Ever felt like you can’t quite find the right word? It’s on the tip of your tongue but you can’t quite get it down on the page? What about worrying over an email you sent and wondering whether it said exactly what you meant?

If you’re thinking “Yes” to any of those questions then you are one of many hundreds of thousands of people across the land who feel exactly the same way. In fact, most people have some concerns about their writing, whether that’s a fear of spelling something incorrectly or never knowing where a comma should go or feeling stressed when they’re asked to write something more formal like a report. It’s incredibly common, you’re not alone, and help is at hand!

The Royal Literary Fund (RLF) is a charity for writers and it works with different organisations and community groups all over the country to help people improve their writing skills. The RLF employs professional writers to deliver writing projects on a wide range of topics, from writing confidence courses to lifewriting sessions to workplace writing skills workshops covering things like minute-taking, report writing, CV writing and even speech writing.

Since 2018, the RLF has worked with many different unions including USDAW, Unison, Community and Unite. Starting off with pilot projects in a Next warehouse in Bradford and a DHL warehouse in Castleford, the project spread to encompass the entire UK. Working with regional Project Managers, the project employed 6 writers, all funded by the RLF. By the time March 2020 and lockdown arrived, we were booked solidly and were delivering bespoke workshops and one to one writing support sessions everywhere from chicken factories to Boots depots, often in high-vis vests.

When the first lockdown occurred, we went online and developed out Write Now workshops which became a vital point of connection for many union members suffering acute isolation. It connected those on furlough, working from home, and those shielding. Above all, our Write Now project created an important record of voices from those continuing to work on the frontline.

Of course, as time went on and Covid-19 continued to disrupt all our lives, being online became the norm. As restrictions extended, we adapted to new technologies and ways of teaching, as the benefits of online working became apparent. We could reach more people and even in a Zoom room, meaningful connections could be made. Crucially, voices could be heard.

The RLF’s entire mission is to empower participants through the improvement of their written expression because everyone’s words are meaningful and everyone’s words matter.  We firmly believe that writing well gives you more opportunities and that it can make you happier.

So don’t sit there and worry about what’s on the page (or not) in front of you. Come along to an RLF writing workshop and start to make the change, one word at a time.