The Creative Mental Health Charity PoetsIN

PoetsIN is more than a company; it’s a journey, one that began within the arms of the co-founders, Paul and Sammie. As writers ourselves, we realised that so many times writing saved our lives, quite literally. Not only that, but we both identified that we used writing to purge our inner-most thoughts and feelings, and sharing those with our own social networks was remarkably therapeutic. We spoke to more and more writers, who all echoed our sentiments, and it was from here that we founded PoetsIN. A movement, rather than a company, that serves to aid rehabilitation, reduce stress and anxiety, along with helping improve all-round mental health. We aim not only serve those high-risk individuals, but to also reduce the stigma and misconceptions that the world often has about prisoners, addicts, those with mental illness, and so on. For the last year, PoetsIN have been working in a UK based prison. We have been working hard to fine-tune our program and to learn far more than we teach. Our creative writing workshops have improved ten-fold and we have many incredible results to prove that what we do, works. What have we learned, in a nutshell? That the pen really is mightier than the sword. We have proven that we can impact lives through what we teach and when the world listens and offers non-judgemental compassion. We have reduced self-harm, unpredictable behaviour, addiction, anxiety and depression, whilst building confidence and self-worth. Pride is something that many of the residents we have worked with have never felt, it’s something we have finally given them. Trust is something you do not get in prison, PoetsIN has built relationships so meaningful that the trust is earned and mutually given, and lasts longer than the time behind the huge walls outside their barred windows. To find out more, head over to poetsin.com/aboutus.