Carried with care: 560 drain bag carriers for cancer patients, made from exhibition leftovers

After surgery, many cancer patients leave hospital carrying a drain bag — a medical necessity that no one designs for comfort or dignity. Little A.R.K.'s volunteers are changing that, one carefully made carrier at a time, using fabric that had just come down from an exhibition wall.

A drain bag carrier is a small, soft pouch that holds a post-surgical drain bag securely against the body. For patients recovering from operations — particularly those supported by Macmillan Cancer Support — they make a meaningful difference, keeping the drain bag discreet and reducing discomfort during movement.

So far, Little A.R.K. has made and donated 560 drain bag carriers to Macmillan Cancer Support at St George's Hospital — and the work continues. Ten volunteers are currently producing more items, alongside members of Merton Mencap's Giving Back Club, whose young adults with learning disabilities have again brought their time, their care, and their hands to a project that matters.

There is a chain of kindness running through this project that Little A.R.K. calls the repurpose ripple: an exhibition ends, its materials are collected, volunteers gather around a table in Morden, and somewhere in St George's Hospital, a patient carries their drain bag with just a little more ease. Every stitch counts.