Why Hospitals?

I have been working with young people in Hospitals for a while now. Some of these young people are bored in waiting rooms. Some are hungry and tired, waiting in curtained off beds waiting for a procedure. Some have survived huge operations or recovering from life changing accidents. Some are returning for their weekly treatment, possibly something they've been doing for years now. And some spend the majority of their time in hospital.

The resilience of these young people continues to astound me, but we can't forget that even though they amaze us with their courage, hospitals can unfortunately become a disempowering environment for them. This is not the fault of the hospitals or the staff. Often, being ill can lead to lots of adults checking on you at all times of the day and night, prodding and poking, observing and measuring. These things need to happen and I've met so many incredible NHS staff who do their absolute best to give care with kindness and respect, but often the young people in hospital can often feel alone, unsure, disempowered and confined.

This is why I want to run the Young Author's Programme in Hospitals, working with long term or returning patients. I want to offer them the chance to make their voice heard in a fun, creative way where they have full control over the stories they write. I want to support and encourage them through the writing process, from creating a story with rich characters to writing and redrafting it.

I'm about to start talking to hospitals in the North West who are already familiar with my work, and I hope we can find partnerships for the programme.

Here we go!