'After 48 years in the NHS, I'm going back to college'

A 68-year-old former nurse who was struggling with retirement has decided to go back to college after an art therapy class "transformed' her life.

Cathy Kenyon, who lives in Southport, had worked as an NHS nurse for 48 years when she was forced to retire due to a hip injury last year. After leaving the job, Cathy she said she lost her identity - struggling with a lack of purpose and low mood.

A year later and Cathy said classes at a community-interest business, Art Ease, have changed her life and inspired her to enroll to study art at Southport College.

"As you get older you don't think you're going to continue achieving and you can think you're going down this hole of retirement," Cathy said. "I love my life now and it has made me so happy."

"I'm looking forward to starting college - because I didn't go to university. I am going to be the oldest person there but I'm not put off by that, I'm proud of myself."

Cathy's career in nursing had been an integral part of her identity that she maintained for almost five decades - both throughout raising her four children and long after they had flown the nest.

So when Cathy had to retire last year because she needed a hip replacement, she said that she felt she did not know what to do.

"I was at a very low point because I was depressed I couldn't work and even though I had thought I was going to retire soon, I enjoyed my work and nursing was such a main focus.

"Some people get very depressed when they retire because they are not sure what they should be doing or where they should go."

It was then that Cathy went to the GP with her concerns and was recommended to attend an eight-week art therapy class with Art Ease - a non-profit community business set up by fellow former nurse and artist Emmy Porter.

"I was put on antidepressants but also sometimes it's not just that that works it's other things - occupying your mind and having a focus on something.

"So it was really through my GP so I have to thank her. If she hadn't referred me, I never would have known about the mindful drawing," she said.

With little self-confidence in her artistic abilities, and slightly fearful of trying something new, Cathy said went along to the first session apprehensively, telling herself she had to at least "try it once".

"Even at sort of my age you're still nervous, because it's new," Cathy said. "I was never able to draw as a child, and I wasn't confident about my drawing.

"You think 'well, I'll try it once and then if it isn't right I won't go again'."

But once Cathy walked into the first session, she never looked back.

"It was a lovely group of similar aged women to me and it was more the fact that we just laughed," she said.

"I started being able to express myself artistically."

Cathy is also now a volunteer at Art Ease and will be starting on her foundation art course at Southport College in September, something she was inspired to take on by Art Ease founder, Emmy.

Emmy had studied Fine Art at university for a year before changing career paths into nursing due to pressure to choose a "safer" career choice.

She said setting up Art Ease has allowed her to combine both aspects of her career ambitions.

"If I hadn't have been a nurse I wouldn't have started Art Ease - I decided to combine both my passions and wanted to put on workshops," Emmy said

"But traditional workshops are quite expensive and you're dealing with like a more upper-class demographic.

"I'd rather do workshops with working class people who maybe couldn't afford them, they might be vulnerable, have health needs - helping the the community and helping people with the art that I absolutely love as well."

But as community-interest business, Emmy said the business hugely relies on funding - now she wants to raise awareness of community networks like hers, and the need for support.

"We're quite well known in the community but we are really struggling - funding is a really big barrier to lots of amazing community group.

"I just want it to reach as many people as possible, because it's just so worthwhile.

"I get to see you know how much it can change people's lives - I see it literally day in day out.

"GPs can prescribe medication or put you on a waiting list for counselling - but community networks absolutely plug a gap - we are getting people out in the community and taking a lot of pressure off national services.

"We need more support to do that."

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