Hello, this is Anna Kennedy. We're talking all things autism. We're live, we're in Covent Garden and it's a foggy day in London today and very cold. Not long until Christmas have you started your Christmas shopping and what have I been up to? Well, at the weekend I went to a dance extravaganza. Absolutely loved it. It was embarking at the Broadway Theatre and it was Bollywood dancing, belly dancing. I was mesmerised by the belly dancing. I absolutely loved it. I just don't know how those ladies do those isolations with their body and the costumes were amazing and I met the founder Angelique probably about a year ago now at an event. And it's so great that when you're networking meet such interesting people and then what we do is we actually network together and promote each other's events. So one of our performers that were there were Autism with Attitude, which is our street dance crew that started in Autism's Got Talent five years ago. I was so proud of them. I also gave a speech on stage and I met some interesting people. I actually met a relative of one of the characters that are on Sesame Street and they've got an autistic puppet called Julie and he is actually said they're going to put me in contact. So I'm excited about that. My guest today and has stepped in at the last minute, our founder Stephen Smith. Welcome Stephen. Oh, thank you very much for having me. It's really exciting to be here. Thank you. And how long have you been a founder now? Oh my goodness. It's gone so quickly, but it's almost five and a half years. Wow. So Julie the Sesame Street puppet. I think that's amazing. Yes. So clever. So well done. And I love watching it. Yes, I'm looking forward to that. So before we go into, you know, you've been with the charity and learning about Autism. Who is Stephen Smith? Where were you born? I was born in Scotland, believe it or not. But I spent, I really grew up in a place called Whitley Bay. And, you know, yes, outside of Newcastle. And funny enough, a lot of my friends like Denise Welsh, grew up in that area. And a theatre background there. I was going to the Blackwood Drama School there. So I did a lot of theatre up there. And then I moved down to London. And I gave up doing theatre and decided to become a hairdresser. Oh, did you? Yes. And I became quite a successful hairdresser. In fact, I ended up moving to America. And I lived in America for eight years. And I worked in Beverly Hills, Rodeer Drive and all that area. So I did hair there and became a bit of a name. And then I came back to the UK and started working for the Sun newspaper, doing all the hair there. And I wrote a column for them. Oh, did you know that? Yes. I know a lot of people go, you went to the Sun. It was great. And I always say to people, don't knock things. If you want to change an environment, don't just knock them, go into the place and do something about it. So you go there and be the person you want to be. And you can make changes. You can't just make changes by tweeting about it. I mean, it helps a bit. Go in and do it. So I love the time working at the Sun. So I have nothing bad to say about it. And then from there, I started writing for magazines. And I've written several books. One called It Shouldn't Happen to Hairdresser, which is my autobiography. And then I was lucky enough to meet you, which is a big change in my life, I have to say. So did you know anything about autism before you got involved? Absolutely nothing apart from my favourite book, of course, The Curious Tale of the Dog. And of course, what happened was you asked me to judge something called Wear It for Autism. And I'm obviously still to do it. A lot of people I knew were involved with you, Samantha Tomlin and Dr. Pam. So I went along to judge it. And I thought this is going to be a very easy job to do. You know how difficult it could be pick out some people to get makeovers. I mean, it's what I do. And I picked up the case studies and started reading them. And I think I was a bit too into it before I could hardly talk. I was even thinking about it to this day. I just couldn't I couldn't believe what I was reading. And not only were people living with autism, but they were being bullied, like you could not believe. And we're going to that a little bit later. But instantly, you know, anyone has empathy, you wanted to be involved with your charity. It was very important for me to get involved. And I think bringing people like me on board, you know, I was saying the other day, you don't have to have a relation that's living with autism or anyone, anyone involved. You just have to have some empathy. And it's so important to people like me involved, because we go out and tell everybody else about it. And yeah, so it was a big change in my life. And I'm so grateful for you asking me to be a patron. It's really changed my life. Thank you. We've become good friends. Yeah, we've got the charity and part of your family. Yeah. So what was the whole thing? I don't have the time. I didn't have any family members living living with autism. But now I have a huge family. Because it really is getting involved with this, this type of thing. I say to everybody, charities can't grow. If you just stick to, oh, you know, you have to be involved in that way. You have to have allies and people out there to make the thing bigger. And I think that's what's happened. So many people. And I've told people like Vicki, Vicki like a mother of the aesthetics, they've got involved. So many people have got involved in it. And I think that's important. It's about spreading awareness and acceptance. So you said networking. Yeah. You know, it's the most important thing I would say to people or advertising or anything. Networking word of mouth is the most important thing. Most definitely. And just for people to know what worked for autism was, what I wanted to do was give back, obviously, and celebrate families that go, you know, that might have it a little bit difficult. I wanted them to experience having a bit of fun, walking down the catwalk. So we had mums, we had dads, we have grandparents, we had autistic adults, we had one autistic adult that now is one of my ambassadors, Danny Bowman, who came all the way from America. She absolutely loved the experience. I'm walking in her high heels. I remember. It's a brilliant experience. Everyone got something from it. It was a wonderful day. But the difficult thing that we had was trying to find all the outfits. So that was the most difficult. Yeah, it's really hard. You know, people cut back so much on all the clothing lines and stuff, promised things, but so difficult for them now. And also, it's not standard size. It's difficult. Yeah. So something else that you're involved in is Awesomes Got Talent. Yes. So you look after families. So talk to me a little bit about what was your expectation when I said to you, we're going to be doing Awesomes Got Talent. What did you think it was going to be? I don't know. The thing with