Do you have someone with Autism in your life? Have you stopped to think how life is different for them? Or how you can help them? In this episode, Mike speaks to Alex, a young lad with Autism who was diagnosed during the pandemic as well as Chris from Door84, a charity offering an innovative, welcoming and stimulating environment that offers children, young people and the community a wide range of social and developmental opportunities that are supportive, challenging and fun. This episode explores the systems we have in place for everyday life like education and the health system and how they interact with people with Autism, are they set up to help these people? Do they understand Autism? 

Discussion:

• Alex’s journey into learning he had Autism

• How did the diagnosis change things for Alex?

• Are health professionals always clear in how they communicate with people with autism?

• What is the best way to communicate with people with Autism?

• How emotional intelligence can really help

• What can be better in the education system for people with Autism?

• What can mainstream education learn from speciality schools?

• Hyper-obsessions and OCD and their relation to Autism 

• What Door84 is and how you can get involved

Useful links

Charity Website - https://www.changing-lives.org.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChangingLivesCharity/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/changing-lives/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/changinglives__

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunNO1s09d4mcb6lsjcI68Q

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/changinglives_uk/

What is your perception of the Gypsy and Traveller communities? Is it a positive or negative one? It is an unfortunate fact that the Gypsy and Traveller communities are discriminated against in the UK. In this episode, Mike speaks to Violet Cannon, the CEO of the York Travellers Trust and Chase, a 14-year-old traveller who lives in York and has been learning Maths and English skills through the York Travellers Trust alongside his roofing career with his father. The two guests speak to the ‘Together With Young People’ host Mike about the challenges they face in everyday life. 

Discussion points:

• What happens with Gypsy children and their education

• Is there any kickback from the education systems or schools on how Gypsy children are educated?

• Chase flips the interview and starts asking his own questions

• Learning life skills at the York Travellers Trust (YTT)

• Police history with Gypsies

• What police relationships are like nowadays with Gypsies

• What can the police do to bridge the gaps with Gypsies at the local level?

• Why you shouldn’t be putting all Gypsies in the same category

• How YTT helps the community

Useful links

Charity Website - https://www.changing-lives.org.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChangingLivesCharity/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/changing-lives/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/changinglives__

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunNO1s09d4mcb6lsjcI68Q

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/changinglives_uk/

On this episode, we are talking about Race inequality and inclusion. This is a big topic which can be an entire podcast of its own so I invited 2 guests to help with the subject; Zara, a third year Education student from London who is looking to become a primary school teacher and is particularly interested in how teachers and the education system can be more inclusive for children of colour. My second guest  is Sambiro-Grace, a health and wellbeing coach for mothers, author of `Navigating Mommy-hood’ and is passionate about the disparities that exist in maternal services. We discuss what more can be done in the city of York to help minorities to be/ feel more included in our community. On this episode we also cover the following;

Discussion:

• What is racial inequality?

• The importance of community and a sense of belonging

• How does primary school fit in terms of inequality?

• Showing diversity in children’s content from day 0

• Diversity in York and the diversity university brings

• Feeling like a minority for the first time

• Diversity in York hospitals

• How can we break the cycle of non-diversity in places like York? 

Useful links

Charity Website - https://www.changing-lives.org.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChangingLivesCharity/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/changing-lives/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/changinglives__

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunNO1s09d4mcb6lsjcI68Q

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/changinglives_uk/

Welcome to this bonus episode of the Together With York Podcast! Today we’re at a Youth Led event talking to groups aged between 11-16 years old about how much they know about the systems that affect them. We talk about politics, mental health as well as education. 

