Write Back

Who we are

Write Back is a recently-founded charity providing opportunities for marginalised young people to see the value of their own experiences and stories. We build self-respect, community and independent voices for young people through the sharing of stories. We have been operational since September 2019 and, in early 2020, registered with the Charity Commission and recruited a board of trustees. Programmes are currently delivered by our Founder and Director, Sam Norwood, a local teacher.

Write Back empowers young people in Barking and Dagenham by tackling some of their isolation, alienation and low self-esteem. The borough is the 9th most deprived local authority in the country and 37% of itsyoung people and children live in poverty. Despite this, Barking and Dagenham has the joint fewest charities per head in the country. Research conducted by the local council revealed that only 37% of young residents felt they had someone to talk to about problems that worry them. The same research found that almost a third of young people felt optimistic ‘rarely’ or ‘none of the time’. We believe that storytelling can play a crucial role in addressing this situation by building young people’s respect for themselves and by developing trust and community amongst young people.