THREE POETS who all found hope and solace in writing have set up a new organisation to promote poetry as therapy.

‘Spoke’ was set up by Bradford trio Sharena Lee Satti, Simon Pickles and Laura Baldwin who want to help others 'speak their truth' and pick up a pen.

Workshops will see aspiring poets tackle their thoughts and situation head on through poetry and help them navigate what they all describe as "the cathartic process of writing poetry and speaking it out loud".

While they each have different life experiences, all three claim poetry helped save their lives and want to share the medium with others who may be struggling.

Simon writes about his journey of recovery, Sharena writes openly about being raised in a home affected by substance misuse and Laura began sharing her work publicly at a time her son was in rehabilitation.

It comes amid the bid for City of Culture 2025 and the poets are hopeful that it will inspire judges to pick Bradford.

Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus, Sharena said: "Spoken word and poetry has always been at the heart of what we are all do however in lockdown we have seen how valuable and needed this art form is.

"Bradford is full of talent and we at Spoke want to help encourage the growth of spoken word and poetry in our city. Showing how creative and talented the people of Bradford are too. There is a poet within us all.

"Ive always described poetry as my freedom of expression. Poetry allows us to speak freely, to express our emotions and our truth, without holding back. In today's society there is so many restrictions on what we can and can't do. Our voice is a tool we can use to highlight real issues that need to be amplified.

"Speaking our truth so others speak theirs too.

"Words are powerful and poetry amplifies how powerful words can be."

Spoke already has plans underway for live spoken word events and competitions throughout the year - some in keeping with national and local literary festivals and events like #WorldBookDay and #NationalPoetryDay.

The group will also host regular open mic nights after a successful launch night via Zoom in March that saw many poets open up and perform their work.

The trip hopes to produce more in-person events as pandemic restrictions are eased.

"We have been performing and communicating online for over a year now and have become quite adept at facilitating events digitally," Laura said.

"We’re all super excited to be getting back to in-person events, of course.

"We just know that in present times things don’t always go to plan but not to worry as we have it covered one way or another."

You can keep up to date on events held by the 'Spoke' organisation by visiting www.twitter.com/spokepoetryhub

It follows the creation of a new bench in Lister Park where you can sit and read Sharena's poetry, which is carved into the wood.

"It's one of my life long dreams and ambitions to see my work in ourdoor settings," Sharena said.

"More so since Covid and lockdown and only having outdoor spaces to visit.

"The poem is inspired by nature and our beautiful outdoor spaces."