All Things Autism with Anna Kennedy – Gergana Argirova, London Music Box.mp3
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Speaker 4
00:00 – 00:23
Hello, this is Anna Kennedy and we’re talking all things autism. We’re live, we’re in Covent Garden and it’s a cold afternoon. My guest today is Gergana Arigyrova and before I go over to speak to Gergana, just to let you know what I’ve been up to, busy as always. Yesterday we were at City Hall, Myself, Lisa, and my charity champion, Sienna Castellon.

Speaker 4
00:23 – 00:39
She’s the founder of Neurodiversity Celebration Week. And there’s going to be a youth summit happening very soon in March. So the date is the 16th of March, between 4 and 6.30. So it’s City Hall, Queen’s Walk.

Speaker 4
00:39 – 00:58
We’re going to be celebrating and embracing neurodiverse strengths. So we have Joanna McCartney, the deputy mayor. We have Jeanette Arland OBE, is the Chair of the London Assembly. We have Whitney Elas is the CEO of the Project 507, Tessie O’Jay, CEO of the Diana Award and many more, including myself.

Speaker 4
00:58 – 01:09
And we’re going to be showcasing our Autism’s Got Talent performers. So we are very excited. We had a look at the space and the chambers and it’s going to be happening very soon. So all very exciting.

Speaker 4
01:09 – 01:23
Sienna is a fantastic young woman. She’s 17 years old and she has achieved So much already. So she’s excited about creating this event. So welcome, Gagana.

Speaker 4
01:23 – 01:30
So tell me a little bit about yourself and you’ve been having some exciting stuff happening in your life recently.

Speaker 12
01:30 – 01:40
Hi Anna. Hi. So my name is Gagana and I’m the founder of London Music Box. And London Music Box is an award-winning music tuition school.

Speaker 12
01:40 – 01:50
We are based in London. We work with mainstream students and students on the autistic spectrum. Okay. And we’ve been running since 2013.

Speaker 4
01:50 – 01:51
Okay, so a little while now.

Speaker 12
01:51 – 01:54
So, tell me where you’ve just come back from.

Speaker 4
01:55 – 01:57
Don’t skip that bit. I want to know about it.

Speaker 12
01:57 – 02:03
Okay, I’ll tell you. I just came back from Dubai. Yes, yes. It’s very hot there.

Speaker 12
02:03 – 02:10
It’s not like here. So, I was basically celebrating my honeymoon. I recently got married.

Speaker 4
02:10 – 02:11
Congratulations.

Speaker 12
02:11 – 02:19
Yes, thanks. So, how long have you been back? Oh, just a week now, but it feels like I’ve been back for a whole year.

Speaker 4
02:19 – 02:30
So what made you set up London Music Box? So let’s rewind a little bit. Before you set up London Music Box, tell me a little bit more about yourself and what it is that you do, what did you study?

Speaker 12
02:30 – 02:52
So I’m originally from Bulgaria and at the age of 18 I was accepted into a university in America. So I was studying piano, piano performance. I got a full scholarship, went to University of Denver, got my bachelor’s in piano performance and music education. And then they decided that they wanted to keep me there.

Speaker 12
02:52 – 03:11
So they gave me another full scholarship for master’s, which of course I did in piano performance again and music education. And then I’ve, in between, I’ve studied in Italy a little bit on a, what is this called, like an exchange program.

Speaker 4
03:11 – 03:15
Okay, whereabouts in Italy did you go? In Milan. Oh, I’ve been to Milan because my parents are Italian, so.

Speaker 12
03:16 – 03:17
Oh, very nice.

Speaker 4
03:17 – 03:21
Ciao, Bella. Yeah, same to you.

Speaker 12
03:20 – 03:34
Yeah, and then from there I got accepted in Cambridge. So that’s the reason why I moved to the UK. To be honest, the UK was never in my plans. Not only because of the weather, but just in general.

Speaker 12
03:35 – 03:45
So I came here and it was to do a doctorate degree. However, I actually started London Music Box instead of starting the doctorate degree.

Speaker 4
03:45 – 03:47
So how did that come about then? Why did you change?

Speaker 12
03:47 – 04:13
Yeah, so I was here and as a piano pianist and a piano teacher, I would get inquiries and I got an inquiry from a mom online. She was telling me about her son, who’s autistic. And she was just telling me how it’s just so difficult to find a piano teacher for her son and he’s very musical. He’s actually still with us since 2013.

Speaker 12
04:14 – 04:39
And yeah, that she was just very honest that no one wants to kind of work with him openly. And and then I did a little bit of research and I found out that actually it was a shame that there is not one institution that would be proud to welcome people on the spectrum and to work with them. Yeah, so that’s why I decided to set up London Music Walks.

Speaker 4
04:39 – 05:06
Yeah, because I get lots of requests asking, you know, parents are always looking for out of school clubs or… various organisations where their children might learn how to do karate or music or whatever it is because there’s not a lot out there for our children and when people do talk about inclusion and it sounds like the London Music Box is definitely a place that’s set up for inclusion. Had you heard of autism before, before this mum had actually

Speaker 12
05:06 – 05:26
contacted you? No, to be honest, no, I haven’t. So, well, now that I think about it, a long time ago when I was growing up in Bulgaria, I remember that there was one boy in our class and now thinking about it, I think he was autistic. But back then, obviously, there wasn’t a lot of information about autism.

Speaker 4
05:26 – 05:30
So how did you approach the first lesson with him? How was it? Can you remember?

Speaker 12
05:30 – 06:10
Um, yeah, the first lesson, I mean, it was I approached it as a just a piano teacher. But then I was speaking to her and then she gave me some advice on where to go and what courses to take to kind of educate myself on the on the autistic side of teaching piano. So I got I went to different courses and they were actually very helpful and they gave me an opportunity to teach piano from a different perspective. So to incorporate and the knowledge that I got there with the piano.

Speaker 12
06:10 – 06:24
And I was trained in ABA. So I use ABA, but I’m always open for other suggestions. As you know, with autistic students, there is not one thing that would work. It’s always trial and error.