you, Anna, is you're a whirlwind. You go, by the way, you're doing this. And then you go. And I think, oh my goodness, I'm going to be a stripper today. And it's told me I'm going to be. So no, you say to me, I'll come and look. And I have to say, first of all, it's a great experience for me, because every single family I've become friends with, I've looked after for the period. Oh, Jay's birthday the other day. And he's a wonderful dancer. She's a wonderful dancer. And I called them on the birthday. And it was amazing. So I made friends with most of the families that I got involved with. But I didn't know what to expect. But my goodness, it's better than the other show, which you say, Britain Got Talent. The talent that goes into and the work that goes into it, you just amazed everybody that comes and sees it wants to come back year after year. And it should get bigger and bigger. I'd like to see it at the Albert Hall, to be quite honest. Yeah, most definitely. That's our aim. I think we'll get there eventually, because I think people are so behind it. And once you see the talent, it's incredible. So for people who don't know what Awesomes Got Talent is, I was in involved with Pineapple Dance Studios about nine years ago. And I met Debbie Moore, who's the founder of Pineapple. And I met her in her office. And I said, this, this is an idea that I've got. I'm not sure if it's gonna work. What do you think? So she said, I've got the perfect person for you to meet. It's Maggie Patterson. Oh, she's wonderful. And Maggie is the principal of Pineapple Performing Arts. They invited me to a show at the Mermaid Theatre. And I had a little look around. And I thought, I wonder if we can do it here. It just seems so suitable. It's got a great foyer entrance. It's got a beautiful fish tank, lots of room, lots of dressing rooms. So we had a little chat. And I said, do you think it's something that you might like to get involved in? And Maggie did not hesitate. And Fiona, who's now our stage manager, is amazing. So it's been going now for nine years. And the talent that we have discovered singers, dancers, musicians, musicians, You have a couple of dogs last year. We did. We had our first dog act, Crash 2, which was amazing. So yeah, it's, you know what, it's like the highlight of my year. So we're planning it again next year. And the closing date is January the 31st. So if you would like to enter, please check out the charity website. It's www.annaKennedyonline.com. The closing date is January the 31st. We will be going to the Mermaid Theatre again, but it's going to be a little bit later on in the year in June this time. So June the 13th, I believe. And that's when we're going to be doing that show when performers will be traveling in from all over the country and overseas. So we've had them from Croatia. We've had them from Canada. We've had them from America. We've had them from Italy, France. And it's such an amazing experience. And what it does is it gives confidence to the children and the adults and also stepping stone onto what possible other events that we may have or other opportunities like Jasmine, who appeared on BBC One. This is my song. Amazing. She just, I was so proud of her because she's never sang with a choir before. She'd never recorded in a studio before. She used to have high levels of anxiety, but she absolutely smashed it. And it was such a moving song that she sang. We're also going to be working with Autism and Lea. And they've got a show that's a variety show. And they've asked me to come pair it. And that's going to be happening on March the 1st in Clackton. And I've asked Aston to come pair it with me. So we're going to be doing it together. So Aston is very, very excited. Aston Avery. Yeah. Fantastic. He's so talented. Yeah, he's going to be doing that with me. So that's going to be happening on March the 1st. So I'll be sharing more information on that. We'll be going back to St. Ives once again. That's going to be happening in September next year. We're trying to space everything out because I've got to rely on my volunteers. None of my people that work with me in the charity are paid employees. They're all volunteers. They all volunteer their time. They're either moms, dads, people like Stephen here. We've got autistic adults and they want to make a difference. They're so driven and they're behind me. And I couldn't do what I do without my team. So if you also would like to be a speaker on the charity website, or you might like to come to talk to me at the radio station, please contact me on www.annaKennedyOnline.com. You can call me on the charity website number, which is 01895-540-187. You can contact me via social media, which is at Anna Kennedy One, Anna Kennedy Online on Facebook, Anna Kennedy OBE. And what's your Twitter handle, Stephen, if someone might like to contact you. Ask Steve to see you. So ask Steve. Two. Number two. See, as in the letter C and you, as in the letter U. So if you'd like to chat to Stephen about his experience of being a patron or anything he's been talking about, he'd be quite happy to talk to you. Absolutely. If you'd like to be a sponsor as well for one of our events again, please contact us at the charity website. And just to remind you, it's www.annaKennedyOnline.com. So if you'd like to be a speaker, please contact me at the women's radio station. 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I can't believe it. 29. Where have all those years gone? So what I just wanted to share with everyone that I've shared across social media and it has been shared everywhere. It's just like you look for someone to blame and it's a natural reaction after you've been given the information. Let yourself feel everything that you feel. Please know that it's okay to be mad, sad and angry. You will feel a variety of conflicting emotions. It's even okay to wallow in self pity for a little bit. Some parents even go through a short grieving process. Don't blame yourself. Please don't blame yourself or your partner. We all do the best that we can with the information that is given to us at the time and sometimes the information is very minimal from what you see. Take charge. Taking charge will make you feel less helpless. Information, I can't even stress this enough to you, is power and there is so much more information now available than when both of my sons were diagnosed in 1994 and 1997. Don't believe everything that you were told about autism. You know your child better than any healthcare professional and no one should tell you what your child will not be able to do. I've heard so many stories from parents. Take one day at a time. Speak to other parents. Parents who also have an autistic child will often be your best support because they know what you are going through and they are going through it too. And you can share strategies. There's so many strategies that we share on Facebook and on Twitter. Parents just supporting each other. Make time for