Hucknall woman's art classes reunited community after isolation impact of Covid

Wendy Radford runs classes twice a week in the town and is encouraging everyone to come along, not just for art but for the social side and sense of community.

She particularly hopes to reach out to those feeling lonely since the pandemic forced people to isolate – and hopes to bring them out to meet new friends or reunite with old ones again.

Wendy said: “The community art classes are at Titchfield Court (Orchard Street) on Tuesday mornings from 10am until 12midday and Friday afternoons from 1pm until 3pm.

“Anybody can come along and if they’ve got children who are old enough to draw or paint, they can come along too.

“It’s just all about getting the community together, being creative, learning a new hobby and enjoying the social side of it.”

Getting people together has been the main aim for Wendy in the last few months after so many have been kept apart by Covid over the past two years.

She continued: “That’s really the main thing I’m trying to do with this.

“Some of the older people who used to come have gone into care homes because of Covid.

"But there’s also a lot of people who don’t know the classes exist. After Covid, so many people are struggling and I just want to get people back together again.”

The group is currently holding an exhibition at Hucknall Library of pieces of work all created by members.

Wendy said: “It’s all the work from people in the classes and there’s no theme, it’s just whatever people wanted to produce so there’s a bit of variety.

"I usually do workshops in the class and we all do that together but most of the paintings have been done in different methods.

"Many of the people who come have never painted before and yet they’re producing some really amazing work, there’s some real hidden talents there.”

“We’ve also been supported by the National Lottery, which helps pay for the room hire and it’s just really good for people to come along and be together which is what it’s all about .”