Storm Cecile is an international spoken word poet who has been writing since she was a child.

This year, to help mark Christian Aid’s 80th anniversary, she has written a poem around the theme of the unstoppable power of hope, honouring the organisation’s achievements of the past eight decades and looking ahead to the next challenges.

She performed it at the recent anniversary service at Westminster Abbey in front of a congregation of some 2,000 supporters, staff, partners and church leaders.

The 26-year-old, from Newham, explained she has always been creative, having written her first poem aged five.

placeholder image — Rev Kate Bottley gave a reading.

“I also paint and sew,” she added. “I live to create anything and everything.

“I joined a collective at 13 - I was in a room with other writers which felt very intimidating because they were all so good. It made me really want to get better.

“When I was at university, I would wake up at 5am and learn about poetry, about techniques and structure and about volta, which is the change of thought - that change of thought which informs justice and the truth.

“I’m interested in finding the truth and in the unheard being heard. Sometimes you write for an audience of one, and sometimes you write for those who are hurt, or marginalised or whose story needs to be heard.”

Bishop of London the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally was also at the service in Westminster Abbey.

Storm says what’s really important for her is where God is in the process.

“I became Christian when I was 14 and I received a word that I was going to be at the forefront – this was really scary for me because I was very shy. But I feel called to speak which is a powerful thing, like the prophets. Christian Aid is all about justice and I’m interested in where justice is – I feel it’s part and parcel of the Christian faith, to speak up with prophetic voice for those who are unheard.”

Christian Aid’s Head of Church and Community, Pete Moorey, said everyone who read the poem was moved by it: “It was a real pleasure to work with Storm on this. It’s a bold and moving spoken word piece which explores the role of hope in the face of global injustice, grief and struggle.

“Storm’s poem is a powerful way of sharing Christian Aid’s message of hope. In the lines …’We are bringing good news when hope feels like a synonym for silence. When people feel forgotten and fearful of the future, we stand in the gap, in the spirit of making a difference…’ we hear the unstoppable power of our supporters and local partners working with vulnerable communities to tackle the injustice of poverty. We hope people will read this poem and want to join Christian Aid in giving, acting and praying for a more just and peaceful world.”

Storm’s poem – The Unstoppable Power of Hope - is available to download from the resources section of the Christian Aid website.