Teddy bears in windows and chalk drawings on sidewalks move aside; there’s a new lockdown craze causing a stir! ‘Spoonvilles’ are bringing utensils out of locked down drawers and onto the streets in a bid to whip up cheerful dollops of community spirit.
The very first Spoonville was established in Winnersh, England, when a local woman created Spoony characters from wooden spoons as a way of cheering up her community during lockdown. Through the power of social media, the idea crossed continents, and soon these cute characters were popping up in ‘cutlery villages’ all over the world.
Because spoons don’t have to physically distance, the population of each Spoonville is encouraged to gather and grow, with many adding their Spoony folk to dish up some fun once a Spoonville is established.
Our community-minded team at Kingston Centre is all too happy to be ‘wooden spooners’ and have constructed a Spoonville outside Main Reception, with more popping up outside our residential care homes thanks to the residential team and care recipients.
Dr Jakqui Barnfield, Operations Director, Kingston Centre and Residential Services, explained the motivation behind the initiative, “We built our Spoonville Community to bring humans of all ages together creatively rather than physically. The goal of Spoonies is to create a little bit of light, spread some happiness in difficult times and engender a feeling of unity.
“We are encouraging our employees, patients, residential care recipients, and anyone in the area to create their character on a wooden spoon and add to our community. Please feel free to bring in your spoons if you are nearby and add them to our village. Or start your own near to home!”
The spooning trend is so prevalent in some areas; there’s a shortage of spoons. Swift action was required to keep the populations growing and some resorted to hand-carved dishy replicas. Others sent in their substitutes resulting in several ‘reports of forks’ racking up. But that’s all good, as it’s all about inclusivity in the ‘Ville.
All additions to the Kingston Centre and residential care Spoonvilles are welcome, and we encourage everyone at Monash Health to get ‘spooning’ soon. We appreciate lockdown can be draining, so getting involved is an excellent idea for the young and young-at-heart during these challenging times.
If you are interested in finding out more about this beautiful way to serve some good vibes during the lockdown, visit Spoonville International online.
Approved by Dr Jakqui Barnfield, Operations Director, Kingston Centre and Residential Services
