News

People across the Black Country are invited to celebrate the therapeutic power of poetry at a special event to mark World Suicide Prevention Day next month. 

The (Un)spoken Word poetry group is hosting an event in Wolverhampton to bring the gift of hope, reduce stigma and encourage open conversations to help reduce suicides. 

The group, which was formed by colleagues at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, is returning to mark the day on Wednesday 10th September, with people invited to share and hear poems about mental health, wellbeing, hope and recovery. 

Everyone is welcome to share their own poetry with a supportive audience, or they are welcome to simply listen along, as the gathering is friendly, informal and inclusive. 

The event is hosted by local poet David Stocks, who also works as Strategic Suicide Prevention Coordinator at Black Country Healthcare. He will be bringing his love of poetry along with his expertise in suicide prevention to open up conversations around the topic in a safe and supportive environment. 

This is the latest event for the group after it formed four years ago, during which time it has welcomed people across the Black Country to online and in-person events to share poetry, many who have never put pen to paper before, with the group even publishing their own poetry collection. The group’s name was chosen as many aspects of mental health, life and wellbeing can remain unspoken, but poetry is a way to start much-need conversations. 

This is particularly important around suicide prevention, as the topic remains a taboo in society. The theme for this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day is ‘changing the narrative on suicide’, with a focus on starting a conversation on the topic to reduce stigma and raise awareness, which plays a tangible part in saving lives.  

David Stocks said: “Too many words lay discarded on the cutting room floor of our lives, edited out, laying silent until it’s too late. Why? There are so many factors, shame; not wanting to be a burden; nobody to talk to; the feeling of not being genuinely listened to; the lack of hope. It is time to break the taboo about speaking about mental health and that’s where (un)spoken word comes in.  

“(Un)spoken word unlocks those words within us, shared in the form of poetry, in a safe environment with like-minded people. To mark World Suicide Prevention Day we are hosting (Un)spoken Word at the Hub, at Wolverhampton Train Station. It’s a ticket more valuable than any train ticket, for this ticket offers hope and light at the end of the tunnel. I know, because I have made that journey and now I help others make that journey too.” 

Black Country Healthcare, which works with health and voluntary partners across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, will also be sharing advice on their social media channels such as signposting to support, resources and how to approach conversations about suicide as part of World Suicide Prevention Day. 

‘(Un)spoken Word poetry group – the gift of hope for suicide prevention’ takes place on Wednesday 10th September, 3 pm to 5 pm at the Community Hub at Wolverhampton Rail Station, next to Costa. 

It is free to attend but places must be reserved at: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/blackcountryhealthcarenhsfoundationtrust/1821481