Making Culture More Accessible:
New Sensory Parcels Project Expands Across North Wales
A unique initiative is opening up new opportunities for people with profound
and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) across North Wales.
Making Sense CIO has developed “Sensory Parcel Service”— a delivery service of
sensory materials, resources, and bilingual activity ideas designed to help carers
and support staff connect with people with sensory needs in meaningful,
creative ways.
Each parcel is inspired by cultural venues, exhibitions, or artists, creating an
ever-changing source of ideas that engage all the senses. Working in
collaboration with partners and with support from regional social care teams,
Making Sense is now expanding the reach of the parcels to more groups,
families, and care providers.
As part of this growth, a new co-producer development role is being created.
The role will focus on ensuring that people with learning disabilities are central
to decision-making about the parcels, while also sharing their voices more
widely through social media, a co-produced newsletter, and future sensory tours
and workshops in cultural venues.
“Our co-producers at Popty in Denbigh are at the heart of this project,
” said
Ticky Lowe, CEO at Making Sense CIO.
“They make sure every parcel is
accessible, engaging, and inclusive. This new role strengthens their
involvement and recognises the huge contribution they make to their
communities.
”
Currently, a team of 10 co-producers plus support staff at Popty are involved
in creating the parcels, giving them a strong sense of purpose and responsibility.
The new phase of the project will build on their skills and encourage greater
engagement with local cultural venues, helping more people feel welcome,
confident, and included.
By working as access consultants, co-producers will support Making Sense to
deliver sensory tours and workshops, breaking down barriers to cultural spaces
and ensuring that venues across North Wales can be enjoyed by everyone.
‘Our project was made possible thanks to #NationalLottery
players’
This project has been made possible with support from The National
Lottery Community Fund,Baily Thomas Charitable Fund and North
Wales Together.
“I didn’t think I was creative but now I realise that I just needed a nudge”
Culture in Care
“After the last session, I’ve felt less alone in my role,
knowing others face the same challenges.”
Our pilot project funded by Arts Wales – Arts in Health and Wellbeing Fund in partnership with Wrexham Social Care Team and their Dementia lead
This successful project included 3 artist led residencies in care homes and creative wellbeing sessions for Activity Coordinators giving them some time to be creative themselves and enjoy the sense of calm that comes with creative activities.
Take away new ideas and materials for their sessions with residents and share experiences with people who understand!
“I feel more confident introducing creative activities like
this after seeing how easy and enjoyable they can be.”
A full report is coming soon and you can read our case study here which is published on WAHWN’s website.
We also worked with the Activity Co-ordinator network to find out the 10 Things That Matter most to them click to see and download this PDF document.
Resources for activity coordinators!
Creative table
Making Sense is pleased to launch this brand new resource for activity coordinators during dementia Action week 2025
At Making Sense, we believe creativity is a vital part of care. This guide contains 10 simple, engaging activities – each one designed by experienced artists – to inspire joy, connection, and wellbeing in care settings. It’s a practical resource for carers, activity coordinators, and support staff – no artistic background equired! Just bring curiosity and a willingness to explore. Each activity takes under an hour and can be adapted for 1:1 sessions, small groups, or larger gatherings. Many include sensory elements like touch, sound, and smell to spark memories and create meaningful moments. As an artist-led charity, we work across care and cultural settings to make creative experiences accessible for everyone – from young children in galleries to older adults living with dementia. We hope this toolkit helps you make space for creativity, in whatever way works for you and those you support.
Activity coordinator tool kit
Activity Toolkit PDF
Care Creatively
Making Sense CIO is pleased to announce the start of a new project
Funded by Gwynt y mor and Rhyl Flats.
The project will focus on supporting activity coordinators and other care staff from care-homes across the Conwy and Denbighshire and Flintshire coast in the funds area of benefit.
We are reaching out to care-homes to get in touch and get involved.