yourself. I didn't do this for ten years because I was so focused on my boys. I felt guilty and I felt I had to put all my energy into fighting for my children and secure them the appropriate education on three hour sleep. Because everyone knows who follows me. I don't get a lot of sleep. I think I must have been at the back of the queue when they were giving out sleep. But if you burn out you are no good to anyone. I love my Zumba and dance. That's my autism free zone on a Thursday for an hour. Take one day at a time. Some days are good. Some days are not so good. I never give up hope. Stephen, thanks again. There are so many adults being diagnosed later in life. How do people go folk if they feel as though they may? They can go to their GP. But there is a long waiting list depending on where you live. You can try privately. But it just very much depends on where you live. I've spoken to quite a few people in the Middlesbrough area from where I'm from, the North East. A clinical psychologist told me, I don't know if it's changed, but she told me that she's only allowed to diagnose half a day a week. And the reason being is there isn't enough funding out there for her to diagnose adults. So that's just like, can you imagine? And then some of the people say, oh well why do you want a diagnosis? You've got this far. But some people just want to know. Yeah, they want to understand. I mean, the paper's also full of people still not understanding young people. And there's a child locked in a room with a sign saying naughty on it. Recently the papers I read about which turned out to... Oh, that was like a parent, a grandparent that contacted me. I mean, that's quite shocking, isn't it? The head teacher said, put this child in a room, lock the door and put a sticker on the window. And it said, please do not talk to this child. He is naughty. What kind of head teacher is that? It's one away from a Dunsey's cat, isn't it? I mean, it's quite shocking that people still do that. So what's happening at the moment on TV, a little bit of light heartedness, is I'm a celebrity. Get me out. I really enjoyed it last night. I wasn't going... Each year I say, I'm not going to watch it. I was not going to watch it. But last night at 9 o'clock I had to turn it on and just see what was going on. You know, it's fantastic. You know, television is a great way not only to entertain, but also to educate. You know, there's so many things going on, and I'm a celebrity. One of them last year was Anne Headgitty, who I think brought people to a lot more understanding. That's right. She was great on the show. And the social media was just going mad over, like, how many articles and more education. For me, if you talk about autism, it's like it's a positive thing. So it's like a point of discussion, isn't it? I know, because a lot of people think Rain Man, and they think, you know, Curious Tale, and then that's all they know. So it's just seeing Anne Headgitty as a hugely intelligent lady talk about it, and her bullying and everything that's happened to her, I thought was really positive. And this year we've got Cannon Jennings in there talking about transgender. It opens up a lot of subjects, and there's people talking, as well as it being entertaining as well. So it's something that I look forward to. And also, when you know it's coming on, you know it's coming up to Christmas. I can't watch the rats. My phobia has come out there. I don't know if I could do The Heights or The Rats, but it's a terribly interesting show. And as I say, The Chase is one of my favourite shows. So Anson Wonders. We should get along to one of the shows, shouldn't we? We should, we should. She'd be terrific. We've got quite a lot of celebrities coming along, though, haven't we? We do. We have had a lot of support. Casey Ainsworth from EastEnders. Her husband has a diagnosis of Asperger's, and her son is diagnosed on the spectrum, and she's been a great support to our charity. She's so nice. And she loves the work that we do. And so laid back and charming. So I'm supporting Miles on I'm a celebrity to get me out of here, and the reason being is we met him last year at the Christmas house with Raxu. They did a lovely message for Autumn's Got Talent, and they were amazed at the song. I shared a couple of the songs from Autumn's Got Talent, and they were just like wowed by our children and adults. And why shouldn't they be? I had no idea who Raxu are. I turned on there. I recognise some of the contestants. But Raxu, I'd never heard of. Are they a rap band? They were on X Factor. Oh, were they? OK, that makes sense. Yeah, last year they were on X Factor. I can't remember if they won, but yeah. It's really charming, I noticed that. It's an interesting line up. I'm not sure who I'm behind at the moment, but they're all really quite interesting. Another charity that I support is Autism Anglia, which I talked about earlier on, and they've produced my autism passport all about me. So this passport will help you understand the person who's carrying its autism and how to make adjustments. So say, for example, that a person might be going to hospital, they're so anxious they can't speak. So this has been created by a lady called Annie Sands, who's been one of my past guests and also a parent to somebody on the spectrum. So on the first page, it's got all about autism and then about me. So if you've got your name, the national insurance number, you can add the photo, date of birth and then the emergency contact name and telephone number. And then on the second page, it's got how can you help me? So words like contact my emergency contact, who can give you insight into how my autism affects me. So basically you take the boxes that apply to yourself, then things that affect my ability to communicate. So it could be tapping on a keyboard, too much information, flickering, very bright or strip lighting. I know that affects Angelo. Sensitive to certain colours, background noise and frequencies other people cannot hear, uneven floors, being touched, close eye contact and sudden noises like a fire alarm through. Something else that you can take on the next page is characteristics of my autism. So I have difficulty seeing another person's perspective and likely to interpret from my own point of view and various other. And then you've got stress reducing methods. So what is it that helps me reduce my stress? It could be removing any demands, provide a safe area where I can calm down, support and encourage me, but do not add additional pressures on me. Give me a clear cues and prompts what you want me to do. That's really important with my voice. Allow me to stim, which can help me calm down. There's a lot of people that try to stop their children and adults stimming, but it's a way of them calming down. Let me use a fiddle object, which helps me to keep focus so you can buy these various different objects that can squeeze or spin. Encourage me to use five, four, three, two, one techniques