Colouring isn’t just for kids!
The craze for adult colouring is not a new one. It has long been used in establishments with special needs adults as a way of helping to calm and control stress and anxieties. ‘Mindfulness’ has become this year’s buzzword and has seen the sale of Zen and Anti-stress colouring books soar. Colouring mandalas and patterns can be used as a form of active meditation, focussing attention on simple, repetitive motion. Concentrating on this gentle activity helps to focus the brain, blocking out intrusive thoughts, which in turn, can contribute to reducing stress.
An idea for a social colouring club in Crawley came about after Jilly Ebers wanted to raise some money for the Alzheimer’s Society. Over the years, she has raised funds through various events after her Father was diagnosed with the condition.
“It all started with my Father who had Alzheimer’s for about 15 years and my mother and myself looked after him for many years until he went into a home. I saw so many people with it that I felt I needed to do a bit of fundraising. For many years I made cakes, sweets, held Christmas fairs and parties, all trying to bring in a little money.”
With the rising popularity of adult colouring books in recent years, Jilly saw a possible opening for another way of raising funds while relaxing and making new friends.
“I then decided to try and run an adult colouring club for people with the same interests and roughly similar ages so I found a venue at the Emerald Sports and Social Club in Southgate. The members are around the same age and tend to be 50+, but no one is excluded, although we do ask that people are over 14 years old. This isn’t because we have anything against children but the club is aimed at adults and relaxation. We have a good old chat with each other, and I have about 14 members on the books at the moment but we would like a few more as it is a very friendly and happy environment and all the profit goes to the Alzheimer’s Society. In turn, the Alzheimer’s Society help me through the year with banners and badges to put on my table at various fetes and fairs.”
There is an entrance charge of £5 which includes tea, coffee or cold drink, home-made sandwiches, cakes and scones with jam and cream. Once a month there is a free raffle.
You can visit the club yourself at;
The Emerald Sports and Social Club, Southgate Playing Fields, Southgate Avenue, Crawley, RH10 6TW
Times: 12 – 3 pm once a month on a Monday. Contact Jilly on 01293 404214 for further information.
By Rachel Whitlam