Introducing Bright Soaring Jays, collaborative writing and art from the Becklin Centre

At the Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust, we have successfully established a unique Creative Writing group. With the invaluable support of our Occupational Therapy (OT) staff at the Becklin Centre alongside Leeds Beckett University and Arts and Minds, this group has released a compilation of their writing and art from group sessions (summarising 4 previous magazines), showcasing our unique therapeutic approach.

The group, which runs at the Becklin Centre, is co-facilitated by James McGrath, a university lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Leeds Beckett. Along with Paul Murray a former Lecturer and Community Worker (Activity Co-ordinator). His expertise and guidance, along with the support of Becklin Centre staff, ensure the success of the Creative Writing group. Each session is co-facilitated by an Activities Co-ordinator, and staff attending as nurses and occupational therapists are encouraged to join in the writing activities.

Read our web accessible version: Bright Soaring Jays. 

Our Approach to Therapeutic Creative Writing

The group aims to create a safe space for people to engage in the therapeutic creative writing process. The team didn’t want the group to feel like a class, so they planned an informal approach: James brings printed works of creative writing for the group to read and discuss, then people have time to try writing something in that style. Attendees can share what they have written if they feel comfortable, but there is no pressure to do so .

The group is focused on the therapeutic benefits of creative writing and supporting service users’ engagement in the group; it is not designed nor used as a formal outcome measure. Instead, it gathered feedback from the service users from work written on each of the 5 wards during the previous days / weeks. Therefore, patients are able to participate in the sessions without being in any way tested or monitored.

They then attending to ensure the group met the aims and to co-produce the topics for future sessions. The group as such is a safe space for Service Users, and by hosting it off the ward, a more relaxed environment can be created.

The importance of co-production and feedback

Co-production is crucial to the continuation of the group. With regular feedback from the service users who attend, we can keep the group in line with everyone’s interests. The groups aim to be meaningful to the people they work with by aligning them with people’s existing or historic interests or by providing a safe space to try something new. With the Creative Writing group, verbal feedback was considered, and the team sought written feedback to ensure the group felt relevant. Without patient and OT Staff feedback, this would be a challenge for people attending the group who are already interested in writing and have written plays and novels. Some people have never done creative writing before.

Paul Murray, Activity Co-ordinator talks about the group:

The group must be welcoming and easy for new people to join while therapeutically challenging the regular attendees. They are asked for suggestions on future themes, topics, or pieces of work, which helps the group not feel repetitive over the weeks. As the group has built and progressed, some service users write pieces outside the sessions to bring and share each week, which gives the group shared ownership and ensures it remains meaningful to the people the team works with.

Finally, four former service users are now taking part in the Creative Writing class in Saint Vincent Centre (near Irish Centre)* Leeds ALL having previously attended the Becklin Centre classes.

Myself and a Support Worker at Saint Vincent Centre co-ordinate these sessions each Wednesday between 1.00pm to 3.00pm, have been attending since May 2025.

Let’s hear some feedback from the service users.

How do you feel about the creative writing group?

“I really enjoy it, and the sessions are fantastic.”
“Therapeutic”
“Happy to attend regularly. Great fun”
“I look forward to each week, meeting new people + discussing ideas.”
“It is relaxing and caring.”
“I feel happy coming to the group.”
“A positive environment that allows expression in a supportive place”
“Sharing stories, laughing & encouraging one another.”

Have you found it beneficial to attend the writing group sessions? If so, how?

“Massively. I started writing poetry: something I’ve never done before.”
“Yes, it has helped & encouraged me to get back into writing, including returning to my novel.”
“It helps to clear my mind and to learn others’ experience of mental health in a safe space.”
“I find it very therapeutic for my mental health, especially because I love poetry.”

What does creative writing mean to you?

“A way to express myself in a healthy way”
“A pleasant way for me to express myself.”
“Self-expression. A form of insight and letting go.”
“The chance to express + creative from ideas + experiences.”
“Imagination in written form.”
“Connecting with new people.”
“It allows the individual to express emotions/thoughts in a unique way. Alternative ways to express yourself, e.g. poetry”

How feedback is used

One of the female service users suggested that there should be a female only creative writing group that ran in addition to the mixed group to allow women the space to use creative writing as a media to explore sensitive subjects, such as sexual or domestic trauma. One of the female Activity Coordinators is working on developing this group, which will feature extracts from female writers and poets.

Given that a new Female volunteer from Leeds Beckett University, is to join in early 2026, the group  feel this will assist and help the request above and deliver an improved inclusive sessions for all involved.

The group’s success was measured by the number of service users who came back and continued to participate in the group week after week. They have given feedback that they look forward to coming to the group. Three men who attended the group would catch up on their ward in between groups and share ideas and work they had written. This example’s community, commitment, and enjoyment speak to me more than any quantitative data could.

In addition to the writing group, James launched the weekly ‘Listening Reading Group’. This group uses short readings to help enable discussion of mental health. Readings are kept short (usually at most two pages) so service users can arrive late and join in. Additionally, service users can still participate and join in if they have issues with seeing or reading. Readings have ranged from contemporary poetry to classic literature; they also listen to online readings by authors, and every week, a service user nominates a song for everyone to listen to and discuss.

The listening group has been put on hold 2025. Due to personal and logistical reasons both in hospital and outside influences. However they hope to bring them back in 2026.

Also the sixth magazine will be due out at the start of the New Year (2026).

Conclusion

James comments: “In addition to the weekly writing sessions over the past twenty four months, we have produced five editions of our magazine, Bright Soaring Jays, featuring writings and artworks by the group members. On 30 July 2024, at the Leeds and York Partnership AGM, Bright Soaring Jays gave their first onstage performance: a presentation featuring staff and former service users, which was well-received by the audience.”

“In May 2024, the Creative Writing Group at the Becklin Centre was shortlisted for the National Award for Positive Practices in Mental Health, and was highly commended.”