An Armidale not-for-profit is inviting the community to browse more than 130 donated artworks this weekend, raising funds for a service that supports local families through some of life’s most difficult moments.
Art with Heart, a community art sale benefiting the Highlands End-of-Life Project, will be held at the Armidale Art Gallery in the Mall on Saturday, 28 June and Sunday, 29 June, from 10 am to 4 pm each day. An opening night will take place on Friday, 27 June, from 6 pm.
The collection features original works and limited-edition prints donated by community members, including pieces by renowned Australian artists David Boyd, Euan Macleod, Adrian Lockhart and Vanessa Ashcroft.
“We have been so moved by the support we’ve received,” said Bec Passey, co-founder and Chairperson for the Highlands End-of-Life Project.
“More than 100 artworks have been generously donated by community members, including original works by renowned Australian artists David Boyd, Euan Macleod, Adrian Lockhart and Vanessa Ashcroft. The response has been incredible.”
The artworks arrived through community networks, social media and word of mouth, with Ms Passey saying the response had been humbling.
“The generosity shown reflects how deeply the themes of care, compassion, connection and community resonate with people,” she said. “Art has a unique ability to start conversations and bring people together, making it a particularly fitting way to support end-of-life initiatives.”
The Highlands End-of-Life Project is a grassroots not-for-profit providing free volunteer support to people with life-limiting illnesses and their carers across Armidale, Uralla, Walcha and Guyra. It operates two programs: the Highlands Community Hospice Service and Flowers from Friends.
The hospice service is staffed entirely by volunteers, including its coordinators, and in its first year the team contributed more than 900 hours of their time. Of those, 421 hours were spent in direct face-to-face time with clients.
There is no standard visit, Ms Passey said. What a volunteer does depends entirely on what the family needs.
“A volunteer might spend time sitting with a person with a life limiting illness, share a cup of tea and a chat while their carer has a break, help with small tasks around the home or garden, accompany them to an appointment, or assist with other errands,” she said. “Some of our volunteers do legacy projects such as recording life stories, and we have musicians in our team including a therapeutic harpist.”
Around 34 per cent of volunteer visits centre on companionship with the client. The service’s 13 trained volunteers come from a range of backgrounds. Five are registered nurses, retired or still practising. Others have cared for a loved one and understand firsthand the value of community support.
“For the person receiving care, it can mean companionship, connection and the reassurance that they do not have to face this time alone,” Ms Passey said. “For families and carers, knowing there is someone who can listen without judgement, offer practical help, or provide a few hours of respite can reduce isolation and ease some of the pressures that often come with caring for a loved one at the end of life.”
The organisation’s second program, Flowers from Friends, is believed to be the only project of its kind in the world. It connects local gardeners and growers who donate flowers, which are then arranged and delivered free of charge to people who are dying, recently bereaved, or arranging a funeral.
The idea came from co-founder and Volunteer Coordinator Lauren Moss, who runs a local micro-flower farm and had the vision to build a network of community donors around her. Over the past year, the program has produced 26 funeral arrangements for families facing financial hardship.
More recently, families have begun participating in making the arrangements themselves, with Ms Moss facilitating the process over several hours.
“Sharing stories, laughter, tears and cups of tea, while keeping their hands busy to create a beautiful floral tribute for their loved one is a powerful process,” Ms Passey said.
The flowers are donated and received anonymously. Families do not know who gifted the blooms, and growers do not know who receives them.
“There is something very special about receiving flowers, especially grown from the land locally and given generously with nothing expected in return,” Ms Passey said. “To know that the community is supporting them is impactful. Many recipients have said they are touched not only by the flowers themselves but by the kindness behind them.”
Funds raised through Art with Heart will support volunteer recruitment, training, supervision and ongoing program delivery. They will also go toward new initiatives including grief and bereavement programs, community education activities and legacy projects.
Critically, Ms Passey said, the money helps keep all services free of charge.
“These funds allow us to continue offering services free of charge so that support is available to anyone who needs it, regardless of their financial circumstances,” she said.
Ms Passey said she hoped the event would also prompt the broader community to think differently about end-of-life care.
“Many people are surprised to learn that end-of-life care is not just about medical treatment,” she said. “End-of-life care, dying, grief and bereavement are community experiences as much as they are health experiences. Families often need emotional support, practical assistance, information and human connection just as much as they need clinical care.”
She said the organisation’s long-term vision was to see a dedicated hospice established in the New England region, giving local people access to a warm, homelike environment close to family and community.
In the meantime, the message for this weekend is simple.
“We believe that caring for one another at the end of life is not solely the responsibility of healthcare services. It belongs to all of us,” Ms Passey said. “When communities are given the opportunity, the knowledge and the support, they rediscover their capacity to accompany one another through dying, death and grief. What emerges is not only practical support, but greater connection, confidence and a stronger sense of belonging for everyone involved.”
Art with Heart runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, 28 June and Sunday, 29 June at the Armidale Art Gallery, 149 Beardy Street in the Mall. The opening night is on Friday, 27 June from 6pm. All are welcome.
For more information or to support the Highlands End-of-Life Project, visit www.highlandsendoflifeproject.com.au
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