Pauline shares her experience of using her voice to improve services, support herself and help others.
Voices for a Better Future
Pauline is part of Voices for a Better Future. The members of this group have been supported by Future Pathways. They are a lived experience group.
The group offers guidance and advice to Future Pathways. They make sure that the service always considers the views of the people we support. Three of the members of Voices for a Better Future are also on the Alliance Leadership Team, which runs Future Pathways.
“I am part of Voices for a Better Future and the Alliance Leadership Team. I believe that any person should have the right to raise an issue with Future Pathways that they are concerned about. Maybe you don’t feel you can raise it or don’t know where to go. But the people on the Leadership Team do care. We want to do the right thing. I got involved because I wanted to know more, to try to help influence policy and to help to get the ball rolling.”
Volunteering
Pauline also uses her time to support children and young people who are carers. This started in lockdown.
“I got my qualifications during lockdown for working with kids who were young carers. These kids needed a rest during lockdown and I thought if I could give them a voice, I would, and I did. They were amazing kids with amazing ideas. I got thank you cards from lots of people because of the work I’ve done. I don’t always realise it myself. Sometimes if you can’t do something for yourself, doing something for someone else is enough and that can help you too.”
Connection
“I’ve moved in to disabled accommodation now. It was a horrible thing to happen but it is a lovely house and I got a lot of support from a woman from a third sector service. I was connected to her by Future Pathways. What a journey we have been on!”
“Future Pathways also supported me to get a computer and I worked with a wonderful Support Coordinator. I got my computer set up and got myself online. All these things I’ve been doing have come out since I joined with Future Pathways. Having a computer means I have that lifeline, that link – I can take part in things. I’ve been given the chance to give back a little bit and help other people. And it’ll keep going. And we can only make it better.”
Who Cares? Scotland
Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. They campaign for the rights of Care Experienced people.
“I’ve been involved with Who Cares? Scotland since I was 14 and I’m now in my 50s. When I was young, I joined and went along because you got free juice and crisps. Then it became about the people, then it became about what the people were trying to do. It does make me cry with pride when I see how well Who Cares Scotland is doing since I’d been that little kid.
“I know things have improved since my generation and things are different now. But there is still stigma, problems, fragmentation, the feeling of not fitting in and lack of connection. It’s important to keep improving services for care experienced people – that is my view and in my heart of hearts, and what keeps me ticking along.”
Applying to Scotland’s Redress Scheme
“I gave it a lot of consideration. It wasn’t about the money. It was about feeling validated,
listened to, heard. Yes, we are ‘victims’ – I know a lot of people don’t like that word. But when I was that child, I was a victim. Now I might be called a ‘survivor’. It was very difficult to apply to
redress. And a lot of people don’t know that they are entitled to it, or they know but don’t want to interact. When you’ve been conditioned not to have a voice, it’s difficult to think you do.”
Writing
“During the redress process, I wrote a book for myself which was a therapeutic journey. And thanks to Future Pathways, it can now go to print. I love my writing. I did a peer-to-peer writing group and ended up facilitating it for three months. I write my way out of trouble and that’s how I’ve always done it. The thing about writing – the beauty of it – is it can be anything you want it to be. It allows you the space to think. You can think about what you’ve written and why you’re writing it.”
The recovery journey
“It’s important to know that recovery can be slow, and happens only when you’re ready and when you want to engage. Getting support means you can get the tools to help you. But it’s up to you to make good use of them. Everyone has a toolbox and needs to keep adding to it. Throughout this, remember your achievements. And finally, what else has helped me is music. I would suggest listening to ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus, ‘This Is Me’ by Keala Settle and ‘Ten’ by Nathan Dawe.”
If you are applying to the Scottish Government’s Redress Scheme, or if you are thinking about applying, the Redress Support Service is there for you. The service offers support to people on their redress journey. Find out more at www.redress-support.scot
Future Pathways’ lived experience voice group is a safe space where members can offer guidance and advice to the Alliance Leadership Team and influence aspects of the design and delivery of Future Pathways. Find out more about the group and their work at www.future-pathways.co.uk/who-we-are/voices-for-a-better-future
Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Their strategic vision is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland. At the heart of their work are the rights of Care Experienced people and the power their voices have to bring about change. Find out more at: www.whocaresscotland.org
We are pleased to share Pathways to Change, our latest impact report. Here, we take an in-depth look at the work of Future Pathways from April 2023 to March 2024. This report helps us to gain a deeper insight into how we make a real difference, and where there is scope for improvement.