and take a deep breath. It's really useful. So where would you get this passport from? Free. And if you type in Autism Anglia on Google, you'll see it and it's there for you to order and it's free. It's very, very useful. And you carry this everywhere with you just in case you have an accident or anything happens, you end up in a hospital. That's a great idea, isn't it? Charity sponsored it. Well, that's terrific. So I'm proud that we are a part of this. Yes, that's a really good idea. So you're at the Autism Hero Awards? Yeah. It feels like last month, it was only a couple of, when was it? Two weeks ago? Yeah, two weeks ago. It was at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel. It was an incredible affair. It gets better and better every year, I have to say. When loads of people turn out for it, Dr. Pam came. We had Casey Ainsworth, Daniel Mason was there because we all hit the papers, of course. It was quite moving, the whole event. A couple of times, I shed a tear. How many years have we been doing this now? Four years. Four years. We'll be on fifth year next year. And we had so many entries and the entries are now open again. So if you would like to enter for 2020, please check out the charity website, which is www.annakennedyonline.com And there's 12 different categories. And choose one of the categories that you would like to nominate someone that you feel goes the extra mile. So Richie Smith was one of our winners. He was nominated for the award due to his passion and drive to support individuals on the autism spectrum. A year ago, Richie had no funding and no support, yet he strived to make a difference in a lot of children and adults' lives. Richie travels around schools in the northeast, teaching kids with autism that it's okay to be them. I remember he doing his speech. He was so emotional. And he said it was the first time he felt like he fitted in. It was really completely moving. I mean, everybody at our table stood up and clapped. He was such a fantastic role model. It was such a great evening to get involved in anyway, to come along to. And when will tickets be able to stay open next year? Well, not quite yet, but nominations. And then obviously we'll be looking for our judges. They had such a tough time because we had hundreds of nominations and they had to choose three finalists for each category. So, yeah, so that's, again, if you'd like to nominate somebody, please. There is different categories such as leading business, entrepreneur award, online social award, people's autism hero award, young person of the year, creative arts award, young person of the year award, people's autism hero award, and the outstanding education. So many more. And then I choose two people. So somebody that I feel that is inspiring. I chose Leah Andrade, who was fighting for her son to get out of hospital. And then within the charity, I chose Coral Kennedy, my mother-in-law, who's 88. She's well deserved. Behind the scenes, Coral is a little miracle. She is. So again, if you'd like to be one of the speakers on the radio station, please contact me on www.annaKennedyonline.com. Thank you very much. Women's radio station is all about diversity from opinions, career, ethnicity, education, and most importantly, women's wellbeing. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website, www.womensradiosation.com for more information. I'm Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower & Enrage. When it comes to money, do you clam up or get confused? Do you wish you could save more money, or are you hoping you have enough for retirement? You are not alone. Many women want to be smarter with their cash, but just don't know where to start. At empowerandenrich.org, you will find a host of options to help you take charge of your finances and learn how to put your money to work for you in an easy, affordable way. Get in touch with me at empowerandenrich.org and let's change your future together. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring and empowering? At Nurturing Birth, we offer approved doula training courses across the UK which are facilitated by an award-winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. Hi, I'm Carolyn van Beers. Please join me for a brand new show here on Women's Radio Station. It's Mother's Hour. If, like me, you're a mum juggling far too many balls and dropping most of them, this is definitely the show for you. We'll examine the highs and lows of motherhood and make sure you laugh out loud as we take on this challenging role together. With spoonfuls of advice, incredible stories, it will be refreshing, honest and funny look at being a mum. Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntotus.org.uk. Welcome to the Women's Radio Station, supporting women's wellbeing. Women's Radio Station can give voice to your brand with a wide range of sponsorship opportunities, including individual programmes. We can tailor your experience for you. For more information on how you can sponsor a show, go to womensradiostation.com. Women's Radio Station, supporting women's wellbeing. Hello, this is Anna Kennedy. We're talking all things autism. We're live and we're in Covent Garden, and my guest today is Stephen Smith. Hi. Hello. Hello. Before I go over to Stephen, I just wanted to share with you about Born Anxious, which is a clothing line that I'm proud to be an ambassador for. So a clothing label to help children and adults with autism. So Born Anxious is a homegrown clothing label set up by Kelly Barker, one of my previous speakers on the show. She's a mother of Oscar and an autistic child living in Herne Bay in Kent. Born Anxious raises awareness of autism and invisible disabilities in two ways. It can be worn to inform, or it can be worn to support no inside labels, which is fantastic for me, because Angelo cuts the labels out with the scissors and we end up with big holes in his t-shirts. Planet friendly, 100% organic combed cotton. So if you're interested to have a look, lots of different messages on there. So www.bornanxious.co.uk. And for your first order, you get a 10% discount. So if you type in the code BornAnxious, you'll get 10% discount. So some of the labels on there are things like Be Kind. I have autism, Teen No Sleep. I've got one of those t-shirts. Autism Army. Another one is My Mum is Winging It. They do bags. They do sweatshirts, all with no labels and real nice soft material. And they wash fantastically well. So Stephen. Yes. Thank you again. Thank you for having me on today. It's really, I love coming on here. Thank you so much. So our Christmas cards. Yes. Do you like them? Yes, they're a fantastic idea. I mean, so away, I mean, I think sadly Christmas cards may become a thing of the past with people going online. But I think it's a great way to raise funds. It is. For the charity. And that's what the solar potters were on top of educating. We need to have money to be able to continue educating and working. So the Christmas