From sharing stories to finding their voice

Members of On Track, our Petersfield day service, have been producing a regular newsletter which has quickly become an important part of the month.

Everyone has their own section where they choose what to share, whether it’s what they’ve been up to or something they’re interested in. Some people prefer to write their section themselves while others talk things through first and shape their ideas with support.

As the newsletter grew, so did people’s confidence. The group started to think about what they could try next and came up with the idea of starting a podcast. However, with little or no experience of podcasting this felt like a big step.

Jo said:

I enjoy the newsletter session, I like writing the beauty articles and putting my make up ideas across. I am looking forward to starting our podcast.

Sam, who works at On Track, had the idea of reaching out to their local community radio station for tips. She asked Petersfield Shine Radio if they’d be up for running a session with the group to answer any questions they had and help them get familiar with the sort of equipment they’d be using for the podcast.

On Track members Gemma, Calay, Lilli, Emma, Tracey and Nick prepared a list of questions to ask the team at Shine Radio, from how to handle nerves and difficult situations when interviewing people, where to get ideas and inspiration and how different equipment works. They were able to try out some equipment, speaking into the microphones and listening back to their voices to get used to how they sound.

Calay said:

I enjoyed Shine Radio joining our session. I enjoyed how they explained things when I asked them questions. It was weird talking in the microphone and then hearing myself when they played it back!

The newsletter is something the group all feel really proud of, so having a new way to share their experiences and interests has created a real excitement. Not only has this helped On Track members to build their confidence in speaking and sharing their ideas but also given them the chance to learn new skills and try something completely different. Watch this space for their first episode!

A huge thank you to Mike and the team at Petersfield Shine Radio for their support.

For updates about On Track’s podcast and everything else they get up to, follow them on Facebook here