By Jade Edwards

A HARLOW-based poetry community dedicated to emotional expression and mental wellbeing has grown to 4,000 members, providing a safe space for people to share their feelings and connect through writing.

Poetry That Speaks, founded by local poet Ben Blye four years ago, began as a small online space, mostly friends and acquaintances.

“At first it didn’t have many people at all. Just about 50 people I knew personally,” Blye said. “My dad said it was a good idea because people don’t really have an opportunity to share how they’re feeling. It’s a nice, free, safe space to write their own poetry and share it with others.”

Today, the Facebook group has expanded into a supportive network helping people cope with stress, family challenges, and mental health issues.

Ben described reaching the milestone as “weird” but deeply rewarding.

“The fact that we’ve got 4,000 now, it doesn’t really sink in sometimes. You don’t really realise how much influence this group must have for people until you actually see the numbers.”

The poet, who began writing at age 20 and largely taught himself, believes that sharing poetry can play a significant role in supporting mental health.

“Confidence is a big thing. I think people shouldn’t feel scared or worried about sharing what they have written because a lot of people in this group are going through the same stuff anyway,” Blye said.

Managing a community of thousands has also helped Blye grow personally.

“I think it’s made me a bit more confident and a bit more intuitive. It’s like a leadership role now because I’m in charge of this big community. I just try to make sure everyone feels safe sharing their poetry, that there’s no spam or negativity, and that people can be honest and creative,” he said.

Looking ahead, Blye hopes to expand the group further with spoken-word events, live video readings, and potentially a documentary featuring members’ stories.

“I think there’s a lot of potential. Maybe we could put together a documentary,” he said. “Creating a safe space will always be the main priority, but I also hope more people will feel confident to express themselves and experience the benefits that poetry can bring to mental health.”

Ben is optimistic about the future.

“Creating a safe space is one main priority, but I believe we can get the numbers higher. We can definitely get more people involved and maybe work out new ideas for the group once it’s a bigger platform,” he said.