Graphic Design students from the College of West Anglia in Wisbech have brought creativity to a partnership project with a local NHS clinic.

Parkside Clinic at North Cambs Hospital, run by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, will have a splash of colour, thanks to artwork created to share messages of safe sex.

Kate Isley, lead nurse at Parkside Clinic, iCaSH Cambridgeshire said: “The clinic was lacking some personality because our walls were very bare and clinical. I have been very excited to see how the Wisbech students have taken on board our requests and produced some innovative work.

“They have done an amazing job. I hope they have enjoyed doing this for us and in the search for ideas, have learned about sexually transmitted infections. Thank you.”

The students are used to working on ‘live briefs’ from clients as part of their coursework. Just recently, one Wisbech student, Jake Howlett, had his graphics designs for a drug driving campaign picked to be used as part of a county-wide awareness campaign with the slogan 'drug driving can colour your senses'.

Course Director, Jane Goodwin said: “Engagement with live briefs helps to put learning into context and offers invaluable experience in preparing our students for work. Our Graphic Design students never fail to impress their clients with their maturity, commitment and creativity and this project was no exception.”

The students that created the winning designs visited the clinic to see their work on display. Sarah said: "It was an honour for my design to be picked and if it helps them to achieve what they wanted, I'm pleased."  Mikayla added: "This is the first time I've been involved with a live brief so I feel very proud to have my work selected." Kristi said: "It felt good to think that we were making some kind of difference."

The team at iCaSH Cambridgeshire were so impressed with the artwork, that there are now plans to roll out the designs to clinics across the service.

iCaSH (integrated Contraception and Sexual Health) provides all aspects of sexual health, including contraception, STI testing and treatment and HIV treatment and care from easily accessible locations across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk.