July 2025 Lunch

Once again it was a hot summer's day so the air-conditioning in the dining room was most welcome! We enjoyed a first course of Breast of Chicken stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomato and Mozzarella accompanied by Potato Gratin & seasonal Vegetables followed by a delightful Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis.

After lunch we welcomed Anne Bland Botham, the Vice Chair of Conquest Art, a local charity using art as a therapy to help improve the mental well-being of those suffering from a range of disabilities.

The charity that became Conquest Art was established in 1978 by Ursula Hulme MBE. Ursula, originally a textile designer who came to Britain from Germany in 1938 and realised the benefits of art in helping people with disabilities unlock their creative potential. In 1991 she was awarded a MBE for her work with disabled people and died in 2012.

Conquest Art has more than a dozen groups in Surrey and beyond offering weekly meetings usually for 2-3 hours where everyone is encouraged to create from their imagination, develop their own style and work at their own pace in a friendly, non-competitive atmosphere.

Anne who runs the Cheam Group at St Paul's Church on Thursday afternoon showed us plenty of wonderful paintings from her members. They have discovered some amazing artists.

If you want to know more about Conquest Art or would consider helping in any way please take a look at their website https://www.conquestart.org/ for more information.

Thank you Anne for sharing the excellent opportunities Conquest Art offers to those suffering from any form of disability.