You will hear a range of voices throughout this report, including insights from people we support, feedback from Delivery Partners and reflections from our Support Coordinators. Future Pathways is shaped by the voices of the people who interact with our service – their contribution is crucial to developing and improving our work.
In tandem to these insights, our quantitative data helps us to build a clearer picture of how we work, our sphere of influence with other services and information about who we support.
For example, we are learning more about the inequalities that people experience: our data shows that people registered with Future Pathways are more likely than the general population to live in areas of multiple deprivation, have a disability or health condition and experience challenging life circumstances such as homelessness.
However, we also see that the right support has the potential to help address inequalities. People can overcome barriers and take steps towards meaningful change in their lives. This is particularly significant in the context of the inequalities that can be faced by people with lived experience.
We recognise that support can and should adapt and evolve according to people’s own journey. Our service model’s in-built flexibility allows support – and its accompanying impact – to evolve over the course of someone’s journey with Future Pathways. As such, we find that everyone’s experience at Future Pathways is unique to them too. While there may be common themes, the impact is different for everyone as each person is supported to find their own pathway to change.
Our impact report highlights how our approach can enhance support. By providing wide-ranging support that is tailored to each person’s circumstances, we are better able to offer support that is right for each person. In addition, we recognise that having choice and feeling empowered is a vital part of the journey – it can lead to increased sense of self-efficacy, independence and feelings of ownership over one’s own life.
Throughout this report, we see that a relational approach is essential. By prioritising relationships and taking a trauma informed approach, we create partnerships that feel safe and trusting in which people feel cared about, understood and valued.
This approach extends to everyone we work with: people we support, our staff, our Delivery Partners and providers, and the wider sector. Indeed, a relational approach can itself enhance support. Our collaborative work with Delivery Partners and existing services can encourage others to adapt their approach and respond flexibly to people’s needs, ensuring people can access the support that is right for them and which they have a right to access.
We look forward to the next steps of our learning journey. Data-driven improvement gives us an opportunity to see how we can continue to make a difference, map our influence and, crucially, further improve the support we provide.
“Future Pathways has been committed to learning about our impact since we launched in 2016. Like our service, our evaluation has evolved over time. Throughout this journey, we have reflected continuously on our changing context, gradually refined our evaluation approach, and made improvements based on what we have learned from people registered with us. This iterative process has helped us develop a fuller, more nuanced understanding of our support and the difference we make. We hope that our learning continues to contribute towards the vision of the Alliance, that people registered with us can lead full, healthy and independent lives.”
Louise Hall, Impact and Evaluation Lead, Future Pathways
“Providing this feedback is helpful to me in allowing me to see the progress and I hope it helps Future Pathways to further continue the amazing work it does. Thanks for taking the time you have and dealing with my story in confidence and with empathy.”
Person supported by Future Pathways
“This report shows the value of taking time to build a relationship with a person and across services, and how this can enable life to feel more purposeful. This is particularly significant given the multiple inequalities that can be experienced by people registered with us. We are committed to sharing our learning more widely as we make meaningful changes in our own support and seek to capture when other services do the same.”
Flora Henderson, Alliance Manager, In Care Survivors Alliance
Daniel shares how exercise improved his physical and mental health, and helped him on his recovery journey.
I had a serious accident over 10 years ago and was paralysed down my right side. I was determined to get back functioning and active again. I went to physiotherapy. They used to come and get me to go to my appointments. I was ashamed of people seeing me the way I was. People made fun of me.
Eventually, I started doing exercises in the house after going to physio. I kept on doing my exercises every day. Butterflies and half butterflies. Shadow boxing. Knee bends. Building up all of them to twenty repetitions each, twice a day. This helped with my counting as well.
I started feeling a bit of a difference, could see I was getting stronger.
My partner bought me two TENS whole body vibration machines. Big things they were and she carried them all the way up the street on her own! What a change in me after I’d been using them for a while. The vibrations helped with my balance – and with my anxiety. There’s different things that’ve helped me along the way.
During this time I was also in recovery from addiction and dealing with lots of personal issues but I kept exercising all the way through it. Over time, I was able to use a mobility scooter to get back out and about. Then I got a dog and that kept me going too.
Eventually, after Covid, and when I started with Future Pathways, I also started going to the local Recovery Cafe. We were all talking about the nervous system and how exercise is good for improving it. From there I thought I would give swimming a try. Swimming started it all.
