Legend Times releases lockdown stories for NHS Charities Together

Legend Times is releasing a collection of poems, artwork and prose about life during the pandemic, curated by a group of volunteers, with all proceeds donated to NHS Charities Together.

Living During the Coronavirus Pandemic will be published on 30th November 2020. It is the brainchild of Terrie Grinham, who is part of the Haywards Heath Community Team run by Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.

The project came together thanks to a committed group of volunteers: Terrie, Agueda Moreno-Lopez, Fiona Burns, Jules Cooke, and illustrator Tanya Leverington, who designed the front cover and created illustrations throughout the book.

It brings together the work of adults and children, which were submitted digitally after a call for submissions across social media. The pieces included in the collection reflect the contributor’s personal journey of living during the coronavirus pandemic, many of whom reflect on their experience of coping with lockdown individually, or as a family, and the impact on their life and wellbeing. The collection also includes powerful first-hand accounts and reflections written by frontline NHS workers and keyworkers, including a GP’s diary of her experience working during lockdown, accounts by a pharmacist, a nurse, paramedic, children's home staff and beautiful co-produced artwork by adults with learning disabilities and their support staff.

Moreno Lopez, who works as a senior clinical psychologist at Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust, said “I think the most powerful part of this book is its authenticity and diversity united by a common thread of hope and resilience running through the pages of the book regardless of age, gender, ability or ethnicity differences… I think this book has soul, one story narrated by over 100 different voices whose journeys during this pandemic have been shaped by each person’s own circumstances.’

The book is dedicated to Dr Fiona Burns, a well-respected senior clinical psychologist at KMPT who worked closely on the project in the latter stages, and who unexpectedly passed away two months ago.