cards are great. Yeah. Katie Price, his son, has actually designed the cards and they're incredible. He had his work produced at Gatshun at Gatwick Airport. That's right. And he's a real little talent. And I'm really pleased you chose them to do the cards and they're amazing. How do we get them? So if you look on the charity website, just look at the slider at the top. You'll see they're £3.50 for 10. Patrick Bodger Steelsmith did the first one we did last year. And we sold out really quickly. So he's done one of Father Christmas on the sleigh. And then Harvey's done one Father Christmas that looks very much like the Grinch. The Grinch. And then he's also done a train. So you get three of the Grinch, three of the train, and four of Patrick. So again... So you're sending cards that are going to a good cause and you're doing something that will help. Yeah. So I'm all for us. I'll definitely be buying some of those, sending them out. But Harvey's been a great asset to us. Harvey's been very badly bullied online and Katie's been great. She's gone to the House of Commons and she fought to stop bullying. Something I've suffered from all my childhood. I suffered from bullying terribly. So I completely empathised with it. How did you deal with it? Did you tell anyone? Well, no. This is the problem. I think especially our generation, it was seen as a failure. If you went home and said you were being bullied, you weren't fitting in. You wanted to be the popular kid and you wanted to look. And this is why people... So many times when I read a story of a child harming themselves, the parents said, I had no idea. I thought they were the most popular kid at school because they simply didn't share. And we're not brought up in the generation, especially in the UK, to talk. And if we tell kids, it's okay. If you're being bullied, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. Sometimes it means you're very special. Because I've never met somebody really interesting that hasn't been bullied at school. They actually talk about it or tell somebody, it might help. Do you think social media is contributing to more bullying? Absolutely, because there's cowards, a voice now. Keyboard warriors. Yeah, so they go on and they say, we only have to pick up a newspaper. I mean, there are horrendous things that are written about people. I don't know how actresses and performers cope anymore. All you have to do is look. And I guarantee even they say, I won't look. The things that are written under people like Denise Welsh's, who's doing a lot for mental health, you could believe that people are actually that cruel. And of course that's going to affect anybody mentally. Just because you're an actor or a performer doesn't mean you're as hard as nails. You're a human being. And of course, you get that. And then of course, when kids are at school, now it gives them a voice to hide behind something and send a message to someone saying something cruel. And it hurts. Of course it does. And I saw a famous breakfast program, which you won't name, that's now sitting and now sharing with their guests, that be prepared that you may get bullied because of appearing on the show. Isn't that sad? But no, you do. Because cowards go behind that. You know, they have the time. I haven't got time to write something unpleasant of a somebody and they want to do something positive. But no, I think what they need to do is go into schools from a very, very early age and say, no, this is not okay. And do not be afraid if someone hurts you. Go tell somebody. Tell an adult. Tell anybody. And things might get better. But we don't hit right from the core and help children understand. If someone says something bad to you, tell everyone. You know, it's not okay to behave like that. Right through to adults. Adults are bullied at work. And online, community. And online, people, you'd be amazed what people will say about other people and feel good about it. It's not something I would ever want to indulge in. So it was anti-bullying week last week. And two of our Austin's Got Talent performers actually put a rap together. And it was so popular. And from that, I've been chatting to Matthew. And he said that he's now been asked to go into schools because of the rap. It was on Channel 5 News. It made it very big in Preston, where they live. They're a father and son rap duo. They appeared on Austin's Got Talent. And Matthew said he always enjoys coming to the show. He said he always feels like he belongs. He doesn't feel like he's being judged. He can relax. So if you want to check out their rap, it's available on YouTube. And it's also available on Spotify. And it's called Spectrum. And it's part of our Give Us a Break campaign, which Harvey kindly actually put up our poster. And he talked about, please don't bully Harvey. I just can't even think. Why would you want to bully Harvey? Such a lovely young man and wonderful. Some people are hurting themselves so badly that they want to take out some other people that are so unhappy, which is sad. So let's not forget that bullies have the biggest issues. Most definitely. One of our ambassadors, our young patron, actually, Sienna Castellon was also bullied. And she has now put an anti-bullying campaign. And she was part of the Diana Awards. But just recently, at the weekend, she became campaigner of the year at the European Diversity Awards. She's 17 years old. And she's a neurodiversity advocate. She's also one of my ambassadors. And an anti-bullying campaigner. And she's created a website, if you're interested, called QLmentoring.com. And it's got lots of online resources. She said there was a lot of stuff out there for teachers and for adults, but nothing much for teenagers. So she's created something that you can actually download information. So check it out. I'll just remind you. It's QLmentoring.com online resource. Have you got any tips, Stephen, for adults that may be getting bullied or anything for mental health and wellbeing? What type of things can we do to make us feel good? Well, you know what? The most important thing is to talk about things. And then don't be afraid to talk. So in the UK, we're terrible at talking. I mean, it's ridiculous. We're brought up, oh, you don't have problems. Think about the people in China. Well, you do have problems. And they're your problems. And don't be frightened to tell somebody or to talk about them. Equally, I think taking time out and doing things like mindfulness is taking some time to yourself. So somebody who's listening in, mindfulness, what is that? It's like a performant meditation. It's just taking time out to yourself to reaffirm yourself that you're good. You know, think positively. Only you can make things happen, you know, in this world. Nobody really is out to help anybody else that you have to look after yourself. And that's the most important thing. It takes 10 minutes out of yourself to reaffirm yourself what a good person you are and then you'll be