further by making the waiting room more welcoming through the creation of a Tree of Hope.
Designing a Tree of Hope
After deciding on their idea, the participation group spent two planning sessions developing the design, working alongside Annie, art therapists from Tier Two CAMHS and other young people they may not have met before.
As well creating a mural, the group wanted the Tree of Hope to be an interactive space. Young people leaving CAMHS will be invited to write encouraging messages for those who are new to the service and beginning their own recovery journey. Written on small paper leaves and then added to the treat, these messages will create a growing collection of hopeful reflections for patients, families and staff to take comfort in.
Painting together
Once the design was finalised, young people came together with staff to spend an afternoon painting the tree, using materials kindly donated by The Friends of Barnes, a local charity that supports Barnes Hospital and other Richmond mental health services.
While there was an overall vision for the mural, the young people were given freedom to develop their own ideas and add personal touches, helping to create a strong sense of ownership over the finished piece.
For some, attending the session was as important as creating the mural. Annie said: “It can be a big deal to come into a group setting with people you don’t know, particularly if you are managing social anxiety. But it was wonderful to see that as people got stuck in with the painting, they became less tentative, more relaxed and started chatting away with each other. It’s been a really special project.”
As a thank you for their time and creativity, participants received gift vouchers in recognition of their contribution.
A brighter waiting room
The mural has already attracted positive feedback from across the site. Parents visiting the building commented on the artwork and the collaborative effort behind it, while staff have welcomed the way it brightens the waiting area and demonstrates genuine co-production with young people.
The project has also sparked interest among other CAMHS patients, with some expressing a desire to get involved with future participation activities.
Richmond CAMHS would like to thank everyone who took part in designing and painting the mural – it has made a huge difference to the waiting room and created a more welcoming space for everyone.
Find out more about Richmond CAMHS.
