‘STAY HOME’ prints by local artist raises £3,000 for Maudsley Charity

Bryony Chaundy, an artist based in Peckham, has raised £3,000 for the Maudsley Charity and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust by making and selling prints with the slogan ‘Stay Home’ in her living room. Here she talks about where the idea came from and why she’s raising money for mental health staff and patients.

“It sort of started by accident. I was really struggling to adjust to furloughed life and looking for something, anything, to do to keep busy. I cut the first stencil out of paper while Boris Johnson announced the lockdown (“you must stay home”) and posted it on Instagram for fun. Then people got in touch to say they’d buy one and it spiralled from there. Now I have a production line in my living room!

It’s been upsetting to learn that staff at the Maudsley Hospital and King’s College Hospital are facing their own mental health challenges dealing with the pandemic. Given that my own mental health was a bit shaky in the first weeks of COVID-19, I knew what sort of charity I wanted to benefit from the sales, and one of my best friends was able to tell me about the mental health services supported by the Maudsley Charity.

She’s a speech and language therapist and was also struggling with the impact of seeing her elderly patients unwell. She’s also been manning some of the well-being hubs at the Maudsley Hospital – these hubs are supported by the Charity, and provide a space for staff to relax, recharge and access free food, drinks and much-needed items like hand cream.”

The Maudsley Charity is supporting NHS patients and staff during the COVID-19 crisis, to ensure that mental health services across hospitals and the community, in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark – and Bethlem Royal Hospital, Bromley – can continue to offer support to people experiencing mental illness.

Bryony continues: “The community and connection that’s come from it has actually made this bearable, if not enjoyable! All the artwork is done by hand and I’m also delivering by bike where possible.”

Buy a print and support the Maudsley Charity’s COVID-19 Appeal at Bryony’s Instagram page: www.instagram.com/bryonychaundy