Artist donates painting to mental health unit in Bodmin

An artist has donated a painting to a mental health unit at a hospital in Cornwall where both her parents worked.

Cathy Davies has donated the piece Calmness at Carbis Bay to be displayed at the electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) department at Bodmin Hospital.

The painting was inspired by the 2021 G7 summit, hosted at Carbis Bay, near St Ives.

She said she hoped the painting would "bring comfort and warmth to the patients, staff, and care providers".

In addition to her parents, other relatives have also worked at the hospital.

Ms Davies said: "My father had a big role at St Lawrence's Hospital in Bodmin. His role was nurse tutor to all the student nurses.

"He managed many wards and was a very well-respected person in the industry.

"My mother was a health care assistant at Bodmin Hospital for many years, and a well-respected person who was well liked by the staff she worked with."

The painting shows Carbis Bay with the names of world leaders who attended the G7 summit written into the ripples of water.

She added: "I know myself that paintings have a great power to bring calm and suppress anxiety. I hope that my painting will bring comfort and warmth to the patients, staff, and care providers."

Rita McNary manages the ECT and worked with both Ms Davies' parents, and said she was "overwhelmed by Cathy's generosity".

ECT is a treatment for some types of mental illness, when, according to the NHS, patients have not responded to other treatments, such as psychotherapy or medication.

It involves passing electric currents through a patient's brain to cause seizures or fits.

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