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Poetry

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Poems From a Runaway. A true story

Ben Westwood

Poems From a Runaway is a non-fiction real-life account of Ben Westwoods journey as a child runaway, constantly going missing from home. When he is taken under the care of social services, he then constantly goes missing from foster carers and children's homes. Ben was born in 1985 in Cannock, Staffordshire before moving to the nearby small former-mining town of Rugeley. From the age of ten years old he was running away from home and going missing from days to weeks at a time whilst sleeping rough and wandering around the county and surrounding areas.
​Ben spent his teenage years from twelve years old bouncing between the streets of London and care placements across Staffordshire including children's homes and foster parents around the Rugeley, Cannock, Lichfield, Tamworth, Burntwood and Aldridge areas among other places.
​In 2016 he wrote his childhood story 'Poems From a Runaway' and self-published it a year later which he now reads to social workers, at safeguarding events and with missing children's charities.

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Children and young people in social care, and those who have left, are often subject to stigmatisation and discrimination. Being stigmatised and discriminated against can impact negatively on mental health and wellbeing not only during the care experience but often for many years after too. The project aims to contribute towards changing community attitudes towards care experienced people as a group.

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Website set up with support from The Welland Trust 

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