Tag Archives: creative expression

South West London Mental Health carers group update for June 2025

A Space to Share, a Space to Be Heard

The session opened with updates and heartfelt check-ins. One of our carer members, shared a deeply personal and challenging situation regarding her loved ones declining mental and physical health. Despite strained family dynamics and the emotional burden of caring, a carer is courageously advocating for her loved one and seeking support through nursing services and assessments.

Peer Support: Insights from Experience

Long-time members offered valuable perspectives from their own journeys. A carer shared their struggle supporting individuals, which showed a stark reminder of the emotional and logistical toll caring can take. Another carer encouraged fellow carers to prioritise their own well-being, even in small ways a cup of tea, a short walk, a moment to breathe.

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Lewisham, Southwark & Lambeth Mental Health carer forum – June 2025 update

About the Forum:
The Lewisham, Lambeth & Southwark Carers Forum is a collaborative online space that brings together unpaid carers, carer leads, mental health professionals, and support organizations to share experiences, raise concerns, and influence change. Focused primarily on mental health caregiving, the forum serves as a platform for peer support, policy updates, training insights, and service development. Led by carer advocate Matthew McKenzie, the group fosters empowerment through regular discussions, creative expression, and co-produced solutions, ensuring carers’ voices are heard across local systems and beyond.

Carers Week Collaboration Discussion

The meeting began with introductions from Matthew McKenzie, who leads a merged online carers group, and other participants including Yvonne, a carers navigator at Southwark Carers, and Margaret, a carer representative with the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The group discussed Carers Week activities and their various roles in supporting carers across different organizations. Karen Hooper, connected with the Lambeth Living Well Collaborative, while Lee Roach, the carers lead for South London & Maudsley in Lambeth, shared his involvement with the Trustwide Family and Carers Committee.

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Voices of Mental Health Carers: Poetry & Stories

The Power of Poetry and Storytelling in the Lives of Carers

Caring for a loved one with mental health challenges or chronic illness is a journey marked by both hardship and hope. Too often, the voices of carers those who provide unpaid, tireless support are overlooked in the broader conversation about health and wellbeing. Yet, as this moving gathering of carers and poets reveals, storytelling and poetry can be transformative tools for connection, healing, and advocacy. So it was an honour to host our first poetry event at Cygnet Churchill for the 13th of June during Carers Week 2025

This Blog explores the themes, experiences, and creative expressions shared by carers, drawing from a vibrant community event centered on poetry, storytelling, and the lived realities of those who care. Through their words, we gain insight into the emotional landscape of caring, the challenges faced, and the resilience that emerges when stories are shared.

To watch the performance, please view the video below.

Giving Carers a Voice: The Motivation Behind the Book

The host of the event was myself (Matthew McKenzie), as a prolific author and advocate, where I have dedicated my eighth book to amplifying the voices of mental health carers. For me, books are more than just a means of communication they are a way to reach people who might otherwise remain unheard.

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