Hey, that sounds like a film! Is it funny?
Well, actually, Poetry for Good is a new poetry competition being run by Clean for Good, London’s ethical office cleaning company. Would you like to hear about it?
What?! Is Clean for Good really running a poetry competition?!
Yes, it’s true. In February 2021, we launched Poetry for Good, a national poetry competition to celebrate the lives and work of the UK’s Key Workers – including cleaners, but also shopworkers, nurses, teachers, couriers and many more. All of the details are on the website.
Isn’t that rather….niche?!
Not really. Poetry is hugely popular now, and it is really opening up to more and more people. Poetry for Good is now receiving poems every day from young and old, from across the UK and from people of all backgrounds and walks of life – we have already had poems from:
Schoolchildren, and also their teachers
Intensive Care Unit nurses, writing after their shifts
Retired people
Cleaners and other key workers
People who have never entered a poetry competition before
Even a few established poets!
Poems can be long and complicated, or short and sweet, they can be written or spoken, generous or angry – it’s really just another way of communicating creatively about the things we care about, about what is on our hearts and minds.
There are some *really* good poems out there. You should take a look.
So why are you doing this?
Great question!
Over the last year, we have seen just how much we all rely upon those people whose work keeps this country ‘ticking over’ every day – shopworkers, couriers, nurses, teachers, cleaners, carers – it is a long list of ‘key workers’ who have been going to work every day, rain or shine, to serve their neighbours. Many are also amongst the lowest paid workers in the country.
So, we wanted to do something which would help us to celebrate the lives, stories and work of these millions of people, the UK’s key workers. And poetry is a great way of connecting with hearts and minds. We hope this competition will help more people understand the important work these people do, and what that feels like, and also build support for valuing their contribution to our national life.
Can anyone enter the competition?
The competition is free and open to anyone aged 11 or over living in the UK. There are three different categories to enter. All of the details are on the website – www.PoetryforGood.org.uk – and the competition is open until Friday 9th April.
Have a go!
But I’ve never written a poem before
That doesn’t matter. Try it! You might enjoy it. It is free to enter the competition, so there is nothing to lose.
And how will you pick out the winners?
Ah, now, we have found three great poets to help us out here.
Cecilia Knapp, Rachel Long and Katherine Lockton are our Judges. They will review every poem submitted and pick out the best ones for us. There are even some *prizes* for the winners and runners up in each category!
But it’s not just about the winning – this competition is very much about the ‘taking part’ too. Everyone who spends time celebrating our key workers is helping to honour their work, and we will try to publish more poems that just the prize winners if we can.
OK, thanks. I’m off to write my poem!
😊 Thank you.
Making fair pay and dignified work a reality
Clean for Good is an ethical cleaning company for London, cleaning offices and workspaces across the city. We are a Living Wage Employer, we directly employ our cleaners and we train and manage our cleaners professionally. Founded in a church in the City of London by a group of churches and charities, we launched in 2017 and continue to grow.
For more information and to get a free quote for cleaning your offices, go to www.cleanforgood.co.uk
Follow us at @clean4good.
Tim Thorlby is the Managing Director of Clean for Good. You can find him at @TimThorlby