WORDS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Healthier Fleetwood was recently approached by researcher Lucie Meadows on behalf of Lapidus International and University of Chester. She's working on a national study of the importance of creative writing for wellbeing and how opportunities had been affected by COVID-19.

We contacted Fleetwood resident Anne Ward who runs the creative writing group at the library and has read several of her poems at our open meetings.

So Anne sat in on a Zoom call of the Lancashire focus group for the research. When we originally planned this the weather forecast for the day wasn't too bad so had hoped to use the backdrop of Marine Hall Gardens but instead took shelter where we could. Our thanks to The Mount Public House for the use of one of their outdoor tables and a very welcome cup of coffee!

The results of the study will be published later in the year but Anne was a great contributor and despite the weather it was a lovely opportunity to chat with like-minded people about the positive benefit of writing and self-expression.

More information about the study is also available at https://bit.ly/lapiduswritingstudy Anne also shared a poem she has written, her thoughts on lockdown and hopes for the future. You can see and hear Anne read the poem in the video here, with apologies for the sound quality!