This week we're travelling back in time to the first ever episode of 'The Skies We're Under'. Back to a time when we didn't have studio production to keep the sound crisp and we still had the energy to beep out all the swears.

Content warning the topics of childhood cancer, birth trauma, chromosome duplication and severe disability is discussed.

Rachel Wright, Lucy Parr and Sarah Clayton introduce themselves and their families (as they were back in early 2022). They all have different experiences of becoming parents of children with complex needs and how that impacted their identity as women and parents. The conversations they have sometimes even makes them exclaim, “That’s not my name.”

Since this episode the podcast has gone from strength to strength and almost 130 episodes later there's still so much to discuss and share with our wonderful listeners, the families of people with complex disabilities and the many practitioners that support us.

Moving forward we need your help to keep producing new episodes. You or your organisation can sponsor a season or advertise within an episode. Email us to find out more.

Email your questions and comments to tswupodcast@gmail.com and don’t forget to rate, review, share and follow the podcast.

Life updates, broken systems and tiny pockets of joy are packed into this week's episode of The Skies We’re Under. From continuing healthcare assessment clangers, post‑college provision crises and why SEND reform feels equal parts hopeful and terrifying.

Rachel, Lucy and Sarah bring laughter, swearing, tears and truth as they talk about navigating everything from milestone birthdays to the minefield of adult social care and EHCP chaos.

With the SEND white paper looming, they explore what real inclusion could look like and what families fear it won’t. Plus, a very special interview as Rachel’s 10-year-old son making his podcast debut freshly diagnosed and finding his voice.

If you'd be interested in sponsoring an episode of The Skies We're Under, please contact us at TSWUpodcast@gmail.com.

To help us keep podcasting we’d LOVE it if you could support the podcast, like, subscribe, review and share. The more listeners we get, the more we’ll be able to provide things to listen to - and we’re chock full of ideas!

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

· Firstly you can leave a message using speakpipe here: SpeakpipeTSWU

(Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

· You can send us a voice note from your phone to our email address at tswupodcast@gmail.com

· Or, if the thought of hearing your own voice gives you ‘the ick’, then send us an email to tswupodcast@gmail.com

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen.

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.

Happy New Year! There’s no better way to rid you of the January blues than to listen to Rachel’s conversation with the fantastic Sam Bowen.

Sam is ‘one of us’, someone who has both lived and loved experience of raising and loving a child with complex disabilities. When the candle snuffer came down on her hopes for her career and her imagined life as a parent, Sam has used all the experience and knowledge she has to make museums a truly inclusive environment for everyone.

Sam’s energy and enthusiasm for inclusion, and the power of museums shines through. She’s on a mission to highlight and eradicate ‘othering’, and we are here to champion her in all she does.

You can read more about Sam and her book here:

• sambowen.co.uk
• sendinmuseums.co.uk
• The Phoenix and the Unicorn

Thanks to the lovely folk at The Group for Education in Museums (GEM) for sponsoring this week's episode. You can find more about them and their work here.

To help us keep podcasting we’d LOVE it if you could support the podcast, like, subscribe, review and share. The more listeners we get, the more we’ll be able to provide things to listen to - and we’re chock full of ideas!

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

• Firstly you can leave a message using speakpipe here: SpeakpipeTSWU

(Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

• You can send us a voice note from your phone to our email address at tswupodcast@gmail.com
• Or, if the thought of hearing your own voice gives you ‘the ick’, then send us an email to tswupodcast@gmail.com

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen.

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.