Speaker 12
06:24 – 06:34
And if something works for you, it won’t work for me. So it’s kind of always thinking on the spot and thinking whether that will work or not. Yeah.

Speaker 4
06:34 – 07:14
It’s always an exploration. Well yesterday I saw a young man, oh he’s probably in his 40s now, he was running for the tube and I remember I met him 21 years ago and he used to play the piano and nobody taught him, he just used to listen to a tune and play. So, also 21 years ago, my BBC2 documentary came out, a video diary that I did about my sons and setting up the school and there’s a certain piece where he’s playing the piano and then you see me with my sons playing and I’ve shared it on social media and it just brought back memories because I thought, I remember this young man, he had minimal verbal skills and he also wanted to learn to be a pilot So he had lessons as well.

Speaker 4
07:14 – 07:27
So he’s achieved so much. So that’s why I’m always saying we need to just look at the individual and push their capabilities because they’re just capable of so much more. You just need to be able to give them the opportunity.

Speaker 12
07:27 – 07:58
Yeah, exactly. And actually, the whole idea of London Music Box is We are not only trying to educate society on ASD people and how they shouldn’t be just dismissed solely because they’re on the spectrum, but also we’re trying to to kind of smash some stigmas about ASD community, that they’re not as normal as society would consider normal.

Speaker 4
07:59 – 08:01
What is normal? No one’s normal. Exactly, exactly.

Speaker 12
08:02 – 08:16
Everyone’s got different. And you know, I’ve been… This is exactly what I think, because in our society, we believe that everyone is very unique, right? And everyone is just their own human being and they’re just very unique and that’s cherished.

Speaker 12
08:16 – 08:34
But when it comes to autism and autistic people, once we label somebody on the spectrum, we just label them as that and nothing else. We don’t kind of see surpass that. So in London Music Box, we don’t do labeling and division. We’re just 01.

Speaker 4
08:34 – 08:39
Okay, so it’s been going for a little while now, so where did you get your teachers from?

Speaker 12
08:40 – 09:20
I mean, all my teachers are, well, so we have teachers that work with mainstream only, we have teachers that work with mainstream and ASD students and Yeah, so some of them would already come with experience working with people on the spectrum. Other times I just train them. We do a lot of observations. But the main thing is for them to kind of be excited about what they’re doing and to want to feel comfortable and to want to do it.

Speaker 12
09:20 – 09:36
Okay, so do you teach just piano or the other? Oh, no, no, we teach piano. We found that the piano, violin and guitar are the most popular instruments. So, yeah, teaching trombone is like, I’ve never got an inquiry about that.

Speaker 12
09:36 – 09:47
But if you are interested in learning the trombone, let me know. So yeah, the three instruments that are most popular. Also voice is quite popular as well.

Speaker 4
09:47 – 10:10
Okay, Autumn’s Got Talent is obviously something that’s very close to my heart and we’re in the ninth year. The closing date has now passed, which was January the 31st. We have had, I don’t even know how many auditions that have come through, so we have to go through them all now and we’re going to be choosing our 20 performers. We’ve had them from all over the UK and overseas.

Speaker 4
10:10 – 10:35
Our first audition from Mexico. We’ve never had an audition from Mexico before so so excited but also it’s hard. to choose just 20 and also varied talent. So, you know, we have singers, we have dancers, people that play percussion, so it could be electric, could be acoustic guitar, piano we’ve had, drums, just like, just fantastic.

Speaker 4
10:35 – 10:54
Poets, some, like poetry just like really sort of touches your heart. So, So excited to go through these. But we are looking for more performers for the Cheshire show that we’re doing, which is going to be happening in May. So I’m patron to CHAPS, which is Cheshire Autism Practical Support.

Speaker 4
10:54 – 11:04
So they are celebrating 10 years birthday. So we’re going to be doing an Autism’s Got Talent show in Cheshire. I had a message yesterday saying, why don’t you come to Manchester? Why don’t you come to Dublin?

Speaker 4
11:04 – 11:17
I just thought we’re a small group of volunteers. I’ve got to rely on my volunteers, you know, on their precious time that they give up for me. So we’re trying to spread around and we’re trying to get to different places. So the next one, as I say, is in Cheshire.

Speaker 4
11:17 – 11:31
And then we’re going to be going to St. Ives in September, which is obviously a beautiful place. And we’re going to be doing it with Kids R Us with our main compere, Phil Barnett, who I met on People’s Strictly. So I’m going to be talking a little bit more to Gergana in the next.

Speaker 4
11:31 – 11:39
I’m going to talk a little bit more about the services that she offers. And if you’re interested in getting in contact, where can they find you?

Speaker 12
11:39 – 11:44
They can find me at londonmusicbox.com. That’s my website.

Speaker 4
11:44 – 11:57
So, londonmusicbox.com. If you’re interested, please contact Gergana and I’m sure that she can help you. If not, hopefully she can point you in the right direction. So, we’re supporting women’s well-being, talking all things autism.

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12:01 – 12:03
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12:12 – 12:19
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.

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Speaker 4
14:57 – 15:08
Hello, this is Anna Kennedy. We’re talking all things autism. We’re live at Women’s Radio Station supporting women’s well-being. My guest today is Gergana Arrigorova, excuse me if I’ve said that incorrectly.

Speaker 4
15:09 – 15:30
And just to let you know about the celebration of autistic talent coming to Clacton. So we went to visit the theatre, which is a fantastic theatre, Westcliff Theatre in Clacton. Myself and Aston, one of my charity ambassadors, are going to be comparing the show. It’s going to be an evening of singing and dancing and a variety of other special talents.

Speaker 4
15:30 – 15:41
So it’s the 1st of March 2020. The doors open at 6, it finishes at 10. Tickets are £10 for adults, £5 for children. and £25 for family ticket.

Speaker 4
15:41 – 16:04
We’re going to be supported by the wonderful Evolution Foundation College in Colchester with Jackie Tapsell who is a stage director and I believe has also been directing shows at the Royal Albert Hall. So, we’re really excited about that. Not long to go, so it’s the 1st of March. So, Girgana, tell me a little bit more about London Music Box and the services that you offer.

Speaker 4
16:04 – 16:12
Because you might have parents that are listening in, that are living around London and thinking, I want to do that. I want to take my son there. I want to take my daughter there. What’s the age range?

Speaker 4
16:12 – 16:13
How old do you have to be?

Speaker 12
16:14 – 16:15
So, we take them from three.

Speaker 4
16:15 – 16:16
Three.

Speaker 12
16:16 – 16:53
Up to? Well, we have, I think, a lady that’s close to 70, but then you cannot ask a lady about her age, so yeah, I’m just guessing. Yeah, so we offer one-to-one tuition for obviously ASD and mainstream students, and we also do home visits. So if you, we work around London, we have a couple of studios that are in central London, but if for whatever reason you cannot come to central London, we will do a home visit.

Speaker 12
16:54 – 17:11
Granted, you have an instrument at home. So it doesn’t have to be a piano. We all know that pianos are very expensive, acoustic are very expensive, they take a lot of space, but a keyboard will do. The important thing to remember is to have a full-size keyboard, which is 88 keys.

Speaker 12
17:12 – 17:32
So I get a lot of inquiries about, oh, I have a kid’s toy keyboard, would that work? No, unfortunately, no, they have about five keys. So make sure if you’re buying a keyboard, it’s 88 keys, it’s also weighted. And we will do a trial and error session.

Speaker 12
17:32 – 17:47
So how long is the session? Well, one hour. So we’ll do 45 minutes to one hour. So the session is not only the instrument, but we also do a lot of different things.

Speaker 12
17:47 – 18:04
So it’s singing. We always break the one hour session into segments of 10 minutes. So it might be just 10 minutes of of piano, and then we’ll do a game. So a clapping game, musical statues, which I’m actually going to talk about later.

Speaker 12
18:04 – 18:15
The kids love it. And then we’ll do a bit of singing, a little bit of maybe music theory, rhythm games, and then back to the piano or whatever instrument.

Speaker 4
18:15 – 18:18
So does any of your children do any piano exams?

Speaker 12
18:18 – 18:31
Oh yes, we do exams as well. We found that ABRSM are the most popular ones, so we prepare students for exams. So far it’s been an amazing success.

Speaker 4
18:31 – 18:55
I used to play the piano when I was little, with having an Italian dad. He used to make me play the piano, and in a way, it sort of spoiled it for me, because I liked to dance as well, because that was my thing, because I used to do tap dancing. So I used to play the piano as well, but he wanted to stop me from dancing, tap dancing. So the way I rebelled was, I’m not going to play the piano anymore.

Speaker 4
18:55 – 19:16
But now part of me thinks, I wish I’d have continued. Because I did do a few exams and I remember playing Fur Elise and playing a few Italian songs for my dad and he had tears come down his face but it was just like, I don’t want to do this anymore, I like my dancing. But it was because he made me do it. If he’d have just let me do it on my own terms then it would have been fine.

Speaker 4
19:16 – 19:36
So, but anyway. I had the experience and we had a lovely piano that an old lady gave to us, one of those old grand type pianos. It’s a great skill and I think that children should either learn to dance or play an instrument because it teaches you So many different things.

Speaker 12
19:36 – 19:53
Any type of art is just so beneficial for everyone, not only kids, but also adults. I mean, just to relax and kind of take care of your mental health, if you wish. It’s just a way of, yeah.

Speaker 4
19:53 – 20:02
So have you had any shows or I understand you do workshops as well where parents can come along and sit and enjoy the children’s performance?

Speaker 12
20:02 – 20:24
Yeah so we do, obviously the lessons are going every week but we have a workshop so our amazing Easter Bunny workshop is coming up. And this is so much fun. And this is probably my favorite event, just because. So we obviously we have the performance section with everyone would perform a piece or two.

Speaker 12
20:24 – 20:33
Okay. And everyone, all the parents, you can see them. They’re just so proud. The grandparents, everyone is rooting for their children and celebrating together.

Speaker 12
20:33 – 20:44
Exactly. But The fun, the most fun comes afterwards, especially for the Easter Bunny because I get two or three hundred Easter eggs and we hide them. Like chocolate ones? Yeah, of course!

Speaker 12
20:44 – 21:01
Not boiled eggs? Not boiled eggs! Two or three hundred and we hide them and I give them, I’ll get all the kids to line up with their little baskets and then I give them about two, three minutes. It’s just crazy, the excitement, they’re just so excited.

Speaker 12
21:01 – 21:18
And when you say start, everyone is just rushing. They would not stop at anything, literally, to find these eggs. Yeah, so we have Easter Bunny coming up. And then summer concert, it’s always a big deal.

Speaker 12
21:18 – 21:25
So where’s that then? That will be at the end of June, well, beginning of June.

Speaker 11
21:25 – 21:26
Well, in the summer months, yeah.

Speaker 12
21:28 – 21:35
End of June, beginning of July. Okay. And then something probably for Halloween. And it’s just every year, Christmas concert and so on.

Speaker 12
21:35 – 22:06
So the summer concert, is that on stage or where do you have it? I have a venue that I use, a beautiful church with a grand piano and that is close to Hyde Park. It actually works great because in our events we always do a social afterwards. So for our summer concert last year, because we were so close to Hyde Park, we had our concert performance and we always celebrate London Music Box birthday so we have a great big cake, and then we went to Hyde Park for a picnic.

Speaker 12
22:06 – 22:13
So everyone was sitting around, we had a potluck, all the families, because there are just so many different cultures.

Speaker 4
22:13 – 22:28
Everyone would bring something and we just all shared, kids would play on the background. Oh, that sounds good. So it’s great for siblings as well, obviously, if children who are autistic, because sometimes they can’t always share things together. So if the whole family comes along, that’s a lovely experience for them.

Speaker 12
22:28 – 22:29
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4
22:29 – 22:41
So, what difference have you seen in your students since joining London Music Box? Is there a particular child or adult that springs to mind for you that you’ve seen a huge difference and why do you think that is?