Some friends started encouraging me to do a round of golf – I’m now able to hit every single ball when at first the club used to go flying and my pals had to go and get it back for me! There’s been people encouraging me and I really appreciate that when I look back.
I try to encourage other people in recovery to go swimming and to take up golf and other exercise because of how it’s helped me.
I enjoyed doing all of these things but I also wanted to be able to do something on my own. I wanted to go out when I felt like it to exercise and not be dependent on recovery groups, or other groups or other people; just to have the freedom to exercise like everybody else. I’d starting thinking about cycling when I got my mobility scooter. Once I felt stronger, I bought a bike but I kept falling off because of my balance. I tried to get stabilisers put on my bike too. I wanted freedom and fresh air.
I talked to my worker at Future Pathways about options for cycling and we thought about a trike/recumbent bike. We went through to Edinburgh to try some out. The boy in the shop ran along the street beside me when I had a go. I thought to myself, this is it, this is what I want, this is what I’d like to do.
It made me feel good, gave me a sense of freedom and enjoyment.
After that we had to do the funding application. I was dead worried I wouldn’t get it – I just felt like things like this doesn’t happen to people like us, people down in the dumps all the time and thinking about the worst things happening; not thinking anything good can happen in your life.
Then, when I realised I was getting it, I didn’t know if I was excited or worried! I was thinking about the security. What if I leave it somewhere? But I realise now I can take the battery out it. The computer out of it. And the shop guy gave me a good security lock for free too.
The day I got the bike, I cycled back to the train station on it and my worker walked alongside me. I was a bit anxious getting it on to the train. I couldn’t believe it. I really couldn’t believe it. Things like that don’t happen to people like us. Anything good, people usually take it away from you.
On my street on that day, people from my local town were giving me encouragement, smiling and laughing with me. That was different – laughing with me and not at me. People were happy for me.
People have told me I’m a miracle. I’ve walked from Bathgate to Whitburn – that’s because of building up my strength on the bike. I want to keep building up my walking too.
The bike has been a godsend. I’ve done over 200 miles on it now. I’ve been to Bathgate and back. Whitburn, Blackburn, Bathgate, Armadale and back to Whitburn. I’ve also been to Harthill from Whitburn, up to Fauldhouse, Longridge and back to Whitburn. When I’m out I see people smile and cars going by give me a wee toot.
Physically, it’s amazing. When you’re sitting on it, it feels so much easier because of your balance being sorted by sitting down. You’re not on a two wheeler. It’s not just made a difference, it’s made a life changing difference. My physicality is developing, my confidence has grown and I’m hoping it will grow more.
I find it hard to talk to people. I’m practicing this and sometimes the bike helps with having something to talk about when I’m out.
I think it helps with different things. I’m getting buses myself – I wasn’t able to do that alone before. I went to see Rangers again. I think that was partly because of the bike too. The bike helps my mobility and feeling more confident in my mobility and physicality. And fresh air – it’s a better tablet than anything off the doctor. You’ll never get a better tablet than that.
It’s given me ideas for doing more. I’d like to do a Glasgow or Edinburgh cycle to raise money for a parachute jump. It’s got me thinking of what else I can do. I want to get other people into recovery. It’s gave me ideas of what else might be possible. Maybe even volunteering one day.
I’m looking for contentment and to be stress free. I’ve been in trouble all my life. The bike puts a smile on everybody’s face – that makes me feel a bit happier as well.
Under that Caledonian Sky
The many shades of purple hues and the russet
and golden ambers
Burn bright in that morning light
The morning call becoming deafening
As each bird trying to be heard.
I smile… what a glorious sound and vision I wake to
The mist is up the glen now, showing more of the hillside’s glory
The dark bracken mingles with the multi-coloured flowers and heathers
That are searching for that morning sun.
Oh, what a bonny sight to see
It evokes emotions that awake you
Ready for the hearty breakfast smell that is wafting into my room
It’s a shame I’ll never walk under those skies again.
So I say my farewells
Oh glorious Caledonia sky
Farewell, farewell.
But I know you will never be lonely
You’re too beautiful, a sight to behold
So go, you lonely traveller
And lie under that Caledonian sky.
Eileen has published a collection of poetry. It is called ‘The Nightmares and Dreams of a Broken Wee Lassie’s Life’.
You can buy the poetry book on Amazon and from Waterstones.
Eileen is also working on a second book which will soon be published. Her story is made up of 5 books in total.
