Not every show is the same, some guests, to be honest, can be hard work and some topics we cover can be difficult and require a sensitive and sympathetic approach. Then you have shows like today’s, when it all comes together, the guests were fantastic, relaxed and at ease, creating a positive and safe environment to discuss a wide range of important issues.
At the top of the show we found out how Lisa Connor/Cricket likes her sausage, and the safety aspects, and dangers of enjoying a big one, before we eased into the topics of mental health, and the shortcomings of the education system when dealing with young people with complex physical, mental and emotional needs, and the pressures forced upon families who have to fight for the help and support they need.
Mel Atkinson and Clare Lou Bartles-Smith were on hand to explain the stresses, complexities, and challenges, involved in the not so simple and straight forward task of cutting the hair of a child who may have complex special needs, and the experience required to overcome those challenges.
Our final guest on the show was Ciaran McMenamin, from ManHealth, who shared his growing concern for the growing number of young men who, suffering with mental health issues, see suicide as their only option. We talked openly about the number of people in the studio this morning, myself included, who deal with mental health issues on a daily basis.
There is help out there, and we do what we can on Around Town to provide a platform to raise people’s awareness of mental health issues, and SEN in our education system. Our thanks to Lisa Connors/Cricket, Mel Atkinson, Clare Lou Bartles-Smith and last, but, never least, Ciaran McMenamin, for championing the need for education to change people’s perception of mental health.
Our thanks to all our guests for helping us to create a fantastic and memorable show.
Phill & Andy,
Around Town Aycliffe Radio.