Here’s what we plan to do:
- Build a supportive network for activity coordinators
- Provide a regular newsletter to share useful ideas and resources to help you plan activities
- Host network meetings as opportunities to meet other activity coordinators to share ideas and support each other and take part in creative activities yourselves!
- Creative training days built around themes suggested by you
- Offer mentoring by professional creative practitioners to support your own creative activities
- Free resources and materials
If you are an activity coordinator in a residential care home working with older people in Conwy, Denbighshire or Flintshire get in touch!
We would love to hear from you and we can let you know how to get involved.
Nadia and Ticky from Making Sense
E mail us : nadia@makingsensecio.co.uk tickylowe@makingsensecio.co.uk
Culture in Care
Activity coordinator network meeting
Making Sense has received funding from Arts Wales – Arts in Health and Well-being Fund to support the well-being of activity coordinators in care homes across Wrexham. In partnership with the Wrexham commissioning team’s Person Centred Planning Dementia Coordinator and a network of over 25 activity coordinators, the project aims to address the often-overlooked needs of these vital staff members.
The initiative will:
- Use creative workshops and events to explore how art can enhance both staff and resident well-being.
- Include artist residencies in three care homes, pairing artists with coordinators to support their roles.
- Share findings at the WEAVE Arts in Health Conference in Wrexham on September 8–9 2025
For more information or to get involved, e mail or join our Making Sense mailing list
Business and Marketing Support from LJMU
Not one but three teams of 3rd year students from Liverpool John Moores University business school have provided valuable business and marketing advice and strategy for Making Sense
The student teams have undertaken market research and comparison, explored our current branding and website before coming up with some extremely valuable strategies and solutions to support Making Sense to develop as a sustainable charity by increasing our membership, social media interactions and developing sales and donations.
It has been really valuable for Making Sense as a newly formed charity and you will be changes to our website and social media being implemented as we speak!
This has been a live project for the 3 teams as part of their final year and hopefully given them an insight into the charity sector.
This was all made possible by Making Sense business mentor and soon to be trustee – Performance and Wellbeing Coach Caroline Gavin
Award Winning !!
Sioned Philips Dwylo Bach Project Coordinator
We are so proud of our project coordinator!
Sioned has won a Marsh Award for Exellence in gallery education.
Congratulations Sioned
Find out more here!
Update
We are really proud of our achievements with Dwylo Bach rural and touring and our work with Mudiad Meithryn. With sessions happening in Conwy, Ruthin Craft Centre, StudioMADE and other venues across North Wales continuing with funding from Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm Community Fund.
The success of Care Creatively, working with creative practitioners in Denbighshire and Conwy Residential Care Homes and Community Groups and our partnership with Denbighshire Libraries with our new reminiscence resources.
The sensory Parcel Service which is now operating in resource centres for adults with learning disabilities across North Wales with funding from our partners and The Learning Disability Transformation Fund.
In August 2023 we were granted charitable status and are now known as Making Sense Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
We are now led by a board of Trustees Anthony Farnsworth – Chair, Alan Griffiths, John Rostron and Maggie Sheppard.
We have been funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
This funding is about developing Making Sense CIO as a sustainable charity, building our capacity, strengthening our board.
The funding includes the creation of 2 new roles focusing on creating and delivering a strategy for our future Ticky Lowe and Eleri Hayhurst have been busy shaping the future of the charity and a big part of that has been creating a new website!
Other funding news
The Shared Prosperity Fund in Conwy has funded continued to work with care-homes in Conwy where we have matched up artists with activity coordinators in 10 care homes.
Arts Wales has provided funding for an Arts in Health and Wellbeing Project working with Wrexham Council’s Dementia champion and with activity coordinators representing 25 care homes in Wrexham including 3 artist residencies and consultation and support for care staff.
Huge thanks to Craig Yamey for logo design and branding for Making Sense CIO.
Mark Anderson for his patience putting our beautiful new website together!
Anthony, Maggie and all our trustees for working with to achieve Making Sense Charitable status and getting through our first year!
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK, investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit: www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
