The judges votes are in and are being independently checked. We aim to announce the 12 winners next week. We received 126 poems in total and the standard of poetry has been breathtakingly high. Albeit sad, moving, very emotional, very personal and, in numerous cases, a plea ‘just to be heard and listened to’.
We aim, shortly after the winners have been announced, to hold a ‘zoom conference’ with our judges (their work schedules permitting) – and we will notify you all of the necessary login details on this website; so please do keep checking in. We will ask them individually; “What effect did the poems have on you?”
And we have also been notified that the Daily Express will be publishing the names of the winners.
We are also in talks with officials at the ‘House of Commons’ about holding a static exhibition of the 12 framed poems although we acknowledge that these are challenging times and this may have to be delayed until the spring.
And here’s an update on the prizes on offer plus the profiles of our 12 strong panel of Judges – and the charities that our poets have nominated and who, if their poet has won, will also be rewarded.
‘most liked’ entries, we will now be able to pay £250 each to the successful poets – and £250 for their chosen charities
OUR PANEL OF JUDGES
STUART BENSUSAN (Businessman with a disabled daughter)
MARSHA de CORDOVA MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities who is partially sighted)
JEFF DODDS (Chief Operating Officer of Virgin media who are the joint sponsors of “My Disabled World”)
VICKY FOXCROFT MP (Shadow Minister for Disabled People)
DAME EVELYN GLENNIE (Disabled Percussionist)
EILEEN GRUBBA (Disabled Hollywood Actress & Scriptwriter)
KAMRAN MALLICK (Chief Executive Officer of Disability Rights UK)
RUTH PATTERSON (Disabled lead singer with ‘Holy Moly & The Crackers)
MARTYN SIBLEY (Disabled Entrepreneur)
ANGEL SINCLAIR (Founder of ‘Models of Diversity’)
JUSTIN TOMLINSON MP (Minister for Disabled People)
KEELY CAT WELLS (Entrepreneur and Disability Activist)
A LIST OF YOUR NOMINATED CHARITIES:
MS (Twice); Cancer Research (Twice); Rutherford School; Crohn’s & Colitis; British Heart Foundation (Twice); SCOPE (Four times); Revialize; Shekinah; Versus Arthritis (Twice); WWF; Alzheimer’s Society; AMAZE (Three times); Sutton Nightwatch; Stepping Stone Theatre for Mental Health (Twice); BRAKE; MIND (Nine times); Children’s Hospice South West (Little Harbour); Independent Lives; SSAFA; MNDA; Bob Champion Cancer Charity; Popsy Charity; Invest in ME; NCBI; The Humane Society; Dementia Care; Headway UK (Twice); Heart of Darts; Rights of Women (Twice); Complex PTSD; NASS (Twelve times); FSH Muscular Dystrophy; Mencap; Teach Us Too; Simon Community Glasgow; Action on Hearing Loss; Spinal Injuries Association (Twice); Bay Area Lyme Foundation; KEEN Oxford; The Parasol Project; Caudwell LymeCo (SIX times); White Lodge; Zetta; Help For Heroes ; Retina UK; Horses helping People; RSPCA; Dogs Trust; Jim Cronin Memorial Fund; N.I Chest, Heart & Stroke (Twice); Daft As A Brush; Smile Train Africa; Share A Star; The Dystonia Society: Bendrigg Trust; PHAB; Spondylitis Association of America; Pets As Therapy (Seven times); Teenage Cancer Trust; Warwickshire Vision Support; Arthur Rank Hospice; Synolos Social Enterprise; Royal Society for the Blind (Adelaide); CAROUSEL; The Baton; Scottish Autism; Autism Family Support (Oxford); Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion; Dyspraxia Foundation UK; Whizz-Kidz; Warwick Rethink; M.U.S.T Hostel; The Chiltern MS Centre; The Rising Sun Institute For Special Children; Prostrate Cancer UK and M.E. Research.