'It's just spiralled' - new podcast changes lives

Paris and Harvey record their latest podcast

Young adults making a new podcast to get their voices heard have described it as a "fantastic" experience.

They are from The Helping Hands Group (THHG) based in Peterborough, which aims to "help change the lives of people with learning disabilities".

"You get to talk about random things," said Harvey, a member of the team making the recordings.

One of the organisers of the project - run in partnership with industry experts - said: "It's just spiralled. The guys are so creative."

Harvey says they talk about anything that comes up when making the podcast

Harvey added: "It's fantastic. I like doing the jingles on the laptop, and you get to interact with the technical team."

Paris enjoys the technical side of making podcasts and says her parents are "really proud"

Paris, another member of the five-strong team, said: "I like to hear through the headphones and I like using the microphone. It's really important because my parents can hear it."

THHG helps 80 people across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and parts of Lincolnshire.

Andrew Littledyke, the project leader, said: "Some of these guys wouldn't even have thought about doing anything like this before. They've really built on their communication skills - meeting new people and getting experiences they wouldn't otherwise have had. You can tell by the smiles on their faces."

Project leader Andrew Littledyke says the podcasters have boosted their communication skills

The podcast project has been carried out with the Young Technicians Academy (YTA), which trains young people for roles in the creative industries, and Fenland Youth Radio.

Pino Soccio, YTA chief executive, said: "We are very proud to know that they have made progress with something that we have been a very small part of."

Pino Soccio, from the Young Technicians Academy, says he's "very proud"

Robert Windle, from Whittlesey-based Fenland Youth Radio, said: "It's gone very well. There was one hiccup where the microphone failed for a second, but they overcame that and it increased their confidence.

He added it was "heart-warming" to see the podcasters "reaching their potential".

Robert Windle, of Fenland Youth Radio, says the podcasters have coped well with minor technical glitches

For now, the podcasts are being listened to by friends and family, but there are plans to broadcast them on Fenland Youth Radio and other platforms.