You can listen to Eileen reading her poetry on her Youtube channel. Visit: www.youtube.com/@eileencormack3866
Joyce creates a range of wonderful pieces. This includes artwork,
embroidery, knitting and spinning. Check out the collection of her fantastic
creations below.
Painting and embroidery
“I was walking through Balquhidder Braes one day and came into a clearing. I realised I had stumbled across Oberon’s Garden.”
“Pastels on brown paper. My interpretation of The Poker Player by Paul Gauguin. The first piece I did when I started at Dundee college in 1996.
With painting, I always wanted to learn but father wouldn’t allow it as ‘you can’t make a living with a paintbrush’. I went to college then uni as a mature student/single mum and learned.”
Bags and purses
Joyce also makes gowns for angel babies. Angel babies are babies sadly lost due to miscarriage or as an infant.
“I was asked by a mum of two sets of premature twins if I could make clothes for the preemie babies at Ninewells hospital. She later asked if I could make the little gowns for angel babies. I consider it a great privilege to be able to do this and Future Pathways helped me to buy a new sewing machine for this. I’m now looking for other hospitals who may need the gowns. I lost a baby many years ago and never came to terms with it. However, through doing this, I have finally found peace.”
Spinning
“Spinning is my therapy. I have a few spinning wheels but the Ashford Traveller is my favourite. I spin anything from recycled plastic bottles to nettles to rose stem fibre but have a passion for rare, exotic fibres.”
Above: Norwegian fleece that Joyce has dyed herself
Above: yellow and blue is rambouillet mix (rambouillet is a type pf sheep), the brown fibre is qiviut (musk ox) which is a beautiful soft fibre, and vicuna is a very expensive fibre.
Kirsty is really interested in trying different things that can benefit health and wellbeing. Here, she shares some examples of the things she has tried during her recovery journey.
Coming from a traumatic childhood, I did what most people done and learned to live with it, not fix it. Over the years, you don’t even recognise the triggers of trauma – you think the responses to triggers are yours.
My adult life seen me in many situations that seemed bad pot luck, until I couldn’t cope anymore. I turned to private counselling, and in doing so, was introduced to Future Pathways to fund it. I remained in counselling for 4 years, which worked to let me dig deeper within myself, by talking therapy, but didn’t actually allow me to heal in any real way.
During this process, always being a bit of a hippy, I started meditation, something I found extremely difficult as my panic attacks resulted in me being unable to focus on my breathing to get into a meditative state. It would send me into a panic.
I persevered and eventually was able to use meditation as a way to calm my mind.
This lead to using binaural beats and hemi sync meditations. These methods sync both hemispheres of the brain and take you to deeper levels of meditation. This led me into digging further into the science behind frequencies and vibrations. I like to understand the science behind why these methods were working.
And, seeing fast results, these methods allowed me to meditate and open myself up to the traumas in a calm, non-invasive way. Almost not even knowing that this is what I was doing. I was able to pick away at traumas without even really feeling them. Able to look at them without emotional attachment. Healing myself bit by bit without having to face the enormity of it.
I began to really get to know who I was behind all my usual barriers.
And if I can give something back, this is what I want to give back – a way for people to heal without have to return time and time again to professionals. For people to know that they can do this themselves, and give people the experience of this and the tools to walk away after a couple of sessions equipped with the knowledge of how to self-heal.
I feel that until you face your trauma and your triggers of trauma, that you cannot truly heal. The best and safest way to do this is through meditation, using sound frequencies and vibrations. It helps the mind focus , stay calm and heal, healing DNA, rewiring the brain, just for starters.
My plan is to start my own business using instruments that create sound waves and vibrations that resonate with the mind and body.
I want to take people through meditations safely, showing them every step of the way how and why to do this. Ensuring that they don’t need more than a couple of treatments maximum so they can take it away, practice it and find what works best for them and show others how to heal themselves.
My Support Coordinator has been an absolute god send, always there, always cheerleading my corner, and always highlighting my abilities. I cannot thank her enough for the encouragement this woman has shown me.
Alongside my Support Coordinator, I was given Graham from Gro-Wiser. He is a financial coach and has been a god send. Not just immense help with finances but also encouraging and cheerleading my ambitions.
Future Pathways has been more than I could have ever imagined they would be.
They have helped with so much, from funding lots of classes that will help me to fulfil my ambition, to being my biggest supporters. And I appreciate every minute I have had with them.
One day you will get there, and it will be yourself who gets you there. I encourage anyone experiencing difficulties coping in life to try and meditate. Even baby steps are still steps. I can guarantee you will find your peace. You will learn to love yourself and not care what the rest of the world thinks of you, because only your opinion will matter.
