Start the conversation
This summer, something special happened in Emersons Green. A group of local neurodivergent and disabled young people, aged 16–25, came together to create a podcast series that is already making waves in their community.
In over just three weeks, they learned new digital media skills, built their confidence, and interviewed local leaders to explore themes of community, identity, and neurodiversity. The result is Everything Emersons, a podcast that captures fresh perspectives from voices too often underrepresented in local decision-making.
Guests include the Mayor of Emersons Green, the area’s new youth worker, and the chairman of Emersons Green Junior Football Club. Each conversation highlights the power of young people asking questions that matter to them, while creating a legacy that belongs to their community.
As Jasmine, one of the participants, put it:
“I’ve learned a lot, 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.”
For some of the young people, this was their first chance to feel heard in a public space. That sense of belonging is at the heart of why we designed the Future Voices project. By offering training in digital media within a safe, inclusive space, we wanted to open doors to skills, confidence, and opportunities that last well beyond the summer.
Lucy Smith, Managing Director of Inclusive Change at Work CIC, summed it up:
“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.”
The partnership with Emersons Green Village Hall, was funded by Emersons Green Town Council, meant young people could come together in a welcoming space to create something meaningful. As Hall Manager Nikki Frost reflected, “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 podcast is now live on Spotify, YouTube, and our website. Search for Everything Emersons on your favourite platform, or listen here.
If you are part of a community, school, or organisation and would like to explore how a project like Future Voices could work for you, we would love to talk. Our team specialises in creating inclusive programmes that build skills, confidence, and connection.
Get in touch with us at [email protected] or visit www.icaw-cic.com to find out more.
A Journey of Neurodiversity Advocacy and Change
Read Lucy's interview with Golden Valley, where she explains some of the life events that led her to becoming a full time advocate for neurodivergent and disabled people in the workplace.
Women in the Middle® Entrepreneurs:
EP #52: Sharing the Positives About Neurodiversity with Lucy Smith
Suzy Rosenstein, a master life coach, hosts a podcast called Women in the Middle Entrepreneurs, a podcast where these important conversations about the intersection of being a midlife entrepreneur who's also a woman 50 plus can happen.
Inclusive Change Ltd
The Brightwell, Bradbury House
Wheatfield Drive
Bradley Stoke, Bristol
BS329DB
Copyright 2025 - Inclusive Change Ltd
Companies House: 12412464
VAT NO: 352 1564 17
ICO Reg: ZB081779
UK Register of Learning Providers: 10090652
Reg no: 12412464