West Midlands Ambulance Service call assessor pens poem on domestic abuse after lockdown spike - The Leamington Observer

West Midlands Ambulance Service call assessor pens poem on domestic abuse after lockdown spike

Leamington Editorial 15th Sep, 2020 Updated: 15th Sep, 2020   0

THE ‘CRIPPLING’ issue of domestic violence has been highlighted by a 999 call assessor in a raw piece of poetry.

Hannah Brockley, from West Midlands Ambulance Service, has combined her passion for poetry and her experience as a call assessor, to create an honest exploration of domestic violence from the perspective of a 999 call.

Hannah has submitted her performance to ‘Poetry Archive’ – a project which documents poems submitted from the past year. Only 20 entries will be chosen to join the ‘Poetry Archive WordView 2020 Collection’ from the hundreds of entries submitted.

The characters in Hannah’s poem are fictional and the piece is not based on one specific patient.




She said: “Domestic violence is all too prevalent in our society and has been particularly so over the course of this pandemic. I am lucky enough to be in a very happy and loving relationship, but I have been in a coercive relationship in the past and understand how it can be so hard for people to get out of these situations.

“This year has been hard for an awful lot of people, but I think it is so important to raise awareness of the crippling issues around domestic violence and get the message out there to those people who feel trapped in these situations – there is help available. It is never too late to speak out and change your path. It takes an awful lot of courage for people to do this, but they so deserve the rewards of being free from that kind of cruelty and oppression.”


Hannah’s poem is now live on the Poetry Archive YouTube channel.

Domestic abuse is not always physical violence, there are many different sides to it.

Visit www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help for advice and support.

Public Notices

View and download all of the public notices in the Leamington Observer.

Reader Travel

Check out all of the latest reader travel offers to get your hands on some free gifts.

Business Directory

From plumbers, to restaurants, we can provide you with all the info you need.

Subscribe

Receive a weekly update to your inbox by signing up to our weekly newsletter.