Hearts & Minds is a Scottish charity that helps vulnerable people overcome feelings of powerlessness, anxiety and isolation through the art of therapeutic clowning.

The charity works in collaboration with paediatric healthcare units, respite centres, schools for learners with complex additional support needs and Dementia units to deliver laughter, friendship and support to those who need it most through their Clowndoctors and Elderflowers programmes.

Through the Clowndoctors programme, the therapeutic artists create interventions tailored to a young person’s personality and condition and provide in-house training for healthcare staff, play specialists and teachers.  Elderflowers is a group of professional arts practitioners trained to work in healthcare environments with vulnerable people living with dementia. They deliver a hybrid programme of live virtual and on-site visits for residential health care units and care homes.

The charity has been in operation since 1997, launching their Clowndoctors programme in Edinburgh in 1999 and now covers hospitals, hospices and respite centres across Scotland. Elderflowers followed in 2001 and was unique to the UK at that time with its specialist improvised approach.

Sean Donnelly, Interim CEO of Hearts & Minds, says:

“I’d like to say that your donation will help us support even more children in hospitals facing illness, disability or with life limiting conditions, it will help us bring more colour, playfulness, light and joy when it is needed most. Thank you so much for your kind donation, it really does help.”

Hearts & Minds is a small charity that appreciates all fundraising which helps them make a remarkable difference to vulnerable people.  If anyone else would like to contribute to Hearts & Minds or find out more about the work they do, please visit the website by clicking here