Creative Val shares her talent

Time has not slowed down multi-award-winning poet Val Laughton who finds time every day to reflect and keep a diary of her thoughts and ideas.

She is proud that she does not need eyeglasses or hearing aids to keep up with her hobbies at St Vincent’s residential care which include knitting, stitching and of course, writing.

Inspired to paint and write at aged eight by her artist grandfather Thomas Pridham, Val overcame early criticism (“why would a girl do that?”) to maintain a lifetime of creativity.

Her skill has been put to good use, including donating knitted dolls for children overseas and helping ‘yarn-bomb’ the foyer pillars at St Vincent’s where she lives, great examples of our person-centred Care with Purpose ethos.

Listed in an international who’s who of poetry, Val has been extensively published and has won several awards including writer of the year.

A relation of Australian poet and journalist C J Dennis (famed for the “Sentimental Bloke” verse novel) Val was born in South Australia.

Later she worked as a midwife and nurse and was in the Solomon Islands during a time of crisis there in the early 1970s.

Married for 53 years to husband Robert (dec.), the couple had three children and Val now has 11 great grandchildren.

Val credits being a good listener and staying positive as keys to a productive and enjoyable life.

“We are all given a gift and we have to use it,” she said.

To find out more about Catholic Homes residential and home care services or careers in aged care, email us or contact 1300 244 111.