On world poetry day (21 March 2021) NHS London have partnered up with Transport for London (TfL) to launch a poetry competition for young Londoners, aged 12-15, to reflect on how their lives have changed since vaccinations were rolled out in the capital over a year ago.
The competition seeks to give young Londoners the opportunity to talk about their experiences and what their hopes are for the year ahead. The top ten poems selected will be printed and put up at the author’s local tube station.
Will Huxter, Director of the NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Programme in London, said:
“The start of the pandemic had an impact on everyone, but for many 12-15 year olds it put their education, hobbies, and social lives on hold. Now, more than 16.6 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been delivered in the capital and as we learn to live with the virus, we want to give young Londoners a voice to express what this means to them – through poetry.
“Vaccination still remains our first line of defence against Covid-19, so if you’re yet to come forward for a jab book online at nhs.uk/covidvaccine.”
How to enter
Write a short poem or spoken word poem (100 words max) about the successful roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme and what it has meant to you personally.
Send your poem to [email protected] by midnight on 21 April 2022 with the subject line ‘NHS London/TfL poetry competition’.
In your email, please include your name, age (school years 7-10 permitted), home/school station, and confirmation of your parents’ permission.
Please note, all entries must comply with TfL’s Advertising policy, which can be found at: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-advertising-policy-250219.pdf.
