Pilgrims patients’ artwork features in Beaney exhibition
Pilgrims Hospices is proud to offer a range of wellbeing groups for patients, supporting them to feel empowered and live well in the time they have left.
In February 2026, Margate-based textile artist, Rachelle Francis, led a series of workshops – Mind to Stitch – at the Thanet hospice Therapy Centre, supporting patients’ wellbeing through creativity and connection. Patients collaborated to create cloth books inspired by the hidden work of Rachelle’s late mother and fellow artist, Diana Francis, whose creative practice became a vital outlet while living with anxiety, depression, and life-limiting illness.
The Mind to Stitch workshop programme was part of a wider project called With & Without Diana: Stitching for Mental Health, supported through funding from Arts Council England. The project was developed with project partner Olivia Schelts-Harris and delivered with the skills, care and creativity of an incredible team across Thanet.
Rachelle said: “It was especially poignant to introduce the Mind to Stitch project to Pilgrims patients. Sharing both my own and my late mother’s artworks, alongside Diana’s experiences of anxiety, depression, and life-limiting illness, created a deeply moving connection within the group. Participants felt inspired to express themselves creatively, just as Diana had done, and many embraced the opportunity to create artworks that would form part of their own legacy. This made the Mind to Stitch cloth books deeply personal and significant.
“The Wellbeing team at Pilgrims were incredibly supportive throughout the process. I was stunned by the detail, imagination, and individuality in each participant’s creations; it was wonderful to see not only artistic confidence grow, but also the connections within the group blossom. The two Mind to Stitch cloth books created by Pilgrims participants are truly bursting at the seams with life.”
The project culminated in an exhibition – My Hands Are My Voice – at The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury, which featured artwork by Diana, Rachelle, and hundreds of community participants. Blooming with Diana’s patterns and repurposed materials, these collaborative works celebrate the expressive, connective and therapeutic power of textiles; the tactile pages invite visitors to touch and listen closely to the stories shared in stitch.
Shaped by pattern, repetition and gesture, the exhibition traces a shared visual language across generations, where making becomes a means of expression beyond words – and so the conversation expands outward, revealing how hands can hold memory, connection and voice.
Rachelle continued: “At the exhibition opening, it was an absolute joy to see patients and their families visiting the artworks on display. The group lit up the room with their collective energy, and we all shared in the excitement of knowing their work would be seen by thousands of people over the coming weeks.”
Peney’s story
Peney Reynolds lives in Margate and was referred to Pilgrims Hospices in 2025 after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a lung cancer caused by asbestos. After the initial shock, she has found hope and positivity through attending Pilgrims’ wellbeing groups; meeting Rachelle and being involved with My Hands Are My Voice has been a particular highlight:
“My journey began in a dark, scary tunnel, and I saw no light at the end of it; despite having a loving, caring family, I felt very alone.
“When the oncology nurses at the hospital suggested Pilgrims to me, I thought: “God, they think I’m going to die soon”, but Pilgrims put me right – “No, Peney, you’re not coming here to die – you are coming here to live.” I soon found out that the hospice helps people like me to live with dignity, empowers us to have faith in ourselves, and encourages quality of life.”
“I was attracted to the Living Well group immediately and joined a wonderful group of people in the same position as me; people I could talk to (without upsetting close family with my inner thoughts). I met Katie Brewer and Jane Stanley, two amazing Wellbeing Practitioners who have been my rocks. They’ve inspired and encouraged me to explore myself and I haven’t looked back since; a wonderful experience of love and kindness that turned my darkness into bright sunshine.
“Taking part in the Mind to Stitch workshops with Rachelle was a real joy; I have a deep regard for her and Diana. I chose to make my page about my little dog, Jodie, who sadly passed on 23 December 2025 – I called it “My Paws Are My Voice”. As a group, we’re so proud of each other, and I was honoured to attend the opening day of the exhibition at The Beaney.
“Thanks to all the Wellbeing staff and volunteers who have made me realise life is an amazing gift, I can now embrace my journey with hope and faith. With their continued support, I’m planning to make four memory boxes for loved ones, for when my time comes. I have some prints of Diana’s work from Rachelle, which I will write personal messages on, and I’m recording fond memories via The Blackbird Project. All will have one message in common – my proudest moment, which is having a bit of me live on in those textile books.
“Thanks to Pilgrims, I’m living well. The hospice is the most beautiful place I’ve had the pleasure to be, and I’m so grateful for each and every person there.”
Rachelle added: “I am very proud to share in the exhibition the incredible power of Diana’s once hidden artworks – not just their personal impact on me as her daughter, but also their ability to inspire the 222 people in the community through the Mind to Stitch workshops.
“The public response to the exhibition has been overwhelming. Visitors have been deeply moved and inspired by the exhibits, and hundreds of personal reflections have been left on the interactive wall. I still don’t think I’ve fully taken it all in.
“It has been especially beautiful to see young children animatedly exploring the cloth books created by Pilgrims participants, while parents and carers explain who stitched each page and the story behind the Pilgrims books. Hearing those conversations is a real reminder of how creativity, care, and shared stories can connect strangers and people across generations.”
A selection of works from the exhibition have been acquired by the Wellcome Collection and are due to enter the collection in 2027.
Follow Rachelle on Instagram to find out more about her work: @with_and_without_diana
Pilgrims run a wide range of wellbeing groups and activities designed to support patients to live well, stay connected and enjoy the best quality of life possible.
For more information on Pilgrims Hospices’ Wellbeing Programme:
- Visit pilgrimshospices.org/wellbeing
- Email [email protected]
- Call the Pilgrims Hospices Advice Line on 01233 504 133
