Poetry event to mark World Suicide Prevention Day

People will be invited to share and hear poems about mental health and recovery at the free event

A poetry group formed by colleagues at an NHS trust will be hosting an event to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.

The (Un)spoken Word poetry group, formed by colleagues at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, will host a free event next month at the Community Hub at Wolverhampton Rail Station.

Organisers say its aim is to reduce stigma and encourage open conversations about mental health to help reduce the number of suicides.

People will be invited to share and hear poems about mental health, wellbeing, hope and recovery.

It will be hosted by local poet David Stocks, who also works as strategic suicide prevention coordinator at Black Country Healthcare.

The event, on Wednesday 10 September between 15:00 BST and 17:00, is free to attend but tickets must be reserved.

This is the latest event for the four-year-old group, during which time it has welcomed people across the Black Country to online and in-person events to share poetry.

Despite many attendees since 2021 having never put pen to paper before, the group has managed to publish its own poetry collection.

Mr Stocks said: "It is time to break the taboo about speaking about mental health and that's where (un)spoken word comes in."

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.

They will provide support, resources and how to approach conversations about suicide, as part of World Suicide Prevention Day.