Artists with learning disabilities create welcome gifts for new residents at Springstead Village  

Students from Rowan arts centre have worked with Bellway Latimer to produce colourful welcome gifts for new residents at the Springstead Village development in Cherry Hinton.

Six students from the Cambridge-based charity, which provides creative workshops for more than 100 adults with learning disabilities, visited Springstead Village last summer to gain inspiration for their latest artwork, as part of a collaboration between Rowan and Bellway Latimer, the developer behind the 1,200-home neighbourhood being built off Cherry Hinton Road.

The six students created paintings and drawings developed from sketches of the houses they took on their visit, and that artwork has now been added to mugs and tote bags which will be gifted to new residents when they move into their new homes at the development.

A total of 100 tote bags and 100 mugs featuring the artwork have been produced. They both feature colourful images of houses created by all six students, as well as the Rowan and Bellway Latimer logos.

The students worked with Rowan staff to create the final designs, with input from Bellway Latimer, who funded their purchase.

Rose Bloomfield, Fundraising and Events Manager at Rowan, said: “When the students visited Springstead Village last year the idea was that they would create some artwork which could feature at the development in some way. After speaking with the team at Bellway Latimer, who came down to Rowan to see what the students had created, we decided that featuring the artwork on tote bags and mugs would make for a really nice and useful present for new residents.

“The students are delighted with the finished product. They really enjoyed the project and being part of the process from start to finish has given them a real sense of achievement. It has been a really rewarding experience for them and they are excited about the prospect of their artwork being carried around Cambridge for people to see.

“Working with Bellway Latimer has been such a positive experience. Being able to get out and visit new places and meet new people is really important for our students. It helps them to feel part of the local community, as well as developing their artistic skills. As a charity we do rely on the support of local companies and we are really grateful to Bellway Latimer for the opportunity to work on this project.”

Springstead Village is a joint venture between national housebuilder Bellway and Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Group.

Georgia Smith, Sales Manager for Bellway Latimer, said: “Building a strong, diverse and inclusive community is at the heart of the vision for Springstead Village so we are keen to build relationships with as many local groups, charities and organisations as we can.

“It has been a real pleasure working with Rowan on this art project and we have been extremely impressed by the drawings and paintings the students have created. We hope our collaboration will help both the students and the new residents who receive the mugs and tote bags featuring their artwork as gifts to feel part of the community.”

To find out more about Rowan, visit https://www.rowanhumberstone.org.uk.

For more information about the homes at Springstead Village, call the sales team on 01223 081346 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/essex/springstead-village.

For details of shared ownership homes, visit https://www.latimerhomes.com/new-build-homes/cambridgeshire/cambridge/springstead-village/.

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