“When you’re with someone, really be with them, really be present, really listen to the words that are leaving their mouth, because those words can be gold dust. And you could be looking back on a conversation in 10 years’ time going, oh I really needed to hear those words.”
“I saw language therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists, I think I saw every therapist there is in this world at the age of 10, when all you’re trying to do is grow up and be a child. It was heartbreaking. I thought: why am I having to go through this? Why nobody else in my family? Why me?”
The TA said to me ‘Ben, don’t bite other people. If you need to bite something then bite yourself.’ And, in that sense, they were effectively telling me that self harming was better than having a meltdown. That stuck with me and that affected me [for] years afterwards where I would still sometimes bite myself if I was angry with myself and I was inflicting the pain from them onto myself.” What is particularly distressing is that all of this occurred with the teachers knowing that Ben had autism. But, despite being aware of his condition, they were completely unequipped to manage it.
“I dreamt up a system of getting one of those backpacks that you put a kid in, and I fastened it onto the front of the chair, and just dropped them into that, so that I could still wheel the chair, and you know, be responsible for taking the other kids to school.”
Living with Fibromyalgia This episode of Our Voices introduces Issy, a woman who is living with Fibromyalgia. She has a powerful imagination but has struggled
This episode of Our Voices introduces Seema, a woman who has struggled with coming to terms with sight loss. She also talks about battling to
This episode of Our Voices focuses on Gavin, a man who has dedicated himself to promoting disability awareness and changing attitudes towards disability. The importance
“I used to drive the OT mental because I used to have grapes for breakfast and then chase a grape around the bowl for about three quarters of an hour and she’d be like “Please give up.” And I wouldn’t.”
Clare’s parents were told that there was no point in their daughter pursuing any academic or vocational qualifications as there would be no space for her in the workplace. Instead, the headteacher said it would be better for Clare to be kept busy as a space was found for her in residential care.
“I absolutely love it when I hear that people have been inspired to take a solo trip by themselves after having read the book… because I know firsthand how powerful it can be to have that first experience on your own.”
Jelana’s first response was to ask “Can my friends come?”Elizabeth was struck that Jelana’s first thought was about extending the opportunity she had been given. So Elizabeth agreed to teach Jelana’s friends too. That night she couldn’t sleep.
“I was so excited about it. I was running up to people in the department that had no knowledge of what I was doing and saying, I’ve got this great discovery! I’ve discovered this thing and I’ve done some wonderful experiments and look at the results! … Seeing results that nobody had seen before and coming up with this theory that nobody had come up with before, it was empowering. It was exciting. I loved it.”
Laura is the mix engineer for the Our Voices podcast. She has a BA in Music from Nottingham University and an Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering from Abbey Road Institute. Alongside working for Our Voices she is a freelance sound designer and technician. Her highlights include sound design for JK Rowling audiobook ‘The Christmas Pig’, and sound effects editing on The Outlaws, on the BBC.
For the Our Voices podcast, Laura is typically provided with a Voice Over and interview. She then cleans the dialogue, integrates the podcast intro and outros, chooses the music that will add to the storytelling and pacing of the episode, then bring all the elements together in the mix, followed by mastering and then delivering the final edit.
Experience in Industry: 3
Favourite Food: Potatoes
Favourite Sport: Wild swimming
Favourite Show: Anything Marvel
Favourite Movie: Anything Marvel
Favourite City: London
Hobby: Music
Favourite Book: Northern Lights
I’m the community manager at Our Voices. I spend most of my time focusing on the implementation of our marketing strategy, achieving goals and KPIs, and the rest of the time listening to the amazing stories of our guests from all around the world. What I love most about working for Our Voices is the impact it has on peoples’ lives. It requires a lot of courage to tell your story out loud so I make sure these stories are heard by as many people as possible.
I was born and raised in Pakistan and I’ve been living in Hungary for over two years now. I have a Master’s degree in Marketing and I live for mastering the art of digital marketing.
Industry experience: 2.5 Years
Favourite Food: Biryani – introduced by the Mughal rulers in the Indian subcontinent; this dish is an absolute delight. Also, can never say no to a good burger – extra cheese!
Favourite Sport: Cricket – I grew up playing and watching cricket with friends and family.
Favourite Show: Stranger Things – I love how an odd group of friends fight against challenges bigger than themselves.
Favourite Movie: Harry Potter – The only movie I can watch over and over again!
Favourite City: Prague – Absolutely love the Baroque and Gothic vibe of this city.
Hobby: Netflix, Travelling, and Eating- I want to try different cuisines from every country once in my lifetime!
Favourite Book: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown – A fast-paced thriller that keeps you hooked from the first page to the last.
I run Fascinate Productions, the production company behind the Our Voices podcast. I’ve had a wide variety of roles in media, from underwater videography, to live televised sporting events around the world. But since listening to my first audiobook in 2016, I’ve been all about audio and jumped in with two feet. Podcasts are enabling the world to democratise its most valuable information. They’re about spreading messages, and sharing ideas, and it’s my mission to help those holding the knowledge, to distribute it far and wide.
