This episode is another trailer for a session at the "Getting to Grips with Trauma" Book Festival which will be held at Cumbernauld Theatre on Sunday 6th September from 10.00 - 5.30. You can buy tickets here https://lanternhousearts.org/events/book-festival-getting-to-grips-with-traum/. Remarkably, a £15 day pass allows you to attend 6 sessions from a choice of 24 authors. It is the biggest literary bargain ever!!.

This time it is with Sara Cullen, whose novel "Blood Red Sky" features in the Criminal Justice section. That is a real tribute to Sara because she has not only written a gripping, engaging and highly empathetic story, she has also demonstrated remarkable insight into how our justice system operates. Her account raises questions about how far we fail young people despite our best intentions and structures and systems of which Scotland can be rightly proud.

This section from Jackie Galbraith's review of "Blood Red Sky" in the Scottish ACEs Action Community Newsletter captures much of the quality of the novel

"Blood Red Sky is categorised by booksellers as fiction for young adults, but it merits a much wider reach. Storytelling, whether fictional or factual arising from lived experience, is a powerful way to raise awareness, create empathy and accelerate action on the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences. The book helps the reader understand better the pressures young people face in handling difficult and alien situations, especially in getting their voice heard. Aaron(the central character) not being listened to was a theme that ran throughout the book. Very few adults were interested in hearing his view on what happened at the school, largely because they were sure of their assumption that he started the fire. While this situation was not helped by Aaron, who said little for fear of incriminating others, it was heartbreaking how easily all the adults he engaged with accepted his guilt"

It is an excellent read and will be a superb springboard for discussion in Sara's session.

You can find out more about Sara here https://www.sarajcullen.com/

Sara is published by Arkbound https://www.arkbound.com/ Arkbound is a charity publisher and mentoring organisation supporting underrepresented authors and publishing books that explore urgent social issues. They work across Scotland to make publishing inclusive and empowering.

Publishing has historically excluded many marginalised voices. They work to change that by supporting authors facing barriers, mentoring writers in the prison system and working with community leaders whose writing can drive real change. Through mentorship, workshops, events and publishing, we bring important stories into the world.

The goal is to publish writers from disadvantaged backgrounds, challenge injustice, and strengthen communities. We're guided by a simple principle: building futures, bridging divides. So they are taking action too!

Here is another of their books which we hope to have available at the Festival https://www.arkbound.com/bookshop/p/euphoric-recall

The episode trails Ross McKay's session at the "Getting to Grips with Trauma" Book Festival which will be held at Cumbernauld Theatre on Sunday 6th September from 10.00 - 5.30. You can buy tickets here https://lanternhousearts.org/events/book-festival-getting-to-grips-with-traum/. Remarkably, a £15 day pass allows you to attend 6 sessions from a choice of 24 authors. It is the biggest literary bargain ever!!.

Ross's book, "Daddy's Bad (bed) Day" is reviewed brilliantly by Lesley Frame Whitelaw in the Scottish ACEs Action Community's Trauma in the Arts Review. You can check out their Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/p/Scotlands-ACEs-Action-Community-61578663712550/ As Lesley says - "The strength of this book lies in its honesty, its compassion, and its ability to open up conversations that are often hard for families. How do you know where to begin to talk about a parent’s mental health struggles? That means it is not just a story for children, but for us adults too. Its message is an important one. It may be about emotional struggles, but it is also about the love, resilience and small acts of connection that help families through difficult days"

You can get more information about Ross on his website here https://rossmackaystories.com/

We also mention the wonderful film "Love and Trouble" https://sonjahenrici.com/films/loveandtrouble/. The Scottish ACEs action Facebook page will offer details of screening.

We also mention Anam Alba https://anam-alba.com/ and their superb musical production of the children's book The Little Iceberg https://anam-alba.com/the-little-iceberg-story/. It's a packed episode and well worth your time

I love this episode with Claire and Zoe. It is free flowing, fun and full of laughter, radical political analysis, historical research and trenchant observations on the current political situation. Claire and Zoe are insightful, unassumingly articulate and fearless. This show is a must for anyone interested in Scottish history and what we highlight and teach about it. It is also for anyone wanting to understand the scale and intensity of the persecution that was conducted on the basis of alleged witchcraft. It is shocking.

There is also lots of discussion about trauma and its inter-generational impact.

The episode also trails their session at the "Getting to Grips with Trauma" Book Festival which will be held at Cumbernauld Theatre on Sunday 6th September from 10.00 - 5.30. You can buy tickets here https://lanternhousearts.org/events/book-festival-getting-to-grips-with-traum/. Remarkably, a £15 day pass allows you to attend 6 sessions from a choice of 24 authors. It is the biggest literary bargain ever!!.

