We are delighted to announce that the Arkbound Foundation has been awarded funding from the National Lottery for its upcoming project: “Power of the Pen: Mental Health & Covid-19“.

The aim of this National Lottery funded project was to help individuals tackle these issues and create a new sense of community through a series of creative writing workshops. Some of the participants agreed to share some pieces of the works they produced during the program on our blog:

The Power of the Pen project at Arkbound was dedicated to reaching out to individuals in Scotland who had found their mental health exacerbated by the social isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim of this National Lottery funded project was to help individuals tackle these issues and create a new sense of community through a series of creative writing workshops. Some of the participants agreed to share some pieces of the works they produced during the program on our blog

We have developed a new crowdfunding platform that opens up publishing to a wider range of people, whilst being able to support projects by other organisations that need funding. The website, Crowdbound, was launched on 21^st June 2022 – in line with World Localisation Day – and it represents the only UK-based crowdfunding site with a focus on social inclusion and environmental sustainability.

These introductory sessions explore the general realm of creative writing, focusing on reaching out to those who have currently or previously experienced homelessness or a precarious living situation, and giving them an opportunity to explore the art of writing.

When I signed up to the ‘Our Economy and Creative Writing Workshop’, I admit, I was stepping out of my comfort zone. Though I had been with the Arkbound Foundation as a volunteer for about a year when I signed up, I seldom showcased my writing – and I had very little interest in the theory of economics.

This workshop changed both – and for the better.