Lowlands Lines is a creative writing group with 11 people - sadly one of our members passed away in October’22. We meet once a month for 2 hrs and it is a most joyful 2 hrs spent listening to each other’s writings, discussing poetry, different ways of writing, how our lives affect our writing, and sharing ideas and experiences. We have a qualified leader for our group. A lady who is an English Language/literature lecturer who sets us homework, and who plans the group sessions, and very much listens to everything we have to say. Our age ranges are from 25yrs to 79 yrs young, both male & female. Within our group we have carers, one dealing with parents and dementia, a person who is Autistic, a person who is bi-polar. People who live on their own, people who suffer ongoing medical conditions, those who have suffered bereavement, and those of differing sexual orientation.

All through Covid lockdowns, our group leader, Shirley, kept in touch with us all, setting us homework- which was a great focus - then putting all our writings together in a booklet, which she posted out to us all - paying for the postage herself. How exciting it was to receive a booklet and to read what everyone in the group had written! Through such dark and isolated times the booklets brought a sense of hope when we could come together again as a group.

Sadly we have run out of funding. Our first year, 2018-9, the North End writers funded the rent we paid for the room we use in Lowlands, home of the West Derby Community Association (WDCA). The second year, Shirley managed to gain funding for the rent from the West Derby Wastelands charity. Shirley was not paid, but the group put £2/3 each in as “subs” that we gave to Shirley for expenses. There was only 6 of us in the group at that time. Last year the WDCA funded us and gave Shirley expenses., but can no longer afford to do this.