NatWest Bring it 2020 has provided £50 of match funding
Rocking Mad, painting kindness rocks.
Bewdley, England, United Kingdom
Aim
I would like to run rock painting rockins to bring connections, explore environment, improve mental health and spread smiles leaving rocks.
I have been rock painting for 2 years and found it a great way to cope after the suicide of my brother. No help was available due to my chronic mental health disorders, due to trauma at the hands of my parents. I have a degenerative spinal condition, was paralyzed from the waist down in 2001, have limited use of my legs, but have a reason to move now on my good days and go outside.
KEMP Hospice gave me bereavement councilling and saved my life, I aimed to raise £100 a month painting rocks for them and can see I could help others.
I have self funded from my benefits to date but now have found a specialist private councillor, so funds are very limited. I would like to do fetes, schools, play schemes, nursing homes, parks as well as run regular sessions in lieu of any mental health support locally etc A reason to go outside is all I needed, it was life changing. Anyone can paint rocks, we recycle many things, but need paint pens, a stock of rocks, business insurance and a few adaptions due to my physical disabilities.
To be able to give a pack of pens and a can of varnish to someone struggling would enable them to give a long lasting mini work of art as an eco friendly thank you that doesn't need a tree chopping down, giving them purpose, release and relaxation benefits. A painted rock instead of a card its more eco friendly, gathering rocks means going outside a simple activity thats so hard during the black days. Its a way for those without funds to have something to swap for necessities, not everyone wants a Big Issue.
The random act of kindness, leaving a rock you have painted for a stranger hits the mark, a mark that runs deep as I was bred to give all, its a great way to cope with this desire. To date 4 people have PMed me to say the anti suicide rock they found made a huge difference, I have secretly left them at hotspots for 2 years, as well as happy & funny rocks all over the country. Some finders post a pic on KEMP rocks, its not why we do it, but its great to see your pebble in America of its just completed the 3 peaks. This would be ROCKING Mad forum and website once I have started, with instructional videos and links to the best materials. Their is not very good UK videos currently and yet a huge demand, I am on the main forum which has 96,000 members, all with the same desire of random acts of kindness, raising and sharing smiles, the world needs more than that.
This project successfully funded on 10th April 2020