The Birthwaite Bards, a Lake District poetry group formed in 2014, which was initially

facilitated by Harriet Fraser through the Wordsworth Trust Outreach program, has

continued to meet weekly despite all their COVID challenges.

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Before lockdown the group met in person at Birthwaite, a seniors residence in

Windermere. Sean Hunt carried the torch forward, with the firm foundations Harriet had

established and has been the group’s facilitator since she left. When Covid-19 hit and

2020/2021 Government regulated lockdowns were put in place, along with a quarantine

for seniors over the age of 70, the group was no longer able to meet in person. This

provided major challenges for the poets, most of whom were not technologically savvy

and who lived alone.

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The first months were almost completely devoted to conquering the basics of technology

including video conferencing platforms, trying out the likes of Zoom, Facebook

Messenger Rooms and Google Meet to find a suitable platform, along with other

obstacles and issues that cropped up such as ancient decrepit computers and glitchy

software.

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With great effort and persistence the group managed to navigate cyberspace and has

during this time written a collection of COVID-inspired poetry from their weekly sessions.

They have compiled a book called Quarantine: Safe and Unseen with the help of a local

volunteering Graphic Designer, Tracey-Lee Scully, and are using their book to fundraise

for local causes.

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They have agreed amongst themselves to support a local Food Bank and a local food

waste project, initially offering the book online for anyone to read and make donations to

either of the organisations. The group have since published the book and are selling the

printed copies through Fred's Ambleside Bookshop and on Amazon, with all profits going

to these local charities.

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Today the Bards are now capable of taking advantage of modern video platform meeting

technology for meeting online, which allows most businesses to continue to operate

seamlessly. Through their elder wisdom and their signature sense of humour they are

making the most of their poetry and contributing to their community.

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Author Quotation:

“Patience, persistence, and well-cultivated senses of humour allowed a continued poetic

response to the painful, complex and challenging issues facing us all during our

‘Lockdowns’” – Sean Hunt, Group Facilitator

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“Lockdown threatened to extinguish our poetry group, but thanks to tech-savvy

organisers we continued to laugh and compose and share inspiration, using Zoom as if

we'd always done it - but always looking forward to being unconfined.” - Janet Aitch,

Poet

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Visit their website to read their collection and support the causes they are fundraising for by making a donation - birthwaitebards.wixsite.com/website/book

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