Tag Archives: poetry and mental health

Healing Through Words: Poetry Workshop at West Ealing Library – 18th September

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer poet and Carer activist

On the 18th of September, West Ealing Library once again became a hub of creativity, reflection, and connection as carers gathered for our second poetry workshop. Guided by carer activist and writer Matthew McKenzie, the session offered not just writing prompts, but a safe and supportive space to explore the healing power of words.

Poetry as Expression and Healing

The morning began with Matthew sharing his personal journey from caring for his mother living with schizophrenia, to writing books on mental health and carer experiences, and now using poetry as a tool for both advocacy and self-expression.

For many carers, life can feel isolating, exhausting, and invisible to wider society. Poetry offered participants a way to give voice to those emotions. As I reminded carers, “Poetry gives shape to what’s hard to say” — even if it’s just a few lines scribbled on paper, those words can carry truth, comfort, and even influence change.

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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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“Listen to Me” – A Carer’s Plea Turned into Song

Caring for someone with a mental illness is an emotional, often isolating experience. Unpaid carers—whether they are family members, friends, or loved ones—carry immense responsibility, yet their voices can feel unheard, especially within the healthcare system.

One of my poem’s “On Being Heard” taken from my book The Poetry Book of Mental Health Caring, captures this struggle with raw honesty.

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