By Cameron Weston
AFTER five years putting the pieces together, Harold Heckle last week unveiled his masterpiece, a mosaic at Sloan House in Newport.
Mr Heckle created the piece, which depicts a Williamstown scene, as part of a planned activity group, designed to help with his recovery from a brain injury he suffered in 2000.
The injury left Mr Heckle, a long-time Altona resident, struggling with memory loss and the frustration this causes in daily life.
He said the mosaic project was put forward as a way to focus his mind and help him through the long recovery process.
“I’m not recovered but I’m recovering.
“I would go in on a Friday morning and lay out the pieces I was putting into place that day. And that was my day, I would spend the whole day doing that.
“I suppose it must have been good psychologically for me.”
Mayor Leigh Hardinge unveiled the mosaic on Friday and said he marvelled at Mr Heckle’s commitment in seeing the project through.
“Every Friday he would come down and patiently put together his masterpiece, paying attention to every little detail.
“As the piece was nearing completion his wife Cathy joined him to help finish it. It really is an amazing story.”
Cr Hardinge said the mosaic was a visible example of the benefits of planned activity groups for disabled or recovering people.
“As Harold has shown, the planned activity groups are about ability, not disability.”
