A PROJECT at Emersons Green Village Hall has created a “groundbreaking” podcast series.
The Future Voices project enabled a group of local neurodivergent and disabled young people, aged 16 to 25, to create and produce their own community podcast.
In the process they learned new skills, including how to plan, record, and produce their own shows.
They also interviewed leaders and explored concepts including community, identity, and neurodiversity.
Their podcast series is called Everything Emersons and includes conversations with Emersons Green’s town mayor James Hunt, a new local youth worker Shea Stew and the chairman of Emersons Green Junior Football Club, Stuart Russ.
It was led by Inclusive Change at Work CIC, a South Gloucestershire-based organisation led by neurodivergent professionals, which aims to promote inclusive digital skills, employability, and mental well-being.
Three weeks of sessions were hosted at Emersons Green Village Hall, with support and funding from the town council.
Inclusive Change at Work says the podcast has succeeded in “amplifying voices often under-represented in the media and local decision-making”.
Those involved were able to collaborate, build confidence, and create “something that will leave a lasting legacy in their community”.
One participant said: “I’ve learned I’m more confident than I thought I was — especially doing interviews and working with new people. It’s been really fun and opened my eyes to what’s possible.”
Inclusive Change at Work managing director Lucy Smith said: “This project gave young people the opportunity to connect with their local community, learn valuable digital media skills, and explore their identity in a safe, inclusive space.
“For some, it was their first time ever feeling heard or connected locally – that’s the kind of impact we need to invest in.”
Emersons Green Village Hall manager Nikki Frost said: “We were proud to host such a brilliant, inclusive project.
“We’ve welcomed young people into the hall who’d never visited before, and now they’ve produced something that could inspire many more.”
The Everything Emersons playlist can be found on YouTube at tinyurl.com/2trxr2dr.
Audio podcasts can be found at icaw-cic.com/everything-emersons.