Speaker 12
22:43 – 23:10
Well, I’ve seen a lot of difference, for example, in confidence of the children. You will see how they first come to the lesson and they may be a bit shy and they can just about tell you their name. And then, Concert after concert of the workshop, you can see them going on stage and just being really proud and confident. And we teach them how to speak and how to introduce themselves and introduce their piece bow and then sit down.

Speaker 12
23:10 – 23:34
So, yeah, a lot of confidence would grow from from taking lessons. Also, the actual benefit of taking music lessons. We all know the benefit of music and how it helps everyone. Mainstream, people on the spectrum, especially, you probably know this, especially if student is non-verbal.

Speaker 12
23:34 – 23:54
And music is a way for them to kind of express themselves, which otherwise they might not be able to. And yeah, and also with our socials. So as I mentioned, we have socials after every concert. So for Easter Bunny, we are going bowling afterwards.

Speaker 12
23:55 – 24:14
And it’s just a way for students and also parents to get together and mingle if you wish. And I remember, I’ll tell you a story after our Christmas concert. So we had an amazing Christmas concert. And then afterwards, I’ve organized a pizza making workshop for the kids.

Speaker 12
24:14 – 24:26
Okay, so it sounds like a bit of everything’s going on. Yeah, of course. And that was for the kids, but we also do for adults, but that was on a different day. So for the kids, we went and we made pizza.

Speaker 12
24:27 – 24:48
And obviously, it’s all kids mainstream and on the spectrum. And then I had a parent afterwards. And this happened to me all the time. A mom came in and she said, I’m really, really thankful that you’re doing something like this because she was sharing how her son doesn’t, he’s very isolated and he doesn’t get to do this very often.

Speaker 12
24:50 – 25:01
And he actually made friends on the night. And they’re talking about, oh, I’m going to invite you to my birthday party and so on. And they’re just going to play dates together, which is absolutely amazing to see.

Speaker 4
25:01 – 25:26
That’s what I love about Autumn’s Got Talent, it’s the friendships as well that I’m always talking about. It’s, you know, obviously it’s fabulous that they’re on stage and they perform and their confidence levels go through the roof and some of the kids skip off stage after their performance because they’ve really enjoyed it or you see a different, it’s in their posture where they lift themselves up and their chest puffed out. But it’s also the friendships that have been made between families, between the performers.

Speaker 4
25:26 – 25:37
They’ve created WhatsApp groups. So that’s the part of it that I love as well. And just the community, to create a community. I know, because so many parents say, I felt so isolated.

Speaker 4
25:37 – 25:50
Now I’ve made friends with so-and-so, or this person, and we decide we’re going to meet up, we’re going to the park together. Didn’t realise we live so close to each other, or whatever it is. That’s amazing. So, we’re going to talk a little bit more about the London Music Box.

Speaker 4
25:51 – 25:52
So, are you looking for teachers, by the way?

Speaker 12
25:53 – 25:54
Yes, I’m always looking for teachers.

Speaker 4
25:55 – 25:58
Okay. So, who teaches? Like, to teach what?

Speaker 12
25:58 – 26:15
Well, to teach instruments. So, if you are a musician that is passionate about working with ASD students, then you can get in touch, just teach any instrument, vocals, we’re always looking for professionals.

Speaker 4
26:15 – 26:20
Okay, so again, just to remind people if they want to find out a little bit more about you, where can they find you?

Speaker 12
26:20 – 26:37
Yeah, so I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and it’s all London Music Box. So it’s London Music Box and you’ve got a contact form on the website? Yes, I do. So it’s www.londonmusicbox.com and there is a contact form that will come straight to my email.

Speaker 12
26:37 – 26:42
You can get in touch there. And it’s also my mobile is there. And if you need to get in touch.

Speaker 4
26:43 – 26:52
OK, and there’s also a great video on there. So I’m talking a little bit about what they do as a young man playing the piano there. So have a look. Have a have a have a look.

Speaker 4
26:52 – 26:59
It’s just like it’s a really inspiring website. And I wish there was more of this across the country because parents are always searching for something like this.

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27:02 – 27:29
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28:30 – 28:42
I’m Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower & Enrich. 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.

Speaker 3
28:42 – 29:00
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.

Speaker 6
29:02 – 29:16
Are you struggling with money? Turn to Us is 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.

Speaker 6
29:17 – 29:30
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 turntous.org.uk

Speaker 10
29:33 – 29:54
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.

Speaker 10
29:54 – 29:58
Women’s Radio Station, supporting women’s wellbeing.

Speaker 4
30:00 – 30:04
Hello, this is Anna Kennedy. We’re talking all things autism. We’re live. We’re in Covent Garden.

Speaker 4
30:05 – 30:09
We’ve just been talking about stress and the things that stress does to us.

Speaker 12
30:09 – 30:09
We all stress.

Speaker 4
30:10 – 30:24
As you said, I think it’s this sort of current world that we live in. We’ve got to try and learn to relax. But as we were saying, if you’re a perfectionist at what you do, If you’re passionate about what you do, you just want things to go well. But obviously, that can have a knock-on effect.

Speaker 4
30:24 – 30:49
So that’s why we’re going to be talking a little bit later on on what we do to relax and help our mental health and well-being. Just to remind you about our Expo, which is at Brunel University on the 29th of March, where we have speakers, we have stands, exhibition stands, and then we also have clinics where people can ask advice. So it could be legal advice, on employment. It could be on your EHCP.

Speaker 4
30:50 – 31:02
We have a young man that’s going to be talking about behaviour management. So if they want some support with that. Also, we have a teacher that’s going to come along. So if you’d like to speak to one of our teachers to ask advice.

Speaker 4
31:02 – 31:15
And also we have an occupational therapist. So you might like to ask some tips on occupational therapy. Also do Autism Watch out, I’ve got to say, autism’s got talent. I’ve got that on the brain.

Speaker 4
31:16 – 31:37
I also do All Things Autism in Essex, which is a radio show with our young ambassador. And we’re going to be interviewing a lady called Leanne Louise, who is a mum, but also an upcoming artist and songwriter. And she’s written two songs about her son called Our House and Judgment Day. So if you’re interested, that’s on Gateway Radio 97.8.

