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UPPER THAMESUpper Thames DFAS gave a £500 grant to help finance the creation of a stained glass panel to commemorate the Girl Guiding Movement. A group of 12 girls of the Senior Section Unit at St Philip the Deacon Church near Swindon were taught by local artist Ann Jelley. They designed the panel and assisted Ann in the various stages involved. They also made their own mementos from the glass off-cuts. The project took a year to complete, with workshops both during their regular weekly meetings and a special weekend in a local school. 1 The finished window celebrates Girl GuidingSALISBURY (FORMERLY NEW SARUM)A group of 48 children aged 7–9 from Salisbury have come closer to sculpture thanks to The Arts Society Salisbury. It paid for the transport of pupils and staff from Wilton and Barford Primary School to Roche Sculpture Park. They were accompanied by Dr Graham Heeley, Chairman of the society. The children were divided into three groups, each of which was led by a member of the Park’s educational staff. They discussed each piece of art, including the sculptor and the physical process of creating it. The children had a very enjoyable day and gained a lot from the experience.2 Children at Roche Sculpture ParkWEST CORNWALLHeritage Volunteering starts young in Cornwall, where Evie James, aged ten, is already helping conserve valuable books.For the last two years, during her school holidays, she has accompanied her grandmother Sandie James at the historic Morrab Library in Penzance, which houses 55,000 books. Sandie is a member of The Arts Society West Cornwall, which responded to an appeal five years ago for help in conserving the library collection. “Evie is passionate about mending the books and never misses a chance to help out. She spent four hours there in one day,” explained Sandie. “She started by dusting, then repairing the pages and is now replacing the old inner spines. She is very good because she has small hands and is very precise.” BODMINFowey Festival of Arts and Literature, with a grant of £500 from The Arts Society Bodmin, organised an art competition for local school children. Some 204 paintings were received, mostly from schools within a radius of about 20 miles of Fowey, although there were individual entries from as far away as the USA. As wel as the money, which paid for the prizes and some display material, The Arts Society Bodmin also provided two of the three judges.SAFFRON WALDENSome 88 children throughout the primary age range from two schools took part in silk painting sessions devised by young local artist, Georgina Howling, and funded by The Arts Society Saffron Walden. Each child was able to produce their own silk square. When finished, the squares were mounted and displayed as a mural. One pupil commented: “We all had a lovely time working with Georgie creating our own unique masterpieces. I loved how we could add our own touches to our silk paintings.” In the larger of the two schools, sufficient materials were left for all children in the school to experience painting on silk. 3 Children with their silk panelsHILLINGDONThe Arts Society Hillingdon sponsored a project at Pield Heath House school for pupils with special needs. Local artist Christine Smith worked with eight students to create a mosaic depicting the school motto and logo for display on an exterior wall. The project provided the students with the opportunity to work as a team, to use different skills and materials, and to produce a work of art, which all other pupils and visitors can see on a daily basis.SOCIETIES NEWSVOLUNTEERING PROJECTS FROM THE ARTS SOCIETYExamples of projects by societies in:1 Upper Thames2 New Sarum3 Saffron Walden4 Stafford68SOCIETIES NEWSThe Arts Society ReviewAutumn 2017