Charity launches new podcast offering empowering insight into the lives of parent carers

A new podcast offering an emotional and empowering insight into the lives of parent carers has been launched by a charity supporting children with disabilities and additional needs and their families.

Let’s Take Care is hosted by Wargrave resident Jane Holmes and former Advertiser reporter Melissa Paulden, who are both mothers to adult children with physical disabilities.

The new podcast provides an honest exploration of what it means to care for a lifetime and still find the strength to fight, laugh, love and keep going.

With almost three decades of lived experience between them, Jane and Melissa tackle topics ‘too often left in the shadows’.

In each episode, the show looks to validate and acknowledge the experience of carers and provide real and practical advice for surviving the mental and emotional aspect of life-long caring.

The show also looks to challenge the narrative surrounding disability, parenting and support systems and build a community which reminds listeners – ‘you are not alone’.

Last week’s debut episode introduced Jane and Melissa’s stories, with the theme ‘We were shocked – but thankful – they survived. And they continue to amaze us every day’.

Jane is the CEO of charity Building For The Future and mum to 23-year-old Kitty, who has cerebral palsy.

The charity was set up by a group of mums with disabled children in 2007 in a bid to raise enough money to open a specialist, accessible and inclusive community centre.

This dream was realised in 2014, when Our House was opened in Wokingham.

More than 500 families from across the area access the charity’s services, which include free activities, support and therapy.

The team are now working to ‘open a new, bigger and better centre’ to continue supporting families and to run their expanding Building For The Future Plus service, which supports young, disabled adults who have left full-time education.

The charity has been running the service from an office space in Twyford.

Co-host Melissa is mum to daughters Jodie, 23 and Tia, 28, who has cerebral palsy.

Melissa knows firsthand the joys and deep challenges involved with caring for someone with complex needs.

Following a breast cancer diagnosis in late 2023, which was caught early and successfully treated, Melissa has realised ‘how urgently carers need to prioritise their own health and wellbeing’.

Melissa created the new podcast to provide a platform for open dialogue with other parents of children with disabilities about ‘what it means to take care of ourselves, not just those we love’.

The show is part of Melissa’s mission to ‘break the cycle of burnout, speak honestly about the toll caring can take, and remind carers everywhere – your health matters too’.

Future episodes include:

• The invisible load – how constant caring affects the mind, body and relationships
• Things that make us angry – from blue badge bay misuse to patronising stares
• Is it ok to not want to be a parent carer today?
• Working while caring
• Has inclusion actually worked?

Jane said: “This is for the parent carers – the ones who sacrifice everything and still don’t feel seen.”

Melissa said: “We’re tired, we’re angry, we’re proud – and we’re ready to talk about the way we’ve been treated and how we’ve suffered under the strain.

“But ultimately, whilst highlighting the pressures parent carers are placed under we are honouring their plight by focusing on the amazing work they do and sharing how they have triumphed under such immense pressure.

“We are also urging them to take care of themselves more.

“Self care is important to help the entire family stay healthy and strong, especially when you are a life-long carer for a disabled child.”

Let’s Take Care is available on major podcast platforms.