Health & wellbeing
Enriching and relaxing events and workshops for Barts Hospital staff and patients
Events and workshops
An important part of our Sharing Historic Barts project is an engagement programme of varied events and workshops that enrich the health and wellbeing of Barts Hospital staff and patients.
Barts Health NHS Trust staff
Barts Health NHS Trust places an emphasis on the importance of staff health and wellbeing, not only for their benefit, but because happy, healthy and supported staff provide better outcomes for patients too.
We work closely with Barts Hospital staff to run wellbeing events and activities that provide opportunities for them to unwind, relax and connect with their colleagues.
Creative health and wellbeing programme
Since July 2024, we have been delivering free monthly creative health workshops for Barts Hospital staff. All workshops have been delivered by professional artists and wellbeing practitioners and have included origami, abstract painting, wellbeing walks, architectural drawing, signwriting, copper embossing and illumination with gold leaf.
Workshops are inspired by the heritage and architecture of Barts North Wing and have engaged staff in the history of the hospital that they work in every day.
To find out about our upcoming workshops for Barts Hospital staff, head to our What’s on page.
Team Days
Barts Hospital teams can book heritage-related creative workshops for their team days. Previous workshops have included Hogarth inspired painting workshops, and print making inspired by the Great Hall ceiling.
Teams can also book guided tours of Barts North Wing and Slow Looking workshops (using the Hogarth paintings).
All of our team workshops are free. If you would like to book a workshop, or chat to us about how we could support you, please email bookings@bartsheritage.org.uk
Barts Hospital patients
You are able to access Barts North Wing on the public open days and stay for as long as you like. If you have time in between appointments, it’s a great place to spend some time. In addition, we have the following opportunities to get involved.
Social Prescribing
Social Prescribing is an approach to healthcare that connects people to activities, groups and services in their local community that can positively affect their health and wellbeing. We work closely with Social Prescribers and Social Prescribing Link Workers from within Barts Health NHS Trust and local GP services to connect patients with heritage activities that can impact their health and wellbeing.
Heritage Explorers Group
If you are a patient at a Barts Health NHS Trust hospital or City of London GP surgery, and have an interest in history, historic buildings, or creative health, then you can self-refer to our heritage explorers group.
This is a unique opportunity to learn, explore, and connect with the history and architecture of the hospital and Barts North Wing in a safe and open environment. The group meets on the second Tuesday of every month, with each meet up exploring a different topic.
If you would like to self-refer or find out more, please contact us: info@bartsheritage.org.uk
Volunteering & Work Placements
Our volunteering programme is open to patients from Barts Health NHS Trust and local GP surgeries, who can self-refer or be referred by Social Prescribers.
We are able to make flexible adjustments to make volunteering accessible for patients with medical or access needs (e.g. additional breaks, flexibility with shifts and times).
If you are interested in volunteering please see our volunteering page for more details.
If you have any questions about becoming a volunteer please contact volunteers@bartsheritage.org.uk
We can provide work placements for patients from Barts Hospital. If you are interested please get in touch: volunteers@bartsheritage.org.uk
Patient Activity Packs
Developed from consultations with Barts Hospital staff and patients, our activity packs offer light hearted, imaginative and playful ways for patients to stay occupied whilst in hospital – by themselves or with their visitors.
All activities included relate to the heritage of Barts North Wing, and provide a number of ways for people to explore – through doodling, colouring, origami, building, or looking and reading.
Packs are available to be ordered by departments and staff from St Bartholomew’s Hospital. To order your pack complete our form here.
If you are a patient and would like a pack, please email us: info@bartsheritage.org.uk
Wellbeing resources
Slow Looking
The heritage, art and architecture of Barts North Wing can be a source of creative inspiration and wellbeing. We have created two Slow looking videos and a Slow Looking Resource, a mindful technique that prompts you to look closer at an artwork and make your own discoveries about it. Download our free resource ‘See, Think, Wonder’, exploring ‘The Good Samaritan’ by William Hogarth here.