Rise Above! Creative Writing in Lavender Hill

Rise Above! Creative Writing in Lavender Hill

This October, Write4Life was invited by the team at Rise Above Development (RAD) to run a creative writing workshop as part of their holiday programme in Lavender Hill.

RAD is a heart-driven organisation with a powerful mission: “to create a safe space for the youth of Lavender Hill — a place to learn, to play, and to heal.” Through creativity and community, they’re helping to build brighter futures for young people in this vibrant, resilient neighbourhood.

We were met with open arms (and wide smiles!). The morning workshop kicked off with a group of young learners ready to put pen to paper. Guided by poems like Gcina Mhlophe’s “Sometimes when it rains…”, the children explored their own stories — using all their senses to write poems filled with the colours, sounds, and textures of daily life.

Children worked on group and individual poems. With gentle scaffolding and loads of encouragement, powerful lines began to emerge — honest, vivid, and moving:

“I carry my brother every day. That weight!
I carry Aunt Adele’s bags to the office and to the car.
I carry courage and empathy to face life’s challenge that throws me out!
I carry faith in my knowledge.”.

The workshop was also an opportunity for Write4Life to test out parts of our creative writing programme with a younger age group. It gave us insights into what resonates, where to adapt, and how to keep evolving our offering to meet learners where they are.

And to round it off, we were sent home with armfuls of fresh spinach, lettuce, and carrots from RAD’s community garden — a most delicious and unexpected thank-you!

To everyone at RAD: thank you for your generosity and your energy. We look forward to working with you again!