You live in your shoes so give yourself a better fitting shoe. You deserve it.
We are very pleased to support the publication Accessing Records in Scotland, a new report which brings together findings about what it is like for people with care experience to access their records.
Researched and written by Aberdeen City Council, the Champions Board of West Dunbartonshire Council, The City of Edinburgh Council, Future Pathways, Social Work Scotland and Who Cares? Scotland, the report focuses on what people with care experience tell us about the Right of Access. It also makes key recommendations for how the process can be improved so that anyone who chooses to access their records in future can do so in a way that is safe and supported.
The Right of Access gives each of us the right to obtain a copy of our personal data from any organisation which holds information about us. Accessing records can be particularly significant to people with care experience: records can provide information about their past which would otherwise be unavailable.
This new report was made possible by participants with care experience who generously gave their time, knowledge and insights so that we might all gain a better understanding of how things are now and where changes need to be made. People described the deep personal significance of their records, that they contributed to forging, understanding and asserting their identities. It is essential, therefore, that services recognise why records are important to people with care experience.
It is also crucial that organisations understand how the process of accessing records can also have a serious impact. It is a significant decision for someone to choose to seek information about their time in care and the experience can be highly emotional at each stage, from the decision to make a request, to the process of receiving records, to reading them. People have described how important it is to feel informed, listened to, safe and supported throughout the process.
The process for people is significantly improved when there is good communication, access to support and full explanation from the record holders. It is essential that people are supported at each stage. The report aims to create a foundation for developing a consistent, trauma-informed, rights-based framework for anyone responding to Rights of Access requests.
Many people supported by Future Pathways seek support for record searches and it is consistently one of the most access forms of support from our Delivery Partners. We have supported over 750 people (around a third of people we support) to access their records by working with Delivery Partners, such as Birthlink and Wellbeing Scotland, who help to identify and find records, compile records, and support people throughout the process.
Future Pathways supports the recommendations made in this report. We believe accessing records is part of ongoing care; policy and practice must meet the needs of people with care experience. Clear and accessible information is essential – anyone who chooses to access their records must be supported to feel informed and empowered. We know that records can contribute to building identity and form part of the journey towards trauma recovery. Therefore, underpinning the process of accessing records must be a trauma-informed, person-centred approach that reflects choice, collaboration, trust, empowerment and safety.
We encourage all services, organisations and practitioners who are involved in working with people with care experience, record searches and trauma recovery to read this report. You will hear the voices of people with care experience throughout. Their insights into this key issue are fundamental in generating awareness, understanding and, ultimately, change.
You can view and download Accessing Records in Scotland from Social Work Scotland website here. Both a full report and shortform version are available. We encourage you to share this with your peers and networks.
Smyllum was an orphanage in North Lanark, where many children experienced abuse from the Daughters of Charity who ran the institution.
Each year, INCAS supports a memorial service for the deceased children of Smyllum and all children who have died while in care.
This year, the memorial service will be held on Saturday 3 August at 1pm, at St Mary’s Cemetery in Lanark.
If arriving early, some survivors meet in Valeros Cafe on the High Street before the service.
After the service, a light lunch will be provided. The venue for this will be announced at the end of the service.
INCAS welcome all who may wish to attend this private memorial. However, in order to provide catering on the day, please do let INCASE know if you are attending. Send a short message to Helen on 07960 993444.
Richard shares his wonderful poem about nature.
Why is life not like a chestnut tree?
The Chestnut Tree…
Forty feet tall branches scattered in countless directions,
even more Leaves of different size and
Shades of Brown and Gold.
The Strength and Power of time has made you
Strong and Beautiful.
Birds from the Blue Ocean above perch on carefully
chosen branches;
The Blackbird – Chaffinch – Magpie
Woodpigeon – and Starlings.
They all come to gossip about their families.
Bees hum, a Hoverfly examines a branch, Caterpillars crawl
carefully here and there, a Red Admiral flutters through
Branches wondering where to land trying to keep away from
all those predators.
All this Menagerie finds some shelter from the Rain and
Wind from this magnificent stature of Wood and Leaves.
All the Clouds but one moves away to somewhere else.
The gentle patter of Rain stops.
The Sun peeks from the side of
a ball of cotton wool to say,
“Hello, I’m here to bring Sunshine into your Heart.”
The Chestnuts, clusters of mace bet on each other to see
who will fall to the Ground first.