Speaker 4
31:37 – 31:49
And that’s at 11 o’clock till one o’clock. So we’re going to be talking all things autism. in Essex or Ghana, so you need to relax. No more stress.

Speaker 4
31:49 – 32:04
I know it’s easier said than done, but tell me a little bit about, so let’s say mainstream students, what do you think they need to know about our autism spectrum condition students or autistic students, however you want to, whatever you prefer to call them.

Speaker 12
32:05 – 32:43
In general, I want society to understand the difference between mainstream and ASD students, which I don’t think that’s the case right now. And I want people to understand why people on the spectrum are the way they are and why they do the things they do and why do they act the way they act. Because sometimes mainstream people can be a bit uneasy being in the company of an ASD person. And I don’t know why.

Speaker 12
32:42 – 33:01
I don’t know why either. But yes, I think if there is an understanding, then they would be more prepared. And that’s the whole reason why we’re doing the concerts. So in our concerts, you will see mainstream students mingling with ASD students playing together.

Speaker 12
33:01 – 33:03
You can’t tell the difference.

Speaker 4
33:03 – 33:23
You cannot. When we have our show, you know, the children and adults that are performing, you know, if you didn’t say they were autistic, you wouldn’t know. So it’s just about they look at the world differently, in my opinion, and my son pays more attention to detail. My eldest son, Patrick, he prefers more factual information than chit chat.

Speaker 4
33:23 – 33:49
Obviously, with Angelo, because of his rocking and swaying and minimal verbal skills, you can clearly see that he’s on the autism spectrum. But I just think that it’s fantastic that you do have these shows where you’ve got mainstream and autistic students that are performing together, that are making friendships, that families are getting together. I just think that’s great because we need more of this. I suppose now in the media there’s more information, more awareness raising.

Speaker 12
33:49 – 34:11
But also being exposed as being in the same room with somebody, with people on the spectrum. Because it’s very easy to just kind of read an article on ASDN. Oh yes, there’s so much negativity stuff out there as well. Exactly, but actually to see it there and to to communicate with someone that’s on the spectrum and to see for yourself that they’re just exactly like you.

Speaker 4
34:12 – 34:17
That’s right. Everyone’s unique. Exactly. And I think if everyone was the same, the world would be really boring.

Speaker 4
34:17 – 34:26
It would be. Yeah. So what is your long-term goal for London Music Box? So if I said to you, here’s a magic wand, what would you like to do?

Speaker 4
34:26 – 34:31
So say in five years’ time, ten years’ time, can you still see yourself doing it? How can you see it grow?

Speaker 12
34:31 – 35:08
Of course. Yes, well London Music Box is my baby, so we grow together and I would absolutely love through London Music Box to be able to get to as many ASD students and to teach them how to do music and for them to explore music and not only explore music but explore their own potential and musical talent because Everyone has a musical talent. I have a lot of people that would say, oh, I’m tone deaf and I have no musical talent, but somebody else, but my son does.

Speaker 12
35:08 – 35:21
No, that’s not true. Every single human being has a musical talent because music is a language, right? As you can speak a language, you can actually create music. Everyone is an artist.

Speaker 12
35:22 – 35:23
You just have to tap into that.

Speaker 4
35:23 – 35:24
And confidence, I suppose.

Speaker 12
35:24 – 35:44
Yeah, and I just want to, well, right now we are only based in London, but I would absolutely love to explore opportunities in different cities, why not in different countries? Yeah, and just to kind of raise awareness about autism and autistic people and how wonderful they are.

Speaker 4
35:44 – 35:55
So you’re trying to get on The Apprentice, because we were chatting about that over coffee. So tell me a little bit about that, because I’m always interested in how does this process work? So, what do you have to do?

Speaker 12
35:56 – 36:12
Yeah, so, I’ve been trying… If you work for The Apprentice and if you’re listening, please get me on the show this year. So, yeah, I absolutely… For some reason, I just love The Apprentice and I really want to get on The Apprentice because it’s on my to-do list.

Speaker 12
36:12 – 36:17
I don’t know. I think it’s a lot of fun. Do they get a lot of applicants? Yes.

Speaker 12
36:17 – 36:25
So, last year, they had half a million, I think, applicants. Oh, my word. Oh, wow. Somehow I got into the top 100.

Speaker 12
36:25 – 36:30
Wow, well done you. Yes, thanks. But obviously I didn’t make it to the show quite.

Speaker 4
36:31 – 36:32
So you tried again. Don’t give in.

Speaker 12
36:32 – 36:35
Yes, yes, yes. I have my interview coming up on Saturday.

Speaker 4
36:35 – 36:43
So everyone just fingers crossed for me. So what’s the interview? Is that in front of the dragons? Not the dragons.

Speaker 4
36:43 – 36:47
No, that’s a different thing. I’ve applied for that as well. Oh, have you? Yes.

Speaker 4
36:47 – 36:49
Oh, okay. I have not heard back. Oh, okay. We’ll see.

Speaker 4
36:49 – 36:56
But you’ve got to try everything. Sometimes it’s being in the right place at the right time. Exactly. And I always say, never give in.

Speaker 12
36:56 – 36:57
Never, never, never.

Speaker 4
36:57 – 36:59
If someone shuts one door, go and find a key for another door.

Speaker 12
37:00 – 37:13
Exactly, exactly. I’m the type of person that I would take any, any, literally any opportunity that comes at me, and then I would just kind of let it go. And if it’s meant to happen, it will happen. But I have to try to make it happen.

Speaker 12
37:13 – 37:26
So if someone says to you, here you go, you’ve got your money, what are you going to do with it? Oh, yes. So what I’m going to do is I really want to get a venue for London Music Box. So currently, as I said, we do home visits and we work from different studios across London.

Speaker 12
37:27 – 37:45
OK, so you want your own little base. Exactly, but it would be quite nice to actually be based somewhere. Have you got an idea of somewhere you’d like to be? Well, just because I’m based in South London, I think that would be something that would be quite good for us.

Speaker 12
37:45 – 37:50
If you know of anything anywhere in South London, please get in touch.

