Hengaging effects of arts and hen-keeping take us to the Speaker’s House!

This week we were honoured to be among a host of truly inspirational people who’ve made extraordinary contributions to their communities.

Alongside the other regional winners of the TSB Community Partner Award, we were joined by event host Carol Vorderman and guests Jeremy Corbyn, James Cracknell and Rt Hon Sajid Javid.

Speaking at the event in London, Mr Javid said: “This is about recognising people away from the day to day headlines who are quietly just getting on with things and making our community stronger and our country greater. They are ordinary people doing extraordinary things, they are truly the best of Britain, the Pride of Britain.”

Earlier this year all of us here at Equal Arts and the hensioners from Wood Green, Gateshead, were thrilled when our HenPower project took the top spot as TSB Community Partner in the Pride of the North East Awards.

Over the past six years the project bringing arts and hen-keeping to hundreds of older people at risk of isolation has spread its wings.

Douglas Hunter, our co-director, said: “We are really proud to be winners of the North East round and to go through to the final. We are proud of the project as a whole and for the people involved, including the hensioners!”

"HenPower is life-changing for people and it’s so simple. We have sons and daughters telling us about the impact it is having on their mums and dads.”

Now in more than 40 care settings across the UK, our artists lead daily arts sessions with older people bringing creativity into care to help improve people’s wellbeing.

You can read more about how the project and the awards here.