On the Ground, the Hands and Fingers of Roots are spread
over the Grass, Twigs and Stones.
The Air of Wind returns moving this gentle giant to and fro,
the Branches Crackle and Creak.
The Sunlight flickers through and between the Leaves
creating Shadow and Movement.
And then, and then, a Chestnut fell, bouncing off the Grass
just in time to be spotted by a Red Squirrel.
Its big bushy tail radiant from the Sun’s kiss.
Another fell, another bounced watched eagerly by the
others from the branches above.
Later on in the day the Sun flew away, a cloth of black
velvet sprinkled with diamonds graced us with its presence
admiring the tree.
The Moon cast its Ambient Light on Branches and Trees.
Silence fell. The Wind disappeared.
Silence, quiet, stillness.
Suddenly, a White Bird appeared, its Heart Shaped Face,
Its beautiful Dark Eyes its magnificent Wingspan landed on
A branch almost halfway from the ground, watching,
listening.
Behind this glorious creature are more Branches, more
Leaves and the Big Pearl of Light.
Chestnut Tree,
What have you seen?
What have you heard?
What do you know?
A whisper of answers gently fell into the air.
Why is Life not like a Chestnut Tree?
Future Pathways supported Chris to develop his skills in DJing. Here, he tells us all about his musical journey.
Chris first got into DJing in 1991 while living in Leeds. He first came across the music scene in 1988 when he took a trip to London. This is where he first listened to Centre Force, a pirate radio station that played 24-hour rave music. During this trip, he went to a warehouse party and this gave him his first proper taste of the acid house scene and rave music.
‘I loved the openness, the vibe, being able to chat to anyone in a non-judgmental environment. For someone who had been through trauma, it was a place where you did not have to explain yourself and you could just be free. It didn’t matter who you were, what you were wearing. Everyone shared everything with complete strangers.’
He later moved to Leeds and started buying records. He got introduced to a friend of a friend who had a slot on the local pirate radio station. Chris started hanging out at the station and at the after-hours blues clubs dotted around Chapeltown. He was then offered his own slot at the radio station and played at most of the blues clubs. He also played a couple of gigs at The Music Factory, one of the most well-known clubs in Leeds, known as the home of B2B Back to Basics.
‘It wasn’t just the music, it was the vibe that was intriguing to me. I got really into the underground side of the scene.’
Chris moved around a lot so ended up selling or losing a lot of his records and gave up DJing. But last year, he decided to get back to it.
By this time, the scene had moved from using vinyl records to digital equipment. So, Chris had to learn to use this new technology. Future Pathways supported Chris to develop his skills and access the tools he needed. Chris’s Support Coordinator at Future Pathways was there to guide him.
‘It has been a massive thing for me that someone is there and takes the time to listen. She gets my story. For me, it’s not just the service, it’s the connection with the person you’re being supported by. To have someone who is open and helpful in guiding you to the services that might help you, that’s the key thing.’
Chris was able to access new tracks to use in his mixes. He also had time at Pirate Studios in Edinburgh. This gave him the chance to practice using club equipment which gave him more confidence.
‘It has been great using the equipment and learning. It has been a great learning curve.’
Making music also boosts Chris’s mental health and wellbeing.
‘DJing has been such a healing thing. I get into my zone. I also love seeing people’s reactions to the music that I play. Having time away from everything takes my mind away from things that are going on around me. It takes you away because you can’t think of that while you’re doing something you have to concentrate on.’
Chris now has a weekly slot on Trax Radio UK. It is the oldest independent dance music station in the UK.
‘You do it from your own room but you are streaming it to the audience. It is a fab thing. It is an indication of how well DJing is going for me. If you weren’t any good, they wouldn’t have you on, especially on a primetime slot like a Friday evening. So that is really big for me, I am really chuffed.’
Chris also plays at St Andrews Brewing at Caird Hall in Dundee.
‘I got asked to do some sets before Christmas and they went down a storm. It was four hours long which was intense. But they loved it. And they’ve booked me now for the next few months.’
Chris also had an exciting trip to Dundee Dance Event in May. It was the largest event in the UK for up-and-coming DJs. This year, Chris had two sets there. He also has more events coming up.
‘I’ve been invited to go down to Stoke and play with legend Daz Wilcot and Awesome 3, who were a huge PA. I also have a gig at Dundee Pride in the dance tent.’
Chris has plans for his future too.
‘I’m a big fan of seeing people dance and seeing people happy. I hope to make contacts with clubs and get my music out there a bit more. It’s definitely getting there.’