The last episode of series 2 is short but sweet! I am joined by Casey who’s an Autism Advocate and he is on the spectrum himself! Casey speaks about his diagnosis of Autism and how he’s embraced it. Casey has a Facebook page exclusively dedicated to Autism and he posts things such as news stories, Autism awareness posts, acceptance and Casey has done a lot to break down the barriers around Autism. Casey thinks the understanding around Autism should improve and he says a great message to anyone who’s on the Spectrum. What a way to finish off the series, this is a great listen

Today’s Episode I am Joined by Head of college Duncan Thomas. It was great to have this chat with Duncan about the college. Duncan speaks about how he became head of the college and his passion for helping students thrive in a positive environment. Me & Duncan speak about the importance of employability skills, interview practice, interview prep, applying for jobs. Duncan said that Mental Health is very high on his priority list and I can see how passionate he is about the students well-being, ensuring that they are doing ok and he very much cares about the students of the college. This one is a great listen if you’re someone who’s interested in college or interested in what they do. Email: [email protected]: 01255 736020 or 01206 825195 Website: https://www.marketfieldcollege.co.uk/ or if it’s easier https://www.marketfieldschool.co.uk/

todays episode i am joined by Aston Avery, he's a radio presenter, DJ, he's Autistic and a man of many talents so it was a pleasure to be joined by Aston. (it did cut out a lot towards the end so i had to edit quite a bit out so just wanna say Thank you to Aston Avery for coming on) Aston speaks about the Journey he and his family went through in regards to his Autism and he spoke candidly about how his brother had got bullied due to Aston's Autism, i found Aston's journey very inspiring. Aston speaks about how he got involved with the AKO charity and he said how it had changed his life appearing on Autism's Got Talent since then he has done loads of events raising money for the charity and he also spoke about the charity he runs with his Parents called "Team Avery" so check them out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Aston has his own radio show Gateway 97.8 and he speaks about how he got into radio presenting interviewing celebrities, interviewing people about all sorts of topics and he does this with the amazing support of Anna Kennedy. Aston throughout life has gone with the motto "Autistic and proud" it sends a strong message to everyone out there to be proud of who you are. this is a great listen!

Todays episode i had Anna Kennedy Online Ambassador Daniel Docherty on the podcast, (i'm aware i botch up his surname at the beginning)Daniel speaks about his passion for spreading Mental Health advocacy and through his psychology degree he has learned all about Mental Health and what makes the brain so fascinating, through his work on social media and being an Ambassador for Anna Kennedy Online. Daniel speaks candidly about his passion for weight lifting and how he got into it, he says it benefits his Mental Health and he loves working different muscle groups daily which started from going to a gym to get fitter. Another thing Daniel said he is passionate about is Music and he regularly does covers, he performed on Autism's got talent and he said the experience was fantastic, he did the AGT Roadshow in Cornwall and from this discussion you can see how influenced Daniel is by Music Daniel opened up about his Autisim diagnosis and this was something that really inspired me as he lets nothing hold him back and he really takes it all in his stride, he's a huge advocate for spreading awareness and acceptance around Autism. this is a great listen

on this episode i had Norda who's a Dyslexia advocate and she speaks openly about the positives of being Dyslexic but also the hardships she has faced. for me this was a real education as i got to know from the perspective of someone with lived experiences and it grew my understanding a lot moreNorda is a fantastic advocate for Dyslexia and throughout the episode she gives great advice on how to overcome the barriers, the negative perceptions of Dyslexia and for people to build a better understanding of the condition.Norda speaks about the support she has received from the people around her which is absolutely great to hear, she speaks about the need for more awareness around the world and the need for teacher training so they can better support those with Dyslexia.Norda spreads advocacy through Social Media so if you want to know more or be educated by Dyslexia check out her social medias. overall a fantastic listen!

today's episode i had Billy Ray Mansell who is a Essex All Together ambassador on the podcast, Billy talks about a lot of topics throughout the podcast such as his huge love for Sport, Fibromyalgia and his own Mental Health experiences. Billy speaks candidly about his love for sport, particularly football and his passion for helping others through physical fitness and exercise which is also a part of his role as Ambassador of Essex All Together. Billy speaks about the super hero series through his work and encouraging others to join as they can dress up as their favourite characters through exercise, the superhero series is powered by Marvel. Billy talks about his condition Fibromyalgia which is a long term condition that causes pain all over the body, i had never heard of this condition before but it gave me a real insight into the battles he faces, he speaks about adapting to his body via Fibromyalgia and how he had to stop playing football full time because of this. Billy is a true inspiration and this is a great listen

The 2nd episode of the series is one of the most powerful ones i have ever recorded, it was one of those episodes where i didn't say much but i recommend you all listen to because it's important. i didn't edit this for a reason so this episode is totally unedited and it's also one where i don't have to write much. Julia speaks about her son Chris being failed by Mental Health services and the Justice for Matthew Leahy foundation which she joined to help get justice for those sadly failed by the mental health services and i was really inspired by how passionate Julia was to help those with SEND. Julia speaks about the statutory inquiry for Matthew Leahy which gained over 100k signatures and was debated in parliament. It was a really inspiring chat as Julia speaks passionately about finding better Mental Health Support for our young people and she talks about finding people in the same position as her and the campaign to get justice. this one is an inspiring listen and you can check out Julia Caro on Facebook, Instagram: Justice for Matthew Leahy Facebook: Justice for Matthew Leahy Twitter: Justice for Matthew Leahy https://www.change.org/p/how-many-more-must-die-before-we-get-to-the-truth-no-more-coverup-our-kids-are-dead-or-damaged-we-fight-to-save-yours-raped-abused-murdered-drugged-in-modern-day-uk-it-must-be-stopped-now?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=custom_url&recruited_by_id=e9706c30-784f-11ea-8fd2-dd46996b9f44&use_react=false

The first episode of series 2 comes from Reece Towler. Reece talks about ADHD, what he goes through, how we can have more understanding around ADHD and Reece speaks candidly about what teachers can do to help as well as giving some great advice in that regard. Reece was very brave to talk about some of his past Mental Health experiences and he says about the need to deattach the stigma around Mental Health as a whole, Reece gives a strong message that it's ok to not be ok! Another avenue for Reece spoke about is Music and he uses this as a release for the benefit of his own Mental Health, he uses song writing to express himself and he feels like he can express his feelings better through Music. a great way to kick off series 2!

For the last episode of the series i had the pleasure of speaking to Sue Anderton who was my old Deputy Head so it was great to catch up! Sue speaks about her journey through to teaching and how inspired she was to make a real impact on children's lives. Sue spoke about Maze and how she wanted to help parents navigate the challenges of the SEND system, she touches upon her ambitions for Maze and wanting to make a difference. Me and Sue spoke about the rigours of the education system and the need for a more kinder, compassionate education system which includes everyone, we discussed this in great depth and we spoke about the difference inclusivity makes to ensure each child thrives in a school that benefits them. I know how passionate Sue is about making a difference to help parents who have children with SEN and this episode defines that so it's a fantastic listen and a good way to end series 1!https://www.themazegroup.co.uk/

Today I had my longest episode yet! I had the pleasure of having father and son rap duo FMA+12 Gage on the podcast, Callum and Matthew spoke about their mental health experiences very openly so you get a real insight into the struggles that made them into who they are today. They talk about how they got involved in music and what inspired their passion for music as well as talking about the state of music today. They talk about a range of things such as bullying, mental health, addiction so it gives a personal side to what they do. I enjoyed having this chat with these lads so definitely check out their music.