A space to be creative: The impact of guardianship
As part of our 15th birthday series, we’re speaking to guardians about the impact guardianship has had on their lives. For every blog we post, we’ll make a £50 donation to a charity of the guardian’s choice.
For Amy, Dot Dot Dot guardianship isn’t a compromise, it’s what makes her life as an artist possible. We caught up with her in Ham, where she’s settled into a community she’s made very much her own.
Finding freedom
Amy isn’t new to being a property guardian. She’d done it before, loved the lifestyle, and when the time came to find somewhere new, she knew exactly what she was looking for. “I’d been a guardian before,” she says, “I wanted to try it again and found Dot Dot Dot.”
What keeps drawing her back is the freedom it gives her – practically and creatively. “Being an artist has always been part of my life. It’s who I am. Being a guardian allows me to do that in two ways, I suppose. I have more space to be creative, and I have more control over where I live.”
Staying close to what matters
For Amy, location isn’t just a convenience. It’s access to community, to work, and to inspiration.
Amy is clear about what private renting would have meant. “I know I’d have had to move much further out if I was renting privately.”
Instead, guardianship has kept her rooted. “It’s been truly transformative. It’s more affordable than renting so being able to stay close to my community, my friends, and the things that are important to me.”
Building something new
But Amy hasn’t just held onto her existing world; she’s built a new one too. Her neighbour now pops over for peppermint tea and they head out for walks together. A fellow guardian she met at a local spring fair has joined her at meditation sessions.
And Amy has given back to Ham in her own way. She runs drumming workshops for the local kids, becoming a genuine part of the neighbourhood she moved into.
“Guardianship is not for everyone,” she says. “But if you want to live without the financial burden of rent, if you want to live well and explore something a little different – try it. You may even meet lovely people and build a wonderful community.”
After our conversation with Amy, we made a donation to Kingston Eco-Op. They deliver a range of activities for adults with additional support needs in her local community.
