ARTISTIC children have helped to brighten up the Great Western Hospital by creating works of art.

A total of 16 children from Eldene Primary School have contributed to a colourful wall in the Breast Care Centre at the hospital by drawing pictures of their mothers and flowers.

The school was approached by the Rotary Club of Swindon Phoenix, which has been working with the school to raise funds for Swindon Guide Dogs, and Breast Care Centre, as it is one of their chosen charities for the year.

Steven Gale, Year 5 teacher and head of art at Eldene Primary School, said: “The children discussed at length how special their mothers are and how ladies might be feeling visiting the hospital.

“They thought about what we could do that might cheer them up.

“Year 5 and 6 children from the art club contributed. It is lovely to see the children’s art being celebrated in the community.”

Among the pupils who contributed to the wall was Year 6 pupil Rhianna Hamilton.

The 10-year-old said: “I have done a pastel of my mum holding me as a baby. I was thinking about my mum and what she looks like and what I looked like as a baby.

“I made it colourful so people will look at it and be happy and cheerful.”

Jay Stenning, nine, who is in Year 5, spent about three hours doing pastels of his mum and flowers.

“It’s fantastic to see my work on the wall. I am really happy and proud. I told my friends and they thought it was cool,” he said.

Suzie Ferrari, breast centre manager at GWH, was impressed with the children’s work.

“It is vibrant and bright. Being here can be a stressful time for ladies and to have something like this to look at is nice. We didn’t have anything on the wall there at all before,” she said.

The Rotary Club of Swindon Phoenix are in the process of raising £5,310 to buy a mammography biopsy chair for the centre and have so far raised over £1,000.

For more information visit www.rotary-ribi.org/ clubs/homepage.php?ClubID=2089.