How it all started…
At the end of 2020, we were offered the opportunity by local radio Surrey Hills Community Radio to have our own radio show about mental health and wellbeing which we would plan, produce, edit, present and guest ourselves. An incredible opportunity that we couldn’t pass!
We decided that we wanted to have a monthly show whose aim would be to open up conversations about mental health from the perspective of people with lived experience, so that we could talk about the real stuff and be 100% honest about what it’s like to face mental health challenges. We also wanted to talk about mental wellbeing issues that no-one has ever talked about and to offer the chance to our clients to be part of those conversations and drive the agenda too. Finally we wanted to paint perhaps a new picture of mental health, one with hope, solutions, success stories and interesting journeys.
So we’ve invited everyone to get involved and from the first planning session, ideas were flying through. We think we have about enough topic ideas to last us 10 years!
After a few successful planning sessions, we decided that our show will be aired on the first Monday of every month between 9pm and 10pm. We called it “The Wellbeing Hour” (it says what it does on the tin!) and our current presenter is Litsa (who runs some of our Mindfulness and Meditation sessions). Each show features MFT clients, volunteers, staff, facilitators as well as external guests.
The aim of the show is to:
- Raise awareness of MFT and the support we offer as well as other wellbeing support available in Surrey.
- Give people with lived experienced of mental health issues a voice and a platform to talk about mental health issues that matter to them, in the way that they want to portray it.
- Educate people about mental health and challenge stigma by featuring honest accounts of wellbeing journeys with messages of hope, solutions and success stories.
- Share tips on how to look after yourself and promote the importance of self-care.
Our Launch Show
Our first show was aired on Monday 7 December at 9pm on Surrey Hills Community Radio. If you’ve missed the show, you can listen to it again (see below).
On the agenda:
– A presentation of MFT, what we offer, how you can take part in our activities and our Men’s Wellbeing Matters campaign
– A discussion with Jane, MFT’s Safe Haven Co-Ordinator, on self-care at Christmas
– An interview with Lindon, who relocated to better support his mental health
– An interview with Peter, a musician and author who spoke about managing emotions
– A creative chat with Taryn, one of our crafts facilitators, on some ideas to unlock your creativity
– A beautiful piece on the flute by Rebecca, one of MFT’s clients.
To listen to the show again, click below:
How to listen to the shows going forward
The show is pre-recorded and then broadcast on Surrey Hills Community Radio which is an internet radio. You can listen live while it’s being aired from your smartphone or tablet, laptop or even car radio – read further instructions on the Surrey Hills Community Radio website.
Alternatively, if you can’t listen live, we’ll share the Listen Again link after the show in this section of our website and on social media so you can catch up.
How to get involved with the show
This show is all for you, about you and your wellbeing, so we want to hear from you!
Please email us at connie@maryfrancestrust.org.uk with the subject line “The Wellbeing Hour” if you’d like to:
- suggest a topic to be featured or discussed on one of the shows
- suggest a song to be played out during one of the shows
- suggest an activity for one of the shows to engage our listeners
- provide feedback so we can improve
- answer questions asked during one of the shows (make sure you follow the deadline)
- submit any piece in response to an activity set out during a show (make sure you follow the deadline)
- be involved in the making of the shows (whether as a presenter, interviewer, project manager, segment producer, sound editor, idea generator, intro and link writer, advertiser, you name it! We can provide some training if you have no prior experience)
- have any questions you’d like to ask
- come on the programme as a guest.