When Alex approached us with the idea of making a short stories podcast, with a big social impact, he got our attention. As the producer of the show, I’ve heard his guests’ highest highs, their lowest lows, and the moments of change that made them who they are – it’s been a privilege helping to craft their most intimate experiences into stories for you to enjoy.
Experience in Industry: 5 years
Favourite Food: Ice cream. It’s just the greatest culinary invention.
Favourite Sport: Rugby. I played from the age of 5 until 26 when a dislocated shoulder put me out of action. Still like to watch now though.
Favourite Show: The 100 – I love those ‘what if humans nearly got wiped out?’ type shows.
Favourite Movie: Gladiator
Favourite City: London. As a country boy from Yorkshire, I never thought I’d enjoy living here.
Hobby: Listening to podcasts while on long walks with my dog Alfie.
Favourite Book: I love to read anything business/startup related… One of the most recent great ones was Good Strategy/Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt
Richard Willan is the CEO of Fascinate productions, a podcast production and promotion company. Before starting Fascinate, he worked an audio engineer, mastering tracks for artists on major and independent labels.
He is an executive producer for ‘Our Voices’ where he assists with production, creative direction of the show, and marketing strategy.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 15 YEARS
Favourite Food: I love Indian food – My favourite dish is a Dansak. It’s a rich combination of hot, sweet and sour flavours, made from lamb and lentils.
Favourite Sport: I enjoy watching combat sports like MMA – Isreal Adesanya is my favourite fighter at the moment, due to his Tae Kwon Do base and speed.
Favourite Show: Succession – an American satirical drama. The character development is incredible, and the writing is top notch.
Favourite Movie: True Lies. I find it amazing that someone who can’t act (Arni) has so many great films.
Favourite City: London, because it is a melting pot of culture and the music scene is amazing.
Hobby: Making music, going to gym and eating out.
Favourite Book: The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I love the world she created, and the incremental path the characters take into darkness. It’s amazing.
I am responsible for writing blog articles for the Our Voices podcast. I have the privilege of listening to fascinating stories on the topics and issues that are of greatest relevance to our society today. Once I’ve done this, I create articles that provide an overview and description of the conversations in order to help spread them to the widest possible audience. My job is to make these articles as engaging as the conversations themselves.
As an English teacher who has worked with students from all over the world for over 10 years, I have got used to successfully communicating with those from different backgrounds and cultures. This has helped me to appreciate the value of connection across borders and boundaries. It has also helped me to appreciate that we are all able to learn from each other’s experiences.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 10 YEARS
Favourite Food: Chocolate. It’s an indulgence, I know, but it tastes so good. I particularly enjoy dark chocolate for its richness and smoothness.
Favourite Sport: Football.Unfortunately, my local team (Nottingham Forest) is not in that top league but I hope that one day it will be.
Favourite Show: The Wire.
Favourite Movie: The Godfather.
Favourite City: Reykjavik. I had the pleasure of spending two weeks there a number of years ago and I loved the place for its beauty, culture and calmness. It’s rare that you can be in a capital city and experience genuine space and peace and quiet. There’s also a black sand beach to walk along, although, due to the cold, I wouldn’t recommend bathing in the sea!
Hobby: Watching films. I love films, foreign films, classic films, contemporary films, just all good films.
Favourite Book: “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer.
Favourite Food: In a word, sandwiches. The possibilities are endless.
Favourite Sport: Show jumping. When I was little I wanted to be a professional horse-rider, and I still get a kick out of watching the pros in action.
Favourite Show: Fleabag: the writing and acting create a thrilling kind of intimacy I haven’t seen anywhere else.
Favourite Movie: Victoria is an incredible German thriller that’s all shot in one take – it’s a real trip. Plus it’s beautifully soundtracked by Nils Frahm.
Favourite City: Very hard to choose, but it’s got to be Barcelona. The food, the pace of life, the winding streets – there’s nowhere else like it.
Hobby: exploring city streets on my bike – preferably while listening (safely!) to a podcast – is when I’m at my happiest.
Favourite Book: Bernadine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other is a stunning, utterly unique portrait of womanhood, race, ageing and the principles we choose to live by.
While running Swoosh English, an online English school from 2013 – 2021, I had the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and many of these people had incredible stories. This inspired me to start ‘Our Voices’ because I wanted to give these people a platform to share these stories with the world.
I love the detail that people go into and how people craft stories in different ways. My dream and vision for the future would be countless people messaging to tell us how a particular episode has changed their lives!
Favourite Food: Avocados – an incredibly delicious fruit that can be used in so many dishes. My favourite is guacamole with nachos!
Favourite Sport: Boxing and football (couldn’t choose one!)
Favourite Show: 2 comedy series: Alan Partridge and The Office (UK version). I just love English humour!
Favourite Movie: Shawshank Redemption: An unbelievable journey full of twists and turns.
Favourite City: New York – Living there for a year in 2008 changed my life. It made me believe that anything in life was possible if you want something badly enough.
Hobby: Football, boxing, reading, learning Spanish, travelling and watching fascinating conversations on Youtube.
Favourite Book: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts – a book about an incredible journey.