Speaker 4
37:50 – 38:12
So you can contact either Go Ghana or you can contact me on the charity website and we can pass messages along because I know sometimes when you’re trying to find a pen, you’re trying to write things down and you can’t find one. So if you just www.annakennedyonline.com, just send us a message and I’ll pass it on. So I’d like to wish you all the best for Saturday. Let me know how you get.

Speaker 4
38:13 – 38:24
You will hear in September, I guess. So I’m actually going to the Women’s Institute on Thursday to give a talk. I’m always giving talks all across the country. I’m going to Glasgow as well and I’m going to Wales.

Speaker 4
38:24 – 38:32
I’m going all over the place. So it’s about sharing information. It’s about showcasing. A lot of people want to hear about Autumn’s Got Talent.

Speaker 4
38:32 – 38:45
They want me to talk about it, talk about setting up the school as well. Obviously, the school’s like 21 years old. Now, I can’t believe that I set the school up 21 years ago. How it’s just time flies and lots of different memories.

Speaker 4
38:46 – 38:55
And we had music going on there, too. So we have a music room where you’re going in there. There’s all different sounds coming from that room. So there’s about five organs.

Speaker 4
38:55 – 39:01
They’ve got a drum kit. They’ve got electric guitars. They’ve got acoustic guitars. They’ve got bongos.

Speaker 4
39:01 – 39:08
They have jamming sessions going there. I love it. And it’s the energy that comes from that room. And it’s the, do you know what?

Speaker 4
39:08 – 39:20
It’s the expressions as well of the children’s faces because they’re so in their zone and they’re loving what they do. And obviously we have the street dancers as well. So they were on The Greatest Dancer last year. They did really, really well.

Speaker 4
39:20 – 39:42
The doors opened for them. And I was watching the audition because it’s still kicking around on social media. So I think that our children just really excel if you just need to find the right niche for them. And I also noticed, even though my son Angelo is quite profoundly affected by his autism, he’s got minimal verbal skills, when there’s a song on the radio, he’s so in time when he’s rocking at the back.

Speaker 4
39:42 – 39:52
I’m watching him through the mirror and he’s just rocking in time to the music. I thought you’re bang on, you’re spot on. So I just think that everybody’s got it. within them.

Speaker 4
39:52 – 40:05
You just need to tap in and find the key. Do you find working with children that are more profoundly affected or adults, how do you sort of get through to them? How does it work? How do you find out what’s going to be their niche?

Speaker 12
40:06 – 40:26
Well, it obviously takes time, so what I always say is you have to try different things. So you just have to try, let’s say we do a trial lesson on the piano, and then do you like it, do you want to try guitar? So you just try different instruments, vocals, and then see what works for them.

Speaker 4
40:26 – 40:33
Okay, so that’s interesting. So, again, if people are listening in and they want to contact you, please remind them where they can find you.

Speaker 12
40:33 – 40:49
I am on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and it’s all London Music Box and my website is www.londonmusicbox.com and there is a contact form there and you can send me a message and I’ll get back to you. Also, my phone number is there as well.

Speaker 4
40:49 – 40:55
Okay, so your youngest student is three. He’s three. And you have one of the oldest students. Yes, he is.

Speaker 4
40:55 – 41:04
Well. Let’s just say an older lady. An older gentleman. So have you ever thought of trying to set up a band or something?

Speaker 4
41:04 – 41:05
A band?

Speaker 12
41:05 – 41:06
Yeah. You know, we tried once.

Speaker 11
41:07 – 41:07
Oh, did you?

Speaker 12
41:08 – 41:21
Yeah, so it was all adults and we were for one of our Christmas concerts. They all learned on the piano Mariah Carey, Oh, I Want for Christmas, and they were playing it. and singing at the same time. And how was it?

Speaker 12
41:22 – 41:28
It was amazing. It was like, it was just so much fun. Someone was singing out of tune, which made it even more fun. Yeah.

Speaker 12
41:28 – 41:49
Yeah, it was the whole process of rehearsing and performing it. And the audience had so much fun. And also the performers, it was just created a bonding between them. And every single time they see each other, we’ll be like, oh yeah, remember, we were singing Mariah Carey’s Out of Tune on that Christmas concert.

Speaker 4
41:50 – 41:56
Yeah, it was great. So that’s great. So we’ve got one more quarter to go. So if you want to be a speaker, please contact me.

Speaker 4
41:57 – 42:01
I’m booked up right now until the end of May.

Speaker 10
42:03 – 42:05
Welcome to Women’s Radio Station.

Speaker 5
42:06 – 42:11
Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women’s Radio Station.

Speaker 10
42:12 – 42:15
Hello and welcome to Judy May Is Listening.

Speaker 4
42:15 – 42:22
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.

Speaker 10
42:22 – 42:26
Women, the possibilities are endless. That’s what makes us different.

Speaker 9
42:31 – 42:57
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.

Speaker 9
42:57 – 43:01
Please join us for an informative and fun hour.

Speaker 7
43:01 – 43:25
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Speaker 7
43:25 – 43:30
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Speaker 11
43:31 – 43:52
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Speaker 11
43:52 – 44:00
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Speaker 1
44:00 – 44:30
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Speaker 10
44:30 – 44:56
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Speaker 4
45:01 – 45:10
Hello, this is Anna Kennedy. We’re talking all things autism. We’re live. We’re in Covent Garden, and we’re talking about music and performing, all the things that I love.

Speaker 4
45:11 – 45:30
So, Gagan, if you’ve got a mom or a dad that’s sitting at home and their children don’t, maybe not like going out, is there any tips that you could give them that some stuff that they could do at home that’s related to music, that, you know, fun things to do to, you know, something you might like to do with their children and their siblings?

Speaker 12
45:31 – 45:41
Yeah. Well, we all know that music is very beneficial, right? For not only people on the spectrum, but also mainstream. All ages, all levels, everything.

Speaker 12
45:41 – 45:50
And any disability. Exactly, exactly. So, there are a lot of different things that you can do at home. You don’t even have to leave your house.

Speaker 12
45:51 – 46:12
So one of the tips is as you are feeding the children at mealtime, you can play different types of music every time on the background. So it’s very important for children at a young age to be exposed to different kinds of music. So from pop, you can play them Spice Girls one day. You can play some rock.

