Meet the

Art for Wellness Managers and Directors

Debbie smiling and leaning against a tree she's wearing a blue pendant a navy cardigan and a blue and white cotton top

Hi, I am Debbie, the CEO and founder of Art for Wellness CIC.

I am a creative wellness mentor, artist and author, helping people who feel lost and alone to discover their true selves through expression of emotions with creativity.

Having my own mental health struggles drives my passion for working in partnership with people in sharing my lived experience through Art for Wellness.

I love all things creative and nature which helps me through difficult times and I enjoy sharing this in the community hub to help and support others.

heather smiling at the camera she's wearing a black sweatshirt

Hi, I am Heather.

I met Debbie a couple of years ago in Adult Learning Classes for wellbeing.

When she told me all about Art for Wellness I was blown away by the positivity and amazing ideas she had. I'm so proud to be on part of the journey with her.

It's given me a purpose with a huge boost to my self-worth and self-esteem and I love all things creative.

I am so grateful that my journey brought me towards creativity and I look forward to meeting new people along the way.

Ivan smiling at the camera he is bald and wears glasses and a navy blue polo top

Hi, I am Ivan.

I remember when Debbie first started Creative Wellness Journey (now Art for Wellness) after finding her passion for drawing and painting for wellness. I am immensely proud of how she's grown since then. Seeing her confidence improve and the joy and satisfaction she gets from working in this area with her friends and supporters is uplifting.

My own background is as an IT manager in a University. working as a manager for 25 years has given me skills to communicate, lead, plan and achieve, but more importantly it has given me a greater ability to listen to people. I have my own lived experiences.

Having spent time as a telephone volunteer with Samaritan has given me great patience, an ability to listen non-judgmentally and a greater appreciation and understanding of mental health.

I'm certainly not an artistic or creative person, my skills are more of a hands-on, scientific, detailed, practical background in building teams and supporting people.

As a finance manager and director for Art for Wellness I hope that I bring my experiences and knowledge of both work and life to help and support the business and the people around me.

Hi I am Rosie,

I studied at Edinburgh College of Art and originally came from Kirkcaldy, Fife, though I now live in Penistone. I met Debbie and Heather at a craft event, where we immediately clicked over our shared passion for creativity and art, and soon became friends.

After collaborating on workshop projects with Art for Wellness through RosieB Creates during the Look Around the Garden pilot programmes, I’m thrilled to be joining as a Director of Art for Wellness in September 2025. With experience in crafting with paper and petals, I’m excited to continue exploring new and inspiring workshop ideas in the future.