S2 Ep5: Shilla Shomai

PhD Student and Care Experienced mum of three, Shilla sits down with Charlotte for episode four. Shilla was taken into care as a child and during that time education became a powerful motivator for her life. This has continued into later life and she currently works within the care sector whilst also completing her PhD which focuses on Care Experienced parents. 

Kirsty Capes, a Care Experienced author, joins Charlotte in the studio in this episode. Sharing her story she discusses being taken into care alongside her brother where they were taken into foster care. Exploring the representation of Care Experienced people has been a key part of her studies and now her work.

Wrestling Champion and TikTok star, David McCallum, commonly known as Ravie Davie, joins Charlotte for a chat in this episode. Following his mum's death, David was taken into the care of his Nana when he was 6 years old. He spent the following years getting into bother and eventually was taken into secure care. Wanting to make his nana proud he decided to pursue his passion of wrestling. Since then he's launched two successful wrestling companies, Community Pro Wrestling and the Glasgow Wrestling School.

In this episode, Charlotte is joined by Thomas Carlton. A trained social worker, Thomas had social work involvement in his life since birth and was adopted at seven alongside his twin brother and younger sister. However, this meant they were separated from their other brothers and sisters. During his childhood, Thomas experienced multiple different placements as well as the adoption. Now, he is now an active campaigner for change and is currently seconded from The Promise Scotland to work at Staf. 

Returning for season 2, Charlotte sits down and speaks with David Anderson. A proud Dundonian, David was taken into care when he was 11. He experienced multiple different types of care before eventually aging out at 16. Since then he has been a social worker and campaigned for change for the Care Experienced community. He moved to Spain where he met his wife and they've since settled down in France. Together they run a therapeutic farm while raising their children. 

On this episode, Charlotte speaks with her friend and colleague, Kenny Murray. Kenny was brought up in Easterhouse. When he was 11 years old, he and his brothers and sisters were taken into care across separate parts of Glasgow. They would not be reunited again until Kenny turned 14 years old. After leaving care, Kenny pursued his passion for creative writing. He went onto study at City of Glasgow College and then completed a degree in Public Relations and Marketing at Queen Margaret University. Since then, Kenny has established himself as an award-winning campaigner, PR professional and aspiring screenwriter, with a particular interest in media representations of Care Experienced people.

On this episode, Charlotte dives into conversation with Chris Law MP. Chris grew up in Fife and when he left school he trained as a Chef, before graduating from St Andrews University with a degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology. After spending ten years running tours of the Himalayas on a 1950’s motorcycle, Chris returned to Scotland and become a prominent figure during the Yes Campaign in 2014. The following year Chris was elected as Member of Parliament for Dundee West and he is now the SNP Spokesperson on International Development and Climate Justice. In Westminster, Chris has spoken on Universal Credit, Nuclear Disarmament and in March 2018 Chris revealed his Care Experience publicly for the first time during a House of Commons debate on foster care.

On this episode, Charlotte is speaking to Carmel Jacob. Carmel was brought up by her Gran in Edinburgh and as a child, she developed a love for wrestling. For Carmel, wrestling was a form of escapism, something that she could use to “concur the world”. As her career progressed, Carmel became known as the Pipebomb Princess. Her blunt, no nonsense approach made it clear to her opponents that they should expect the fight of their lives. This saw her become the ICW Women's Champion and the first inductee of the ICW Hall of Fame. Carmel's unpredictable and determined approach did not end with her wrestling career. She swapped her wrestling boots for university books, training as an Educational Psychologist, where she now supports Care Experienced children and young people to navigate the same care system, she too, experienced.

On this episode, Charlotte sits down with Caroline Richardson. Caroline grew up in Glasgow. One of her earliest memories is when she and her sister were taken into care when she was 3 years old. Despite being surrounded by other children, Caroline often felt alone and spent most of her time with her imaginary friend, Jane. This stemmed from the racism and prejudice she experienced growing up as a mixed-race person in the 70s and 80s. When Caroline left care, she worked hard to conceal that she was Care Experienced. This all changed when she started working at a community centre and she found herself relating to the Care Experienced young people she worked with. Since then, Caroline has been an unwavering children’s right defender. Caroline is the longest standing worker at Who Cares? Scotland and is as every bit as committed to it as she was 20 years ago. 

On this episode, Charlotte is speaking with Jemma Kerr. As a baby, Jemma spent 3 months in foster care before being adopted by her Mum and Dad. When she was picked up from the social work office, she was dressed in a blue hat, yellow cardigan and a pink baby grow. The family, the sense of belonging and the fondness for eye catching, brightly coloured fashion is something that has stayed with Jemma throughout her whole life. As Jemma got older, she began to understand that being adopted makes up a huge part of her identity and this was a contributing factor for her going onto to complete a degree in Social Work, before working in the residential care sector. Since then, Jemma has become a beloved advocate for Care Experienced people in North Ayrshire and is the voice of love at Who Cares? Scotland's annual Summer Camp.