Speaker 12
46:12 – 46:25
It’s just different. Classical. It doesn’t always have to be classical. There is this misunderstanding that kids, they need to listen to classical, boring classical music, as I’ve heard before.

Speaker 12
46:26 – 46:28
And no, any music will do.

Speaker 4
46:28 – 46:31
So that’s just playing it in the background as they’re eating or in the mealtime?

Speaker 12
46:32 – 46:51
Yeah, as they’re eating, or you can just have the radio on, and they play different types of music there anyways. So that’s one tip. Another thing is if you want to leave the house and just be a bit more social, you can always… I mean, we live in London, so you can always go out and there are so many shows that are…

Speaker 12
46:51 – 47:01
I actually saw that there are a few of them that are relaxed, so they have the… Yeah, there’s more and more relaxed performances now for theatre, for shows, or cinema as well.

Speaker 4
47:01 – 47:06
Yeah, which is great. If you type in Google relaxed performance in your area, you can see what’s going on.

Speaker 12
47:06 – 47:16
Yeah, and I think they’re free for, during the summer vacation, I think they’re free for children. Okay, I think you need to check that out. Depends where you live as well.

Speaker 4
47:17 – 47:20
So, again, you were talking about musical statues.

Speaker 12
47:20 – 47:41
Yes, that is my favourite game. So I have so many games to tell you. One of them is, again, if you are at home and you have, that will actually work great if you have more than one kid. So musical statues is you play some type of song or music, whatever you like, and you have the kid to dance to it.

Speaker 12
47:42 – 47:58
And you can also dance with them. Just the whole family can dance on the song and then someone will stop the song and then you have to freeze as a musical statue. And then from there, you can also prompt different verbal… Well, you can do different verbal prompts.

Speaker 12
47:59 – 48:08
Ask the child, oh, what statue are you? Tell me a bit more about the statue. What do you look like? So that’s one game.

Speaker 12
48:08 – 48:26
Another one is you can… Well, musical chairs, everyone knows musical chairs. So you put some chairs around in a circle and then the kids will run or dance around it. Once you stop the music, everyone needs to rush and find a chair.

Speaker 4
48:26 – 48:31
whoever is left without a chair, then they’re out. These are all party games as well. They are. That could happen.

Speaker 4
48:31 – 48:46
So even if your child may not have verbal skills, it’s something that they can listen to. Yeah. And then you can maybe show them and prompt them and more repetitive that you become. Then hopefully the message will and then everyone can have a little bit of fun.

Speaker 12
48:46 – 49:08
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And also, you said if they’re not very verbal, I also have games for clapping. So if you can just clap a single rhythm to the child and then they can either clap it back or you can also associate the rhythm with a word. So you can say blueberry and then they can just type.

Speaker 4
49:08 – 49:23
Or maybe even with a little toy drum because some children don’t like clapping. So who are on the autism spectrum because you have some shows where they say, please don’t clap, they want you to shake their hands. Yeah, yeah, you can tap it, you can just try different things that work with your child or your family.

Speaker 12
49:23 – 49:28
Yeah, you can tap the rhythm, you can clap it, you can just play with a toy.

Speaker 4
49:30 – 49:43
So are any of these games and things on your website? No, nothing on there. So is there anywhere that you can point people to that they can look or is it just music games they can type in on Google, play therapy?

Speaker 12
49:43 – 50:04
Well, they can always get in touch with me, and these games are in our lessons. These are the games that we use, and this is really on top of my head, as we have so many different teachers, and each one of them would bring something different to the lesson. But yeah, if anyone needs any games, they can get in touch with me. Okay, so you can give them some ideas.

Speaker 4
50:05 – 50:25
Okay, so you’re saying to me that you need teachers, so if somebody would like to apply, which specific teachers are you looking for? So if you’re listening and you think, I like the sound of London Music Box, you look at the website, you watch the video and you think, I might like to work for this lady. I might like to do something. So what do they need to do?

Speaker 12
50:25 – 50:37
So if you would like to join us, then please send me an email. My email is londonmusicbox at gmail.com.

Speaker 4
50:37 – 50:38
And sending the CV?

Speaker 12
50:38 – 50:48
And send the CV, of course. Send the CV and then I would just get in touch. But I just have to stress that, obviously, you need to have a music background. Yes.

Speaker 12
50:48 – 50:50
Is there a specific you’re looking for?

Speaker 4
50:50 – 50:51
Piano teachers? Guitar?

Speaker 12
50:52 – 51:04
I’m always looking for piano teachers because there is a lot of interest about piano. So, I’m always short on piano teachers. And we are actually ten teachers now. Ten?

Speaker 3
51:04 – 51:06
Yeah, 10.

Speaker 12
51:07 – 51:19
I was actually yesterday was counting our teachers and we are 10 because recently I just had to take on a few new teachers. So always piano but also other if you play other instruments.

Speaker 4
51:19 – 51:31
So you’re obviously a busy bee. Yes, I love to be busy. I know. So tell me a little bit about, because obviously we’re a program about women’s well-being and supporting women’s well-being, what sort of things do you do to relax?

Speaker 4
51:31 – 51:43
And I know you’ve said it’s difficult and I know I find it difficult as well. But we need to learn to relax, because obviously we can’t keep on the go all the time. So what type of things do you try to do to relax?

Speaker 12
51:43 – 52:05
Exactly, I like that. Try to do, because it’s just so difficult for me to relax. As I told you, London Music Box is my baby, and it’s just, I don’t see it as a job, I just see it as part of me. So it’s just very easy for me to, I do this day and night, and it doesn’t feel like I’m doing work, But I am.

Speaker 12
52:06 – 52:14
So I like to lift weights. So I just go to the gym and smash the weights. So what’s the most you’ve ever lifted? Actually, I used to do powerlifting.

Speaker 12
52:14 – 52:22
Oh, did you? Yes. It scared the men out. In the gym, where I can lift more than them.

Speaker 12
52:22 – 52:39
I used to squat 70 kilos, deadlift 100, bench about 60. Does your husband do that as well? No, well, he used to lift weights, but I would lift more than him. I’d probably lift him as well.