able to help other people. Sometimes that's easier said than done, though. Yeah, absolutely. But some of our adults as well that have obviously been bullied and they've lost their trust in people, if you like, because they've gone through difficult experiences. But if you can, try and speak to someone, whether it's your mom, your dad, your brother, your sister. Easy said and done, but just take a few minutes, even if it's two minutes, to stop and think about it. If you get too caught up in it all, then the problems really start arising. You know, when I was a kid and I thought, my God, there was a point where I just didn't want to go on. I was too frightened to tell anybody. I took a big deep breath. Luckily for me, music did it for me. Music's fantastic, too. Mark Bowlin came along in T-Rex. Yeah. And I thought, my God, there's a different world out there. I'm going to be okay. Yeah. So if you just find something positive to look at and you can start building on it from there. So when I rang you to be on the show today, obviously last minute, thank you so much, you were at the gym. So is that something that helped you? Yeah, I do all my thinking at the gym, gym and having a bath or a shower. I love going to the gym. It's a positive thing. It makes me feel good. Equally, that can be very addictive. Because sometimes when I'm not going, I try and keep it to a happy balance now. Even going for a walk, I think, is good for you. It's just like, just time out. Just have a walk in the park. Just browse shopping, whatever it is that helps you. I think what you said, it's not your fault or anything that happens. But say time and parry yourself. Give yourself a couple of minutes to say, think positively about yourself. And we're all positive people. We're all doing something. Another post that I recently shared across social media was a report that I read a couple of years ago, actually, by Fitzroy. And it was research showing that families are deeply concerned about the long-term future for their sons and daughters, including the question of responsibility for their welfare after the main family carers have died. One in three parents say that they fear for the future of their children, and after they have gone, something that I constantly worry about, after a lifetime of struggle to secure appropriate care for their loved ones and a constant vigil to protect them from abuse and neglect, they have lost a trust in the system to provide adequate safeguards when they are no longer there to oversee the process. One parent says it's like a ship heading for an iceberg and nothing happening to change its course. I, personally, and my husband, Sean, are trying to plug every hole so that when we are dead and gone, that our sons will be looked after with the best path, hopefully, that we've helped create for them. It's something that we worry about. And I was actually talking to an adult yesterday, and they told me that her mother actually worried about this, and sadly, the mom died, and now the sister has taken on the caring role to make sure that she's okay, that she's able to look after herself, that she's able to contact. So you say you've covered every hole. What have you done? It's looking at trusts as well, so that social services don't come in and take all your money in, That's what I worry about, putting Angelo somewhere that he's vulnerable, he can't tell you what's happening to him. I've said to Patrick, even though he's on the spectrum, please check on your brother, make sure he's okay, that he's clean, he's tidy, he's been fed, his room's clean, he looks happy, he's got no bruises on his body. It's just, that's the thing that you worry about. We'll come to the end of the three quarters. I can't believe time is flying by. If again, you want to ask me a question, please contact me on the charity website, www.annakennedyonline.com. Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan, and welcome to Love Lessons Live on Women's Radio Station. Hello, and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamante, on Women's Radio Station. Hello, and welcome to Julene Is Listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy, and we're at Women's Radio Station, supporting women's wellbeing, and we're talking all things autism. Women, the possibilities are endless, that's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon, I'm a birth doula and mum of three, and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show, From Tummy to Mummy, here on Women's Radio Station. Every week, I'll be here with an expert guest, talking about women's reproductive health, everything fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related, right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. My name is Ingrid Marsh, and I host the radical wellbeing show, supporting women's wellbeing. On my show, I bring you ordinary women, like me and you, who are sharing their unique stories. Women who have refused to be defined by their pains, to be silenced by stigma or crushed by stereotypes, and who are taking back their power. And together, our mission is a simple one, and that's to inspire you to kick away the roadblocks too, to don your wings and be the person that you were born to be. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover and mental health advocate, and you can listen to my show, Get Booked, here at Women's Radio Station, daily at 5am and 5pm. Throughout my shows, we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chapter authors, publishers and book enthusiasts, all with a theme and aim of supporting women's emotional wellbeing. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch at presentersatwomensradiostation.com. Join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring and empowering? At Nurturing Birth, we offer approved doula training courses across the UK, which are facilitated by an award-winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. You're listening to Women's Radio Station supporting women's wellbeing. