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Impact case study: Glenis, Eileen, Chris & Ann

I used to enjoy writing poetry and being in the group has bought that back again. It reignited something in me that I had forgotten. Coming to the group motivates me to keep going.

The group gives me a purpose, more than anything.

Remembered West 2025

Remembered West was a writing group for older residents of the West End of Newcastle, in partnership with the charity Search. Over the course of 3 years, Remembered West worked with our freelance practitioners to create physical and digital archives of their memories and experiences. The archives were exhibited at a celebration event at the John Marley centre in May 2025.

“So, you want me to choose where to start do you? Well, I love it. I thoroughly enjoy being in the group. We have all become friends and that isn’t always easy, to meet new people, when you get to my age. The world starts to feel increasingly smaller, and coming to the group pushes back at that. The group has been a lifeline for me. This is something I can do.

I will always remember when I came out of hospital, and the first place that I came out to is here. And the others were very concerned, about where I had been. And it was like “ah we are so glad to see you”, and I had to thank them because it made me feel wanted that they had worried and not just wondered about me. That made me feel valued.

We have a laugh, we have a joke, we talk about all aspects of life, we can make light of things that are really rather heavy. We can talk about our memories of things. We have all lived through so much, and so it is helpful to have a space where we can talk about that stuff. With Susannah we do poetry stuff and various types of creative writing, and we do chatting about things, and giving our opinions on things. Sometimes we look at writing from other poets. I sometimes wake up in the night and I have to write the poem down. I don’t know where they come from. I used to enjoy writing poetry and being in the group has bought that back again. It reignited something in me that I had forgotten. Coming to the group motivates me to keep going.”

Glenis

“I started by chance because I didn’t know anything about Search at the time. There was a newsletter put through the door. “Anyone over 50 there’s a meeting at the library,” it said, “fun activities” it said. I was a bit dubious and I thought “I hope it ain’t dancing”. The group had already got going a few weeks before I joined in, but that didn’t matter that I started after. I was made to feel welcome and just as much a part of the group as anyone. I think it’s very important for my health. It gets me out but also for my brain you know. For a woman of my age, I need to keep my brain working as much as I can so I would say I embraced the challenge.

I can sometimes find it hard to write in the group because there’s too much going on. So, whatever assignment we are set, I take it home and do it like homework. Sometimes it’s hard, a real challenge. Bob was brilliant. He asked me to do something, I can’t remember the term for it, there was like a structure to it, and it took me about 3 hours to do it. I really had to work hard to get it. But then it clicked, and I started to get into the swing of it. So I thought well I might as well try it again and it only took me about half an hour to do the second. It felt like a real achievement to do something that was so challenging and to succeed.”

Eileen

“I have always loved putting my thoughts onto paper and sharing it with other people. I used to write when I was teenager. Keeping diaries. I destroyed those. But writing gives me an outlet for creativity and coming to the group has sparked my interest in writing again. I enjoy working in the sessions but sometimes I have been stuck or just enjoyed the discussion and then I will take it home and spend my time editing stuff. And then I will bring it back the next week to share and people will take a real interest. The group gives me a purpose, more than anything.

I really enjoy humorous poetry. Susannah brought along a piece of writing, Pam Ayres, and that got me going with various thoughts and gave me inspiration. Since childhood I have collected humorous poems and now, I have added my own poems to that collection. Making fun of serious things, poking fun at them can help relieve some of the pressure. It’s good for your mental health.

I hope we can keep meeting as a group and that I can do more stuff with New Writing North in the future. You will have to read some Pam Ayres, you will enjoy it.”

Chris

“I was told I had cancer while I was coming to the group. I was in a dark place mind, you have no idea. Coming to the group helped me battle through it and particularly Sharon, me and her have become buddies. Sharon helps me write things down because I can’t see. So we would be doing a task or whatever and I would tell Sharon and she would write it down for me. There was a poem about my hands, and all the things I had done with my hands, like sliding down bannisters, and I delivered the next-door neighbour’s baby. That’s meant a lot to me to be able to get these things written down.

Your mental health isn’t easy, not just when you are old, it’s always a challenge you have to manage. That’s how it is for everyone. Sharon has been a brilliant supporter, it wouldn’t have been possible without her. And the people who have been coming have been amazing. I am sorry, I am having a little cry at the thought of it ending.”

Ann

“Ann is a phenomenal storyteller. She has an ability to tell a story off-the-cuff, and keep her audience engaged. She knows when to insert pauses and when to insert a twist and when to deliver a punchline. It is always unexpected; nothing ever goes in the direction you might imagine. But that’s life isn’t it, that reflects how life really is.

It’s been a privilege to build a level of trust solid enough to listen to and help retell people’s stories in an authentic voice. Some group members had been told they were ‘useless’ at school, and they carried that belief about themselves for sixty or seventy years. Others had believed parents who told them they ‘wouldn’t amount to much’ or had ’nothing to say that anybody would want to hear’. By the end of the sessions, the written words and audio showcased unwavering and unapologetic voices. They eventually believed their voices had a place and a right to be heard.

I’ve learned that we all bloom with encouragement and support, regardless of age. Before working with the group, I feared getting older. I thought about it negatively. Having heard their stories and seen the glint in their eyes, I realise there is nothing to fear. I mentored the group, but the group also mentored me!”

Sharon Thomas, Support Facilitator

With a passion for cross-cultural expression, I blend personal reflection with narrative depth—- often exploring themes of identity, emotional growth, and belonging. My writing is shaped by life between cities, unspoken thoughts and dreams, and a constant search for clarity in chaos. I strive to bring conversational honesty and a poetic edge to everything I write.