'Cookers, Curtains, Carpets' - Talking to Colchester Foodbank

In this episode we're joined by Belle and her mum Lou. Belle was diagnosed with dyslexia in primary school. In this episode they share their experiences of getting Belle diagnosed, the support she has received and how it affects her day to day. Read more here - https://healthwatchessex.org.uk/2025/05/living-with-dyslexia/

In this episode we speak to Zisan Abedin, who is a former professional cricket player for the Bangladesh national team. Zisan shares how his health and wellbeing was impacted whilst playing professional sport, and how he is changing the culture for young players now as a coach. Please note this episode discusses mental and physical health.

In this episode we talk to Katie who is the Lead Organiser at Colchester Foodbank. Katie shares some of the struggles the foodbank are facing with increased demand and the need to move premises. She discusses some of the myths about how the foodbank works and explains how people can access foodbank support if they need it. She also talks about her latest campaign around furniture poverty and how this is affecting the foodbank community.To find out more about Colchester Foodbank, visit https://colchester.foodbank.org.uk/

In this episode, we speak to Tara McIntyre. Tara survived a traumatic brain injury following a road traffic accident in 2014 caused by a drink driver. Tara is sharing her recovery journey in the hope of reaching other brain injury survivors. Tara has her own podcast 'Neuro Nonsense' where she shares bitesize stories about living with a brain injury. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode and would like to seek support, get in touch with our Information and Guidance team.

In this episode, we’re talking to Graham and Kaurina, who are Public Information Reps for Al-Anon. Al-Anon is a charity that supports anyone affected by someone else’s drinking. Graham shares his experiences of being affected by his late wife’s drinking and Kaurina shares her experiences of being affected by her daughter’s drinking. This episode contains discussion of alcohol addiction and abuse. If you would like to access support regarding anything mentioned in this episode, get in touch with our Information and Guidance team.

For our final episode this season, we're shining a light on something less talked about when it comes to careers and education - apprenticeships. At Healthwatch Essex, we're lucky to have several apprentices who bring fresh insights to our various teams. In this episode we meet six of our apprentices - Libby, Sam, Grace, Renée, Alicia and Max - who reveal what doing an apprenticeship is really like. They speak about the benefits of an apprenticeship, some popular myths about apprenticeships, career goals they have, challenges they have faced and what they like most about their apprenticeships.

For our #16DaysOfActivism series, our Trauma Ambassador Rosie has shared her lived experience of financial and economic abuse. Rosie works in the banking industry so she also has lots of suggestions for people in similar situations. Find out more about the 16 Days of Activism here - https://healthwatchessex.org.uk/2024/11/welcome-to-16-days-of-activism-2024/ Please note this episode contains discussion of abuse. If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this podcast and would like to seek support, please contact our ⁠⁠Information and Guidance service - https://healthwatchessex.org.uk/speak-to-our-team/

In this episode, we talk to Teresa, a volunteer for the UK Sepsis Trust, who shares her son Ben’s experience of being diagnosed with sepsis. Teresa talks about the signs and symptoms of sepsis, and how these can vary for different age groups. She shares Ben’s story of having sepsis and septic shock. Teresa wants everyone to feel confident to ask ‘Could it be sepsis?’ if they are worried about a loved one’s condition. Please note this episode contains discussion of bereavement. If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this podcast and would like to seek support, please contact our ⁠Information and Guidance service.

In this episode we talk to Vanessa about her experience of trauma and adoption. Vanessa shares the impact of being adopted as an infant, and the effect this has had on her mental and physical health, especially without access to her family medical records. Vanessa is part of the UK Adult Adoptee Network who advocate for adoptee issues and adoptee rights. If you have been affected by anything discussed on our podcast and would like to find further support, please get in touch with our Information and Guidance Team. Please note this episode contains discussions of mental health, trauma, abuse, and adoption.

Please note this episode contains discussions of suicide and addiction. If you are affected by any of these issues and would like to seek support, please contact our Information and Guidance service. In this episode, we speak to Jacqueline about her experience of living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and Fibromyalgia. She shares the challenges she faced in getting diagnosed, as well as how the pain affects her day to day life and her mental health.