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter at Women's Radio Station, that's Women's Radio STN, or Facebook Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programmes. Hello, this is Anna Kennedy. We're talking all things autism and we're live. We're in Covent Garden. I just wanted to share with you that obviously Christmas is coming up and there's going to be lots of changes. So plan, plan, plan. What are you buying me? We're in Covent Garden. We go shopping in a minute. What I find with my sons is that I have to plan, talk about what we're going to be doing and it really helps. With Angelo as well, like trying to help him. We just made a change within the house and what's happening is I've had a kitchen that's like very much what Jack builds, like two hobs working on the cooker and it's just because I don't have time to do things in the home because I'm always doing things for the charity so I thought, right, I need to do something in the house. So we change the cooker and we change the sink and that's about it really. But it's a change and Angelo, when he comes in the house, it's almost like he scans each room to make sure everything's the same and because obviously we've changed the kitchen, he keeps going in there, checking. I've changed something and now, because now we have like a conservatory area so that Angelo can have a little bit of space for himself where he's got all these things that he's kept throughout the years and his computer died. So we've got a new computer. So when he first came in, he went into the room, hands on his hips, looking at the computer as if to say, what's this? This is a change. And it's also because it was quite close to the change in the kitchen so he's a little bit unsettled. So if you can plan, it just so much helps. What do you plan? You could cook, by the way. I can do Italian food because obviously my Italian background. But do you have to plan meals? Everyone eats different in my house, which is like such a pain and then I just have a bit of what everyone else is having. So what about over the holiday period? Do you plan meals for that? Would you go out? What do you do? What we're used to doing in our house is we're used to everybody eating in their sort of different areas. And it's because, say, for example, Patrick doesn't like watching people eat. He finds that difficult. And I know so many adults and children who are very much the same. They don't like the sound of the chewing. They don't like you watching and putting the food in your mouth. There's all that sort of thing. So we all sort of eat in different areas. But we have something that's a written rule, if you like, that a Christmas on that day, we all sit around the table together. It takes me such a long time to prepare the meal, but 10 minutes to eat. Everyone's gone. But at least we've done it. That's so true, though. You spent all day getting this meal ready and it's gone. The thing is, it's because without our family, it's just it's something that they're not used to. So it takes us 10 minutes. I think I've spent all that time and they've all gone and they have to go more or less go down to relax because it's such a stress. But it's something that I've accepted. It's been going on for years and it's just what happens. So if you're a family that have children on spectrum, I'm sure you've got lots of stories to share about Christmas. And sometimes people don't like to do anything different. Some people can't put Christmas decorations up at all because it's a big change in the house and it causes so much anxiety. Something that we are planning, which you've been to, Stephen, is the Autism Expo, which is at Bruno University. It's like a little ideal home exhibition, isn't it? It is. So we have stands where most of the stands are companies that are set up by families that they've had to basically give up their jobs because they've been caring for their children or various different reasons. So, for example, we've got Team Nono that have set up their own chocolate. We've got books, we've got sensory equipment, whatever it may be. We have 25 stands on the day. And also we have clinics and there's free advice. You can get advice on legal, speech and language, occupational therapy, behaviour management, and it's free. And art exhibitions. Well, you also have an art exhibition where I think it's great. Yeah, that's artistic. And all the artwork and photography are done by autistic adults or children or people who have mental health difficulties. Amazing stuff. I just love looking at them. And I think we talk about the events we do. One of the most important things, of course, you give legal advice to people who need help, which is a big thing because people don't know where to turn. And often people are frightened to fight the authorities or fight schools or anything. This is where you come in. So my husband, that's his clinic and he's always fully booked up. So we'll be sharing soon who our speakers are going to be. So it's going to be happening on March the 28th at Brunelton University at the Eastern Gateway. It's a fantastic venue. It's got a coffee shop there. It's great for networking and just for like spending the day there. It's £10 for the whole day. It's our bargain. Something else that we do is All Things Autism with Gateway Radio. So I do a show and so do you. It's a monthly show now. It's a great radio show. It's national lottery funding for starters. And Asta Avery, who's a great DJ. And one of my ambassadors. Yeah, who's incredible. Runs the show and then we've got quite a few celebrities. We've got Casey's coming on this month. We had Daniel Mason came on and we've had a whole host of celebrities coming on. And what type of things you talk about? Everything really. We're talking about Anna Kennedy and the charity. We talk about the beauty, aesthetics. I mean all sorts of different subjects, lifestyle subjects. So what beauty tips can you give me? Oh you're also gorgeous. You're lucky. You've kind of got an Audrey Hepburn look about you. So you're also very chic and nice. And you dress appropriately. You can't go wrong. It's the other people we try and help. So any tips for parents that have only got like a few minutes. And I'm putting you on the spot here. That obviously you know they're running here, there and everywhere. To appointments, taking their children to school and getting back home. Anything you can, any advice you can give them. Well this is what you're saying is we're practically being practical. That's it. You can just speak 10 minutes out and maybe lie down and do yourself a face mask. Yeah. Just 10 minutes out of your time. You need that. And the reason you need it is you need to re-generise yourself. Otherwise what happens is it's really important to take a few minutes out and relax. And you can do a simple yogurt mask with some lemon juice in it. What kind of yogurt? Just a normal, natural, brief yogurt. Okay, okay. Just put it on the face. Rinse it off. It doesn't have to be an expensive mask. You've got a super drug. You can do one for about a pound, two pounds. And how long do you keep the mask on? So if I did a yogurt with a bird lemon juice. If you've had time you can leave it on for 45 minutes. But nobody, none of the ladies I know have time. So 10 minutes. Okay. Just 10 minutes out, relaxing the difference. Okay. 10 minute power nap. Something's better than a good night's sleep really. I talk to many parents and we have a laugh about it as well. You know, you try and go for a bath or whatever it is. And because I've got children on the spectrum, even with adults, they're talking to you through the door. And it's just like, I'm trying to have a bath. It's just a little bit of quiet time. I think you need to be there for some discipline and say, no, no, I need this. Otherwise you won't be capable of coping with everything. You know, everybody needs to, in this day and age, to take 10 minutes out. Yeah. And