At The Poetry Cafe last night Poetry Society Members and fellow poets took part in an open mic to raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). In total, 43 people performed at the event, with poems on themes ranging from post-Referendum blues to good old-fashioned love. It was so lovely to see the positive impact of poetry in a year of troubling news stories and the money was raised from donations on entering the event. In total, £262.70 was donated to MSF, an international humanitarian-aid non-governmental organisation, best known for its projects in war-torn regions.

Performers included Sarah Tooze, Eleanor Bowen, Valeria Vereau, Annelaure Pothin, Sandra Barker, Helen Constantine, Lauren Mason, Kostya Tsolakis, Annemarie Cooper, John Hurley, Joan Michelson, Patsy Jawo, Josephine von Zitzewitz, Liv Johannesson, Zalie Burrow, Susan Holliday, Maria Woodford, Louise McCudden, Somaye Zadeh, David White, Steve Boorman, Kate B Hall, Apollo, Oceane, Mimi Romilly, Anne Macaulay, Isabel Bermudez, Brian D Ball, Raymond, Ben Bennetts, Shenelle Olaiya, Jack Crow, Belinda Singleton, Christina Simmons, Paul Miner, Julian Flanagan, Ursula Troche, Bryan Baker, Reeve Barrell, Marcus Tearne, Eve Pearce, Michel Duvoisin, and Jenny Cooper.

If you would also like to donate to MSF, visit their website at www.msf.org.uk – 100 percent of donations come from people like you, and 85 percent is spent on helping people who need it most.

28 July 2016