Speaker 12
52:39 – 52:54
Yeah, so I like, obviously, I don’t lift as heavy now. But I like doing it. I like to feel empowered and just really strong. It gives me a buzz when I go to the gym and I always have music in the background.

Speaker 12
52:55 – 53:02
Not classical music. I’ve had that question before. People would ask me, when you go to the gym, what kind of music do you listen to? Do you listen to Bach and Mozart?

Speaker 12
53:02 – 53:16
No, actually I listen to other types. I like listening to R&B music, pop music, just any other type. I like swimming, so I’ve recently learned how to swim. Six months ago I didn’t know how to swim.

Speaker 4
53:16 – 53:21
I can’t swim and I’ve got a fear of water and everyone keeps saying I should learn how to swim.

Speaker 12
53:21 – 53:32
That was exactly like me. I was like this six months ago and I just said to myself, look, I’m not a scaredy cat. I have to go and learn how to swim. And now I can tell you yesterday I had my lesson.

Speaker 12
53:32 – 53:39
I can swim three types of well, I can I can do three types of swimming. Strokes. Yeah. Yes.

Speaker 12
53:39 – 53:51
So what do you do with breath? I do breast, I don’t even know how they’re called, on the back and in the butterfly. I like a butterfly, okay. I do doggy puddle.

Speaker 4
53:51 – 54:01
Oh, that’s something. For a few strokes and then it goes. You know what, I get the fear of taking my foot off the ground. It’s just like as soon as I start panicking.

Speaker 4
54:01 – 54:06
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it’s just like, oh no. I think it’s because my mom didn’t swim, my dad didn’t swim, so we weren’t a swimming family.

Speaker 12
54:07 – 54:27
Yeah, you know, we weren’t a swimming family and I was scared of swimming because my dad, when I was little, he was teaching me. I remember this so vividly. I was about five and we were on the Black Sea in Bulgaria and he said, right, I’m going to teach you how to swim and I’m going to hold you. And then he just dropped me.

Speaker 12
54:27 – 54:42
Yes. What, threw you in you mean? No, he was holding me and I was trying to swim and then something happened. I don’t know what my mum was calling him or something and he just dropped me in the water and I just remember just seeing blue and green as I was sinking down.

Speaker 12
54:42 – 54:49
This is all I remember. So since then I’ve been just so scared. Yeah. But to be honest swimming is just so relaxing now.

Speaker 12
54:49 – 54:51
How is it? It’s just the thing that I look forward to.

Speaker 4
54:51 – 55:01
I see people like just lying back and I’m just thinking how can they do that? How do they keep up? Yeah. Yeah, I used to be like this, but now I can do it.

Speaker 4
55:01 – 55:19
Yeah, my son, for him, the big turning point was wearing goggles because he was afraid of the water. And then as soon as we bought him some goggles, he was just like swimming like a fish. He absolutely loved it. Where my youngest son, Angelo, still, after all these years, is still, like me, a little bit very, very hesitant.

Speaker 4
55:19 – 55:46
But he’s got quite significant sensory processing conditions. So even sometimes washing his hands like every day it seems okay then all of a sudden it’s like he’s been scalded when you’re washing his hands it’s just like the obviously the stimulation of the water doesn’t agree with him sometimes. This hour has just flown by and I love talking about music about performing arts because I just think it’s so fantastic for our children and our adults and I just want to say thank you so much. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 4
55:46 – 56:06
And I’d love to come to one of your workshops or shows Yes, Easter Bunny coming up. So please, if you’re interested in checking out, can you just remind us once again, if you’re living in London and you might like to visit Gagana or have a one-to-one session, please contact her on? On londonmusicbox.com.

Speaker 12
56:06 – 56:14
So that’s my website. You can go on there. We have a great video on the homepage. Me talking about everything autism and music.

Speaker 12
56:14 – 56:21
and my teachers and my students and then on all the other social medias I am London Music Box.

Speaker 4
56:21 – 56:36
Okay so you’re going to be writing an article I’m going to be sharing it on our charity website with lots of links on there so if you missed them and you haven’t had a pen handy just check out on Friday hopefully we’ll be able to have the article up there. So again, once again, I hope you get your dream. I hope you get through to The Apprentice.

Speaker 4
56:36 – 56:46
I want to see you on there. Yes, I want to see myself too. And pitch and get your studio so that more children and more adults can come. So thank you so much.

Speaker 12
56:47 – 56:48
Thank you so much, Anna.

Speaker 4
56:48 – 57:01
Again, next week, I have another one of my guests. So if you would like to speak on Women’s Radio Station, don’t forget, contact me on www.annakennedyonline.com. Thank you very much, everyone. And goodbye.

Speaker 10
57:01 – 57:30
Welcome to the Women’s Radio Station supporting women’s well-being. Women’s Radio Station is all about diversity, from opinions, career, ethnicity, education, and most importantly, women’s well-being. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website, womensradiostation.com, for more information.

Speaker 8
57:32 – 57:53
Hi, everyone, and welcome to The Femaling Show. I am your host, Nicole Goodman, and I am a woman’s identity expert and coach. As women, we fall into different phases of identity throughout adult life, and during these, our challenges can look pretty similar. Here at WRS, I will be talking to you about the real issues we all face, and even the ones we can silently struggle with.

Speaker 8
57:53 – 58:01
Through honest, heartfelt conversation here at Femaling, you will learn how to accept yourself, understand yourself, and be yourself.

Speaker 2
58:02 – 58:17
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.

Speaker 2
58:18 – 58:32
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 a refreshing, honest and funny look at being a mum.

Speaker 3
58:32 – 58:43
I’m Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower & Enrich. 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.

Speaker 3
58:43 – 59:01
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.

Speaker 6
59:03 – 59:18
Are you struggling with money? Turn to Us is 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.

Speaker 6
59:19 – 59:31
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 turntous.org.uk

Speaker 10
59:34 – 59:55
Welcome to the Women’s Radio Station, supporting women’s well-being. 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.

Speaker 10
59:56 – 59:59
Women’s Radio Station, supporting women’s well-being.