Finding connection through words – the Dorothy House Writing Hour

Many people will be aware of the core services that Dorothy House provides, such as Hospice at Home care, our Inpatient Unit, and Bereavement Services, but as the people we support know, our services extend far beyond that. Our community groups are provided for patients, families and carers and take place across Bath and North East Somerset, and Wiltshire, as well as a number of virtual groups, which enable more people to join and connect.

Just some of the community groups we offer include our Bereavement Help Points, Coffee Connections, and most recently, therapeutic gardening sessions at the Fox Hill Community Garden, which are offered in partnership with horticultural charity Grow for Life. One of the groups that our community may not be aware of however, is our Writing Group.

The Dorothy House Writing Group

Created by the Family Support Team, following the success of several Writing Through Grief workshops, the online Writing Hour was opened to the wider community in 2020. At a time where many were feeling a sense of isolation and distance from others, the group invited attendees to bring their differing and varied experiences of loss and grief.

The group meets every Friday at 10.30am on Zoom, and each week offers a writing theme. Whether writing is a part of your life, or you’re new to the concept of writing for wellbeing, everyone is welcome.

What happens in the Writing Hour?

After a quick check-in with each other, the group gets to work with the week’s theme or prompt. The focus of the group is set around the process of writing, rather than creating a polished product, so members are free to explore each week’s theme however they wish.

The different themes each week vary and range from simple one-word prompts like “home,” to immersive and collaborative themes such as the six wives of Henry VIII! In this session (by chance, the group had six ladies and one man in attendance!), each member of the group immersed themselves in a role of either a wife or Henry VIII himself and wrote from their perspective.

Writing quietly together online, the group then comes back together for an opportunity – but no obligation – to share what they have written. We spoke to Margaret, Jo, and Jane about what the group means to them, and they also kindly shared some of their work with us.

Margaret’s story

Margaret’s connection to Dorothy House started in 1998, when her mum attended our Day Patient Services; visits that Margaret tells us ‘brightened her final weeks.’ Years later, Margaret’s husband, Mike was also cared for by us.

“We knew Dorothy House would be a lifeline for us. Mike loved his visits, made so many friends and was even persuaded to try some creative activities. The visits from Wayne where he could talk about sport and forget about his cancer were treasured by us both. After Mike’s death I remained in touch, supporting the Frome Friends group occasionally doing art with the creative group. The Writing Group guided me through Covid and its online presence has inspired me to write and keep writing. We are great friends and support each other through difficult times. My family still visits Dorothy House for the Christmas Fair, a walk through Firefly Woods, and for calming moments spent in the Beacon.”

Jo’s story

Jo joined the group around four years ago after seeing it advertised on our Facebook page during the pandemic. While she had no previous connection to Dorothy House, her local hospice supported her when her husband died.

“I was working towards retirement and wanted to start finding new activities to engage with. I remember the post relating to Dorothy House, and while I had no connection to the Hospice, I felt it was a wonderful idea to offer a free, online writing activity. I live in the Southern part of Wiltshire and there is a hospice fairly close by which provided me with care and support some years ago when my husband died.

Our Zoom Writing Group has developed over the years and the bonds between us all are strong. One hour per week, it’s a consistent and containing space for us all to enter and share our writing. I had never written pieces or stories before and I wanted to challenge myself. What actually happened was, I surprised myself! From somewhere within me, the words poured out onto the pages and formed a short piece on a random topic.”

“I really enjoy the process – it’s organic and honest, and we can share or not share, it’s our prerogative. We laugh, we cry, we wonder at each other’s words and support each other by checking in each week.”

Jane’s story

Jane and her husband, Dudley, relocated to the UK from South Africa in September 2021. Dudley was sadly diagnosed with cancer in September 2023, and Dorothy House supported him in the last month of his life, which was November 2024. After attending one of our Bereavement Help Points, Jane was encouraged to explore some of the community groups we offer.

“I love walking and so decided to join the Walking Through Grief group. This has been wonderful. We are all ‘in the same boat’ so to speak and we all find it so therapeutic, walking in the beautiful English countryside and enjoying a cuppa in a cafe somewhere afterwards.

“Writing is another thing I have always loved to do. Linking up on zoom with other writers in the Dorothy House Writing Group on a Friday is something I really look forward to. I love the spontaneity of it and how very different our responses are to the diverse topics we write about. We support and empathise with one another when life feels tough or there are health issues etc. but there is no dwelling on grief or bereavement.”

“It’s the writing that is our escape and therapy.”

In their 51 years together, Jane and Dudley had many adventures travelling the world, which Jane has documented in her own blog. Jane has also cited writing as a form of therapy in navigating her grief, which she has documented in a blog series called Grief to Growth: A Widowhood Journey. In her posts, she shares her personal experiences of grief – from reflecting on moments from Dudley’s final days, to dealing with anniversaries, to finding moments of comfort – but at the same time encourages other people who have lost a spouse to look for positives in their own widowhood journey.

How to join the Friday Writing Hour

The Writing Group meets every Friday via Zoom at 10.30am and is open to everyone in the community, including our staff and volunteers too. If you would like to find out more, or are interested in joining, please call 0345 0130 555.

Our full list of community groups are listed here.