If you need any further encouragement to listen to the podcast or attend the Book Festival, you can read a wonderful review of Claire and Zoe's book "How to kill a Witch" (https://www.witchesofscotland.com/book) by Mhairi Gilchrist in the Scottish ACEs Action Community's newsletter which you can sign up for here https://connectedbaby.net/scotlands-aces-journey/scotlands-aces-community/

They also have a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/p/Scotlands-ACEs-Action-Community-61578663712550/ where you will find lots more information about the Book Festival

I really recommend this episode and all things connected to Witches of Scotland. Please check them out https://www.witchesofscotland.com/

This is the first in a series of episodes which form part of the "Getting to Grips with Trauma" Book Festival which will be held at the Lantern house theatre in Cumbernauld on Sunday 6th September from 10.00 - 5.30. You can buy tickets here https://lanternhousearts.org/events/book-festival-getting-to-grips-with-traum/. Remarkably, a £15 day pass allows you to attend 6 sessions from a choice of 24 authors. It is the biggest literary bargain ever!!

Karen Campbell is a wonderful introduction to the Festival. Here is the link to her homepage https://karencampbell.scot/. We focus on her latest book "This Bright Life", but we also talk about "Paper Cup", an earlier novel, which I loved. Both are full of insights into trauma and it's impact. Both are profoundly empathetic and stress the importance of connection and community.

One of the great things about them is that they are not polemics or manifestos. The are gripping stories and very enjoyable reads. As the icing on the cake, Karen is a warm, open, engaging and interesting guest

This podcast was an absolute pleasure for me. I have long been committed to outdoor learning and chaired the Outdoor Connections Advisory Group for Scottish Government, so to combine that with addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences was an irresistible opportunity for me.

Conor McNamara, Conor.mcnamara@oytscotland.org.uk, does exactly that through his work with the Ocean Youth Trust. You can get a real insight into the Trust's activity through this marvellous video

https://oytscotland.org.uk/young-people-from-g15-youth-project-share-their-story-through-film-after-cashback-voyage

and get more information on their website - Home - OYT Scotland

Conor is wonderfully enthusiastic and was a joy to talk to. His work and that of the Trust make a massive difference to young people through offering opportunities, challenges and support. Listen and find out more including how to help the organisation to reach more young people

This episode takes us back into the territory of community activism and empowerment and that is something that is at the heart of this series. Terry McTernan has a great story to tell about Ferguslie Park and the people who live there. Often highlighted, Ferguslie had become a byword for the extent and impact of deprivation. Sadly, it had often appeared to be a graveyard for efforts at regeneration and recovery. Terry tells a very different story a community that helped itself. One which made impressive progress when the people who lived there were empowered and encouraged.

He echoes much of the work and thinking of Rebecca Solnit in her books, especially "A Paradise Built in Hell" and "The Beginning Comes After the End" and these are just some of the references made in this wide ranging conversation about how we really need to address industrial decline, unemployment, poverty and all the impacts of adversity, including adverse childhood experiences.

It is fulll of ideas and passion and is a genuinely encouraging and uplifting conversation

It is wonderful to come back to the film "Love and Trouble" which we first discussed in episode 4 of series 1 of this podcast when we spoke to Christo Hird from Dartmouth Films. I now get the chance to talk about not with Kenny and Kerry who are the subjects of the film. I really admire both of them for the way that they have addressed the challenges and issues that they have faced and for the courage and openness that they have shown in allowing the film maker, Amy Hardie into their lives. Amy is a talented and sensitive person and her qualities, combined with the willingness of Kenny and Kerry to share their lives, have created a remarkable film.

Showings of the film can be organised through the Scottish ACEs Action Community. If you would like to host a screening for your community or organisation, get in touch with Suzanne Zeedyk -suzanne@suzannezeedyk.com. She will tell you how Scotland’s ACEs Action Community can help you.

There are screenings scheduled for for the School of Health and Wellbeing at Glasgow University on the 11th May -https://www.gla.ac.uk/events/listings/index.html/event/14695

Glasgow Clyde College on 19th May - jroden@glasgowclyde.ac.uk

Dundee College on 20th May https://dvva.scot/news/love-and-trouble-screening-and-qa-with-da-college-20th-may/

Keep an eye on the Scotland's ACEs Action Community Facebook page for details of all screenings.

I am absolutely delighted to be able to release this podcast with Laurie Ellis.

It is our first episode dealing with all of the issues, which we have dealt with in other episodes, in the world off sport, Laurie makes clear how important it is that everyone dealing with young people, whatever the context, needs to understand them and respond to their characteristics, experiences and needs.

He talks brilliantly about how football academies have to develop players who are ready to move into the first team at their club, but to do more than that, They need to make sure that there are no barriers to their progress from developmental issues or trauma that are not addressed through understanding and the building of relationships. He also recognises the need for coaches to help in the overall development of the young people in the academies. I love his comment about producing "warriors" ready to give their all for their team, but also to be "warriors with compassion". He makes the case that, while coaches have a clear responsibility to their clubs, they have an essential responsibility to the young people who are ion their care.

It is an encouraging account of how the culture of, at least some, of football academies has changed and how aware Laurie and other coaches are of the complex world that young people are being prepared for. In Laurie's case, this awareness has led him to seek more learning and information and to engage with the Scottish ACEs Action Community.

This is a programme which should engage sports fans, parents and anyone interested in the development of Scotland young people.