People across Walsall and West Bromwich are being invited to share their personal stories of travel, migration, holidays, daily commutes and life experiences as part of a unique creative project celebrating hope, peace, community and mental wellbeing.
The initiative will engage residents attending Let's Chat Hubs, transforming their memories and experiences into original poetry and creative writing that reflects the diverse journeys connecting local communities. The project will culminate in a special launch event for National Poetry Day on Thursday 1 October, showcasing the voices, stories and creativity of participants.
Let's Chat Hubs based at Walsall and West Bromwich Bus Station are provided by Walsall Community Transport, with support from Transport for West Midlands, providing welcoming and accessible spaces where residents can connect, build confidence, access support and take part in community activities. Through this project, the hubs will offer an opportunity for people to reflect on their experiences and contribute to a collective celebration of resilience, belonging and wellbeing through the power of storytelling and poetry.
Collaborative partners include the Walsall Archive for All project, hosts of the Jack Haddock Collection, which is being developed with the support of a £249,020 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The first collection to be made available focuses on the community transport on Walsall`s canals and railways. Walsall Archives have given Walsall poet Ian Henery historic images to use as poetry prompts so that local residents can also discover how these transport networks played a part in everyday life across Walsall.
The resource material will be used by Ian Henery on 26th September in Walsall Town Hall for Walsall Maker Fest. Ian will be running free creative writing workshops in advance of the workshops at the Let`s Chat Hubs in the Walsall Town Hall takeover at Walsall Makers Fest 2026. Ian will also be delivering creative writing workshops at the Lichfield Street Hub for Walsall Archives` Local History Fair based on community travel.
"I have gathered poetry prompts from Walsall Archives linked to travel and personal stories" explained Ian Henery "and I will then be trialling those creative writing workshops that support positive mental health. This will, in turn, showcase community voices and create a lasting legacy of poems and stories celebrating Walsall and West Bromwich communities."
