An online art club is bridging the gap to meet the needs of vulnerable groups left in isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The club, run by the Royal Docks Learning and Activity Centre, RDLAC, for the over 50s and seniors, launched in the summer following the nation-wide lockdown. Club members Norma Giles, Bhagwant Bhambra and Sylvia Dudfield have spent the past few months developing their drawing skills and have expressed how much the club has “kept them sane” during the pandemic.

Sylvia said:

“You forget about your troubles and think about the drawing. Your mind is on your drawing, and although it’s online it feels like a classroom.”

Robertine Muriel, RDLAC Project Manager, believes that the art club has proven to be an asset to their members. She said: “Elderly members improve on dexterity, memory and participants are having fun in the process and learning new skills.”

The centre runs a number of other online activities ranging from cooking to fitness. Robertine said these activities “enable RDLAC community members to socialise with their peers, deal with some of the isolation that some may be experiencing and aids health and wellbeing.”

For more information about RDLAC and their online activities visit www.rdlac.org.

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