Pupils at Kings Monkton school in Roath have been selected to work together with The Trust for Sick Children in Wales and Ronald McDonald House, the charity that provides a ‘home away from home’ to families while their child is in hospital, to create a series of artworks to adorn the rooms at a new accommodation facility at the hospital due to open in July.

Ty-Croeso, meaning ‘Welcome Home,’ was officially opened in 1991 by the Patron of the Trust for Sick Children in Wales, H.R.H. the late Princess of Wales. The Trust for Sick Children in Wales is now working towards the completion of a brand new facility to accommodate the parents and families of children that are seriously ill.

 For us to be able to come together as an entire school to create something lasting that helps bring a small comfort to other families during their time of need is an incredible privilege

The visionary art project will see children of all ages from across the entire school coming together to create a series of paintings and sculptures that will represent the journey of the Trust while aiming to bring moments of comfort and solace to families staying at the accommodation in the future.

The collection the pupils will create will showcase aspects of Welsh life by encapsulating the essence of Welsh scenery and heritage. Canvasses will be created, representing the Welsh valleys, mountains, skyscapes, and historical and contemporary landscape scenes and a Welsh dragon sculpture will take pride of place in the foyer area, with more than 1,000 hand-made daffodils cascading around it.

Principal of Kings Monkton, Paul Norton, said: “This project is extremely close to my heart. I benefited from the support of Ronald McDonald when my own son, William, became ill at 2 weeks old. I will never forget the kindness and support I received during such a difficult time, and I’ll be forever thankful to the people who made these facilities available to my family.”

“William is now a strong nine-year-old and a pupil at my school. For us to be able to come together as an entire school to create something lasting that helps bring a small comfort to other families during their time of need is an incredible privilege.”

Kings Monkton have also reached out to local Welsh organisations, bringing Tonypandy-based charity, Craft of Hearts on board to provide extra support to the pupils for the duration of the project. The charity supplies arts and crafts equipment and delivers workshops, helping people find therapeutic comfort through art. Pupils at the school are currently receiving visits and lessons from the founder of the Tonypandy-based company, Joanne Roe. They are also working with a local up and coming artist, Aidan Myers, who is creating the centre piece for the whole project to sit in the reception area.