26 September 2017

EMBARGOED until Thursday 28 September 18:00

Healing words: The journey to wellness and recovery

You are invited to attend the final of ‘Healing Words,' a mental health poetry competition from the Advocacy Project, supported by Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust and West London Mental Health, on Thursday the 28 September at Greater London Authority City Hall at 18.00

 The evening will showcase the winning entries from poetry competition ‘healing words,' designed to allow staff and patients to creatively explore mental health issues, with a performance from Actress and competition judge Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It, No Offence.)

 Advocacy Project's Judith Davey said, "There was well over 300 poems submitted from across London including a few from Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Some came from outside the UK! It shows there's a real appetite to explore creative writing and the mental health recovery journey.  All of the judges said the standard of the poems was incredibly high.  A number of the poems are about Grenfell.  There's a special category for local residents and service users."

 Overall winner Hannah Lewis from Peckham, said, "I've always used creative writing to help me manage my mental health challenges, but poetry is a new venture for me so I'm extremely surprised to be the overall winner - I am so grateful! I just hope that my piece conveyed how distressing body image disorders can be, and breaks the stereotype that they are based on vanity. I also wanted to show that they often come with co-morbidities such as disordered eating and dermatillomania, which I hope encourages a wider discussion about categorisation in psychiatry."  Hannah entered her poem in the Darkest Days category.

Lee Baker, from Kitts Green in Birmingham, also entered his poem ‘Living a lie' into the Darkest Days category. Lee says, "I have suffered from depression for a few years now, poetry has help me expressed myself with my feelings. It helps me when I'm having a bad time."

The competition reached far and wide with other winners from Convent Garden in Central and North West London, Walthamstow, Abercynon in Wales, Westminster, Peckham, Surrey, Addlestone, Ickenham, Islington, Ickenham and even Florida USA! The competition also had a number of entries from The Orchard Ward in West London Mental Health Trust and The Caspian Ward in Park Royal Mental Health Hospital.

Chris Bird, from Western Central London Convent Garden, winner of the Best Illustrated Category, said; "Self-expression is part of the recovery process and this project helps support with Mental Health issues.''

Over 300 poets entered and over 150 will be attending the event alongside VIP Guests. 

The judging panel also included Professor of English Literature at the University of Westminster Alexandra Warwick, International development worker, blogger and filmmaker and Jazz musician and performer, Gill Manly.

For media enquiries, photographs and press passes please contact:

Jessica.Cooke3@nhs.net

02032145763

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Stephenson House, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL
Tel: 020 3214 5756 e-mail:communications.cnwl@nhs.net