About FLOW
FLOW (Forces Literary Organisation Worldwide) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) whose registered number is SC050666.
FLOW aims to help and support anyone affected by war and other traumatic experiences in their lives and to help them share their thoughts online with like-minded people.
Many people find asking for help difficult, do not wish to be identified, or their personal pride prevents them from sharing their feelings with their family, friends or work colleagues. We, therefore, accept your writing with your real name, a pseudonym, or as anonymous if you prefer not to use your real name. You can always change that at a later date.
Anyone affected by trauma (serving military personnel, veterans, their friends and family or anyone who simply wants to express themselves) is invited to share their feelings and thoughts in a safe and non-judgmental environment. It doesn’t need to be your trauma. You can write about whatever you want that may impact your mental health or those you love and care for.
People are welcome to share their poems, stories, letters and lyrics and read other people’s contributions and comment on them. It can be comforting to engage with like-minded people, knowing that you are not alone in your feelings. Writers have the option to remain anonymous.
All the publications found on FLOW and its associated websites belong entirely to the authors. The authors we show as owning the writing are taken from the names we are given, and we accept these as honest and correct. We take no responsibility for incorrect credit of any work. If you know of a piece of work which does not belong to the stated author, please email us, and we will investigate further.
FLOW reserves the right to publish any writing submitted by anyone in its books and other publications. Full credit will be given to the named writer.
All the proceeds from our grants, books and other fundraising activities go directly into FLOW to help pay for our long-term goals, minimal running costs, and eventually wages of staff as we grow larger.
FLOW’s Poems, Stories, Letters and Lyrics
Submitted poems, stories, letters and lyrics will undergo a moderation process, and after approval, they will be published on the site. We ask that you understand some members of the community may be young, so please understand that some literature may be censored prior to publishing. We do still advise viewer caution due to the nature of the topics discussed.
Mac1
Our Patron
Dame Vera Lynn CH DBE OStJ
Dame Vera Lynn CH DBE OStJ kindly became our patron in 2008, until she passed away on the 18th of June 2020 at her home in East Sussex at the age of 103. The Royal Family led tributes to Dame Vera, with Queen Elizabeth II sending private condolences to her family and Clarence House issuing tributes from the then Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.
We will always be immensely proud to have had Dame Vera write the foreword of our first book, published in October 2008, and be our patron for so many years.
“I have been following FLOW’s excellent work for some time now and have always been impressed by the way that they provide for people who have been affected by war.
As a musician, I understand the huge power of art – it can heal wounds, bring people together, and preserves memories for generations to come.
By offering a chance for people to express themselves through poetry and stories, FLOW offers the comfort of community and communication, and this should always be celebrated.
I would like to offer my thanks to everyone who supports this worthy cause and I wish FLOW all the best as it attempts to reach even more people around the world.”
We are privileged to have had such a wonderful person as our Patron, and we offer our deepest thanks for all the support we have been thrilled to receive by Dame Vera, Virginia her daughter, and Susan her PA.
Raising Funds
We hope that FLOW will be able to raise sufficient funds to publish its books of Poems, Stories, Letters and Lyrics every year, celebrating the work of those who kindly share their writing with us.
FLOW also presently runs on the generous time provided by its volunteer staff, but to grow, we know we must gain sufficient funding to employ full-time paid staff to carry out the work we must do.
As FLOW is a registered charity, all contributions and proceeds from fundraising efforts will go directly back into the organisation so we can continue supporting those who need it.
Contributions can be made through our website, or alternatively, you can contact us to hold a fundraiser of your own. Please contact us by clicking here.
%