Guess what… we’ve gone international! Okay, maybe not quite viral (yet 😄), but we have reached listeners all the way in the USA - which led to this brilliant conversation.

In this episode, Alison chats with Lisa Richer, a Neurodiversity Consultant based in Maryland, USA. Together, they explore what can happen when we connect, share experiences, and really listen to one another - no matter where we are in the world.

They also don’t shy away from the challenges, talking honestly about how systems can sometimes get in the way when people’s voices aren’t truly heard. Lisa brings both her professional insight and her lived experience as a parent of two neurodiverse children, as well as her own journey with ADHD. She shares her reflections on supporting people to find their “why” and the importance of meeting people right in the “messy middle”.

It’s a warm, thoughtful conversation where Alison and Lisa discover a shared passion for language, kindness, understanding, and curiosity.

We’ll be honest - recording across the ocean came with a few sound glitches here and there - but we promise they are minimal and definitely don’t take away from the heart of the conversation.

Have a listen - we think you’ll really enjoy this one, and if you want to learn more about Lisa, please click here Home - Journey2bloom

Warning message: This podcast includes conversations about suicide and features people with lived experience sharing their personal stories. While these perspectives are important and meaningful, some listeners may find the content distressing or triggering. Please take care while listening and consider your wellbeing. Support resources are available if you need them

In this powerful and deeply moving podcast, Alison is joined by Adrian Ellis, who shares his lived experience of losing his son George to suicide just over five years ago, and how that loss has driven him to make a difference.

Adrian speaks with honesty and courage about his journey, using his experience to support children and young people in schools. His sessions are shaping how the next generation understands mental health, encouraging them to talk more openly about their feelings and, crucially, to listen to one another.

As part of Lincolnshire’s Suicide Prevention Lived Experience Forum, Adrian works alongside others who have been personally affected by suicide, as well as Kate Cooper and Ellie Gallacher from Lincolnshire County Council’s Public Health team (find out more about Kate and Ellie's work in Podcast 92). Together, they are helping to influence real change, from raising awareness to developing initiatives that encourage people to reach out for support.

Adrian’s hope is ambitious but clear: to help build a Zero Suicide Society. This podcast brings that vision to life through real experience, compassion, and a belief that change is possible.

Take time to listen. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding, and a renewed sense of how we can all play a part.

More information

Find out more by visiting Adrian’s website: ACE Lived Experience

and Adrian's LinkedIn page.

Warning: This podcast includes conversations about suicide and features people with lived experience sharing their personal stories. While these perspectives are important and meaningful, some listeners may find the content distressing or triggering. Please take care while listening and consider your wellbeing. Support resources are available if you need them.

Joining Alison are Kate Cooper and Ellie Gallacher, who work for Lincolnshire County Council’s Public Health team, alongside Kev and Di Brown, who share their lived experience as survivors of bereavement by suicide.

Kev and Di speak passionately about why they got involved with the Lived Experience Forum alongside Kate and Ellie, the meaningful changes they have been able to influence, and how they provide support for others in Lincolnshire so that they don’t have to go through it alone.

This podcast shines a light on how co-production and listening to people with lived experience can make a real difference, but also includes useful tips and resources for anyone who wants to be able to support people who may have suicidal thoughts: How Are You Lincolnshire | Suicide Prevention.

If you want to learn more about any of the resources or groups mentioned in the podcast, please contact Kate and Ellie via the Preventing Suicide email address preventingsuicideinlincolnshire@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Find out more about the Speak Their Name quilt workshops - you can also contact lincsstn@mail.uk for more information.

For information about the local SOBS group please visit Local Support