Conversations in this episode; 

• Is education important or not? And why?
• How important is Mental Health & Wellbeing to young people? 
• Where does your confidence come from?
• What does your future look like?
• What stands in your way as a young person?
• Having a level playing field when it comes to punishment - the problems with discrimination
• How youth groups help young people
• The school curriculum and what needs to be changed 
• School culture - Is everyone happy?
• The downside to Social Media
• Making young people feel safe and listened to

Useful Links

Charity Website - https://www.changing-lives.org.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChangingLivesCharity/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/changing-lives/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/changinglives__

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunNO1s09d4mcb6lsjcI68Q

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/changinglives_uk/

Today we are joined by Matty and Cheryl who both have experience of the Youth Criminal Justice System, but from very different perspectives.  They each talk candidly about Youth Justice and discuss what's working for young people in the justice system and what they feel needs improvement, giving unique insights along the way.

Discussion Points:

- The age of criminal responsibility.

- How ADHD affects young people.

- Police behaviour towards young people. 

- Court experience and the difference between Crown Court and Magistrates Court.  

- The role and value of Youth Justice Workers.

- Youth Custody

Useful links

Charity Website - https://www.changing-lives.org.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChangingLivesCharity/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/changing-lives/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/changinglives__

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunNO1s09d4mcb6lsjcI68Q

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/changinglives_uk/

Today’s guests are Thea, an A Level student and Alison Willis, a teacher at York College of Further Education. They discuss the changes in education from their own viewpoint and what the challenges are at each stage. We hear too, how Covid impacted those being educated and those educating them.

Discussion:

- Recent education changes.

- Tests and assessments at each stage in education.

- Career guidance and opportunities.

 - Covid pandemic, the impact and short and long term implications.

Useful links

Charity Website - https://www.changing-lives.org.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChangingLivesCharity/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/changing-lives/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/changinglives__

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunNO1s09d4mcb6lsjcI68Q

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/changinglives_uk/

Welcome to episode 3 of the Together With York Podcast! Today we meet Shelly from ‘Coram Voice’ and Jade from ‘Become’; two charities which offer support to young people with experience of the care system. 

They talk about their own experiences and discuss challenges which arise in the care journey, many of which might surprise you. 

Conversations in this episode:

- How people find themselves in the care system. 

- The importance of different roles in the system. 

- Support, events and conferences. 

- The accommodation crisis and the ‘care cliff’. 

- Love and affection in care.

Useful Links

becomecharity.org.uk

propel.org.uk

coramvoice.org.uk

@coramvoice

Charity Website - https://www.changing-lives.org.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChangingLivesCharity/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/changing-lives/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/changinglives__

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunNO1s09d4mcb6lsjcI68Q

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/changinglives_uk/

Welcome to episode 2 of the Together With York Podcast! Today we’re joined by Elizabeth from York Mind as well as students Katie and Izzy who are both young advisers for York Mind. Chris will also be joining in the conversation, he is the host of the Chat Chit podcast, the podcast that talks about different mental health experiences with young people in a slightly chaotic yet laid back way. Of course the topic of conversation today is mental health. We talk about how and why young people’s mental health is suffering right now, what help is out there and how the healthcare system could be improved.

You can check out the Chat Chit podcast here: https://www.yormind.org.uk/chat-chit-podcast/

Conversations in this episode; 

• Social media
• Coping mechanisms
• How schools can promote good mental health
• What would an ideal healthcare system look like?
• What help is available now?
• Education

Useful Links

Charity Website - https://www.changing-lives.org.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChangingLivesCharity/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/changing-lives/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/changinglives__

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunNO1s09d4mcb6lsjcI68Q

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/changinglives_uk/

For the first episode of the Together With Young People podcast we're joined by Thea, an A-Level Politics and Law student. Facing her questions will be Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central. The purpose of this conversation is to explore the political system within the UK and to find out how young people are affected by it.

Conversations in this episode; 

• Why is Thea interested in politics?
• The gap in political interest amongst young people. 
• How politics affects young people
• How power for change that we all possess
• How Rachael got into politics
• What needs to change?
• How your local MP can help you.

Useful Links

Charity Website - https://www.changing-lives.org.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ChangingLivesCharity/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/changing-lives/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/changinglives__

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunNO1s09d4mcb6lsjcI68Q

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/changinglives_uk/

Series 1 coming soon!