Verses for Growth – a night of spoken word and beats

Verses for Growth Event in Support of Crisis Point’s Community Garden

We are uniting the local community for Verses for Growth, a unique night of spoken word and live music at Wellbeing café Feel Good Club, with the goal of raising funds for a new community garden at Turning Point’s Crisis Point service in New Cross, Manchester.

Turning Point, a mental health crisis centre, provides intensive, short-term support for those in immediate need. Offering a seven-day accommodation program, the Turning Point team provides one-to-one sessions and coping skills to help individuals recover in a supportive, community-based setting. Its Recovery Lounge also offers a self-referral space where recovery and peer-support workers provide emotional support and guidance for navigating mental health challenges.

Turning Point’s mission is to cultivate accessible, healing environments for those on recovery journeys. The development of the community garden, aims to create a restorative, green space that promotes mindfulness, social connection, and physical activity. Plans include revitalising the outdoor area with raised beds, a mural, and a sensory experience garden maintained by our residents and local volunteers.

Howard Lord, our Managing Director mentioned: “We’re committed to supporting the communities around our projects, and as future neighbours in New Cross, we’re keen to help Turning Point to bring its community garden vision to life. We’ll be supporting through our social events and by pulling on our networks across the city.”

“This is a truly grassroots effort, so we’re also inviting local involvement for the vision for the garden. We’re looking for mural artists, sculpturists and furniture makers to join our efforts.”

The Verses for Growth event will showcase poets such as E Walker, whose work has been widely recognised for its emotional depth, and Aisha Akram, who speaks fearlessly about sensitive issues like trauma and mental health, will be delivering performances that inspire and provoke conversation. Loll the Poet, known for her bold opinions and humour, and Bonnie Hancell, whose work delves into topics like desire, illness, and queerness, will also grace the stage, making for a truly diverse and dynamic evening of poetry.

What makes Verses for Growth unique is the collaboration between poets and DJs, with the likes of Ki Jeal, Jase Jeffery, and Róisín Walsh providing atmospheric soundscapes that elevate the spoken word performances. The music will range from electronic sounds to ambient and deep house, creating an immersive experience for the audience.

Howard Lord concludes: “We hope people will come out in support of Turning Point to enjoy a unique event, in a fantastic venue, with performances by talented, under-represented artists.”