March 12, 2020
A Shared Lives talk show
John Paul and Lee are both supported by Shared Lives in Liverpool and both live in long-term arrangements with their carers because they don’t feel able to live independently. That’s not to say that they don’t enjoy doing lots of fun stuff independently though; these two lead very theatrical lives performing. Lee’s a karaoke enthusiast with his own famous Popeye performance piece and John Paul’s part of a comedy group who put on shows.
So, when these two came to us with the idea of using their talents to put together their own talk show series, we couldn’t think of a better hosting duo. Over a few months, we’ve sat down with the Ant and Dec of Shared Lives, planning who they’d interview, filming this, editing it with them at PSS HQ and creating a logo and theme tune too. They just love what it looks like and can’t wait to share it with the world and empower other people supported by the service to interview and be interviewed too.
So, here’s episode one, featuring Lee interviewing John Paul. John Paul had a collision with a car on his way to work many years ago, leaving him with an acquired brain injury. He had been cared for by his mum for many years but, when she was diagnosed with cancer and told she only had six months to live, he moved in with Shared Lives carers. When he first moved in with Shared Lives he explains how we was very, very hesitant and lacking in confidence. His Shared Lives carers have supported him with positive risk taking to help his recovery process, taking steps to be more independent and challenge himself. He describes this process as being ‘seriously liberating’ and Shared Lives as being a ‘revolution’ in his life.
Stay tuned for more interviews with people supported by Shared Lives and their carers, hosted by John Paul and Lee…