Carers are often unsung heroes in our community who devote hours and energy to supporting loved ones.

To help them cope with the emotional strain of their work, a creative arts charity organised a series of poetry workshops to encourage them to share their experiences.

Create collaborated with Carers Support Merton to run 'create voices' - weekly writing sessions for 10 carers throughout March.

During each session, guided by Create's professional writer, participants were invited to talk about their week and put those experiences into a poem.

One carer, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: "This project gave me an opportunity for time and space.

"Being a full-time carer means I often don’t have time for myself and this project offers that.

"I’ve been able to share my ideas and emotions with people who have had similar experiences of caring."

At the final session on Tuesday, March 25, in Vestry Hall, Mitcham, participants presented their poems to a small audience of friends, family and staff from Carers Support Merton.

Create uses the power of the creative arts to transform lives through projects enabling participants to develop creativity, learning, social skills and self-esteem.

To find out more, visit createarts.org.uk