give it to themselves to get themselves back to, but recharged and back to normal. And I've spoke about, I like to, I never knew about Netflix. And I just thought people get into Netflix now. A box set. Yeah. So at the moment we're watching something and it's something that my husband and I, we spend 45 minutes together. Because it's quite difficult to have a bit of time out. Yeah. Because he's obviously busy and I'm busy. But we spend 45 minutes watching a series. We just sit right on the next episode. The crown started this weekend. Did you see it? I haven't seen it yet. Oh my God. Sorry. I OD'd this weekend. Oh, did you? I watched a whole lot. Oh, wow. As does everybody else, practically everybody else I know. I was up till late in the evening watching the crown. Something else that's happening as well at Christmas time is the autism friendly pantomime. Where's that on it? So we spoke to the Towngate Theatre with Keith and Dawn, who are my charity champions and parents of Aston. And they have a pantomime. And I said, it'll be so great if we could do an autism friendly pantomime. So this is our third year. And the actual theatre itself gives us 100 tickets. And they've already gone. They give us 103 tickets. And basically we put them out there. What is the panto? I think it's Dick Whittington, if I remember correctly. Oh, it's Dick Whittington, you're right. Yes, yes. And what's different about an autism friendly pantomime is that the characters come out on stage before the panto and introduce themselves and show the costumes that they're wearing. The lighting is not so... Strong. That's right. And you can still see the audience. No explosions or anything like that. No, everything is just... And do you know what? It's such a lovely event. And what they also do is they go a little bit that extra mile. Father Christmas is there. And it's an autism friendly Father Christmas. And all the children get a little... What's an autism friendly Father Christmas? We can't just... So he's just like... He's there for the families to go to. It doesn't matter how long you spend with him. There's a picture of him sometimes on the charity website or the theatre website, because we have one as well that we're doing in December with Send Family. And it's just... It's just very low key. And parents can have a cup of tea, a mince pie, or a biscuit while the children sing Father Christmas. Oh, that's nice. So they can sing Father Christmas if they want to. They don't have to. But it's just... And they get a little present as well. It might be a little selection box or whatever. But it's... Do you know what? It's so lovely. How long is the panto running for? You only get one day when it's autism friendly. Oh, okay. Just one day. Yeah. So that's happening in December the 9th. So I'm looking forward to going to that. When you get a present. Well. Good job. I used to get a photograph of sitting on Santa's name. I knew you were going to do that. So what are you doing for Christmas? I'm staying... I love staying in London. How do you? It's just so quiet. Yeah. Everyone seems to leave London. Oh, do they? Yeah. So it's really quiet day. Christmas day here. So I stayed... The last four years I stayed in London. I'm really looking forward to... And I love Common Garden. I love the big Christmas tree. Oh, God. It's beautiful. It seems to be up earlier this year. Is it my imagination? Yeah. Because it's getting earlier and earlier. The tree goes up. So again, if you'd like to be one of my speakers on Women's Radio Station and All Things Autism, please contact me on the charity website just to remind you www.annaKennedyonline.com. If you want just to chat or if you just want to ask a question, again, you can use the contact form on the charity website. You can also contact me via my social media. So it's at AnnaKennedy1 on Twitter. AnnaKennedy Online on Facebook. At AnnaKennedy OBE on Instagram. The telephone number to leave a message. We're in the office from half past nine till half two. Lisa, my PA has been with me for nine years. She's the same. She is. She's the same for putting up with me. Zero one eight nine five. Five four zero one eight seven. But every time she sends me a call at Christmas shows, I've got the best job ever. So I really value Lisa. She's a good friend as well. I think everyone's good friends. They are. You know, we're very tight family. So now we've got a new member, which is Harvey. Harvey Price. Lots of a lot better than the papers. The mirror. Yeah. So lots of different things going on. So I just want to say thank you so much, Stephen, for being. Thank you very much for having me. Our patron for five years. And it's just like you're just part of the family now. Thank you so much. I love it. I mean, it's something I'm so passionate about now. It's something I'm proud of. OK, thank you so much. So again, everybody have a great week. I've got a guest next week again. So if you want to be one of my guests, don't forget. Contact me on the charity website, www.anikennedyonline.com. And have a fantastic week. Bye, everyone. Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan. And welcome to Love Lessons Live on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stephanie Passamone on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to June May is Listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy. And we're at Women's Radio Station, supporting women's well-being. And we're talking all things autism. Women, the possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishcon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three. And I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show from Tummy to Mummy here on Women's Radio Station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. My name is Ingrid Marsh and I host the radical well-being show Supporting Women's Well-being. On my show, I bring you ordinary women like me and you who are sharing their unique stories. Women who have refused to be defined by their pains to be silenced by stigma or crushed by stereotypes and who are taking back their power. And together, our mission is a simple one and that's to inspire you to kick away the roadblocks too, to don your wings and be the person that you were born to be. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover and mental health advocate. And you can listen to my show Get Booked here at Women's Radio Station daily at 5am and 5pm. Throughout my shows, we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chapter authors, publishers and book enthusiasts all with a theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well-being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch at presentersatwomensradiostation.com. Join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring and empowering? At Nurturing Birth, we offer approved doula training courses across the UK, which are facilitated by an award-winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. Thank you.