Care home residents and children encouraged to share love of poetry virtually with #PoetryTogether2020

A national campaign launched by author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth to bring young and old together virtually to share the joy of poems, has been boosted by a Royal recital.

The Duchess of Cornwall, a strong advocate of the benefits of poetry and literature, recorded WH Auden’s Night Mail which was posted online using #PoetryTogether2020 on National Poetry Day (1 October).

The Poetry Together initiative was set up last year to bring school groups and care home residents together to recite poems over tea and cake.

However, with the coronavirus pandemic putting a stop to the young and old meeting up, the new campaign encourages them to share their love of verse over an online video platform.

Mr Brandreth who set up the ‘Poetry Together’ initiative along with Dukes Education said: “I love poetry, and, during lockdown, I recited a poem a day on social media for 150 days to spread the joy of poetry.

“#PoetryTogether2020 encourages school pupils and older people to connect virtually by learning and reciting poems, then sharing their recordings.”

Taking part is simple and free. Schools or care homes sign up via the #PoetryTogether2020 website and receive a digital pack. Individuals or groups from the schools and care homes choose a poem, learn it by heart, and record their performance. Then they share their recordings with their poetry partner or get together online to perform.

Finally, they share their recording on social media to spread joy across their communities using #PoetryTogether2020.

Every participant receives a certificate, and some performers will be invited to join Mr Brandreth at a special, celebratory tea party in 2021, once coronavirus restrictions allow.

In October 2019, carehome.co.uk took a group of care home residents and primary school children to London where they joined The Duchess of Cornwall and Mr Brandreth in a celebration of reciting ‘Poetry Together’.

The performances took place at a school in Piccadilly where The Duchess performed one of her favourite poems Matilda by Hilaire Belloc with pupils from a local school.

Mr Brandreth who starred in Celebrity Gogglebox and is a veteran of QI added: “Last year hundreds of schools and care homes signed up to hold poetry tea parties, 2020 is a bit different, so our poetry parties will be a bit different, too, but the aim is still to have fun. This year, we ask schools and care homes to connect virtually.”

Online performances can take place any time from National Poetry Day on 1 October to 30 November.

Founder and chairman of Dukes Education, Atif Hassan, said: “For young people, learning and reciting poems boosts their confidence, speech, memory and attention; for the elderly it can improve brain capacity and reduce memory loss.

"We hope #PoetryTogether2020 will also help to spread a little joy at the end of such a difficult year.”

For more information regarding #PoetryTogether2020 click here

• For latest news click here and you can listen to our podcast ‘Let